Flea Market Finds + New Fabric, New Friends, New Pattern!

Do you use a chalk wheel, readers?  I never have but I've always been curious about them.  I found this red one at the flea market today in a pile of old sewing notions and now it's mine.  I'm very excited to try it.

I also bought this kitschy Indian beaded necklace (and wore it home).  As a child in the Seventies I beaded quite a bit (I was a crafty kid in a crafty era).  Did you?



Meanwhile, I've met not one, but two MPB readers the last couple of days.  Coincidentally, they're both from Seattle.  Yesterday I had lunch with Michael (and husband Ron) in the Garment District, and today, coffee and quick tour of the flea market with Elias.  By the way, the 4th Annual MPB Day will take place on Saturday, August 9th, so please mark your calendars and book those cheap flights now.  (I'll be making a more formal announcement later on.)

Elias and I today at the outdoor flea market

I have new fabric to show you.  Michael liked my cotton shawl-collar sweater so much, he wants one of his own.  His is going to be made with the same type fabric, only in a beige/oatmeal palette.



On the same trip, I picked up this pants-weight blue cotton in a fine herringbone twill.  For some reason I've been buying a lot of solid blue fabric lately.   I think it's my preferred neutral even though I may look better in gray (Michael thinks so).



I have a new pattern to show you, fresh out of the mailbox.  It's Butterick 4362, a vintage Seventies men's jacket and pants pattern (below).  You probably know by now that the Seventies is my favorite men's pattern decade and Butterick is my favorite pattern company from that period -- very stylish, well-drafted patterns.







I think the jacket will look terrific in a lightweight denim or linen.  I may make it this coming month -- or sooner!

Now onto a few other things I saw at the flea market today:

Vintage Forties Girl Scout (or troop leader?) uniforms!





Sewing machines!









Bag of invisible zippers (with Kwik Sew pattern)!



Trunk full of vintage polyester!  (I seriously considered buying the light blue but after touching it realized I'd never wear anything I made out of it.)



And that's it!  As usual, my plate is full with sewing projects and don't even ask about the state of my living room.

Have a great day, everybody!