thrift store goodies

I finally got caught up on printing and getting orders out, and had a bit of time to make long overdue stops at the thrift stores. It is usually all or nothing lately. I either come home empty-handed or with a bag full of unusual goodies. Today was one of those fun days when the cashiers looked at me like...'what in the hoolies are you going to do with that?' 

This little fabric covered book caught my eye first. I picked it up, opened it, and imagine my surprise when inside, I found something unexpected!

Two vintage handkerchiefs were secured inside by criss-crossing satin ribbons. I do not know if this was how it was supposed to be, or if it had been made as a book for handkerchiefs, as I have never seen anything like it before, but it was so interesting that I simply had to put it in my basket.

Inside the little cloth book

I am also a collector of old thread, wooden spools with ratty wrappers and labels, tangled up and worn out, so old that their purpose now is find themselves lined up on the window sill of the studio. 

These are a few of the spools I found in a shoebox at the Salvation Army.  There were probably 25 total, a wide variety of colors, some tangled up pretty good, but what fun!

And finally, these little doo-dads.

I think they are sample swatches of a woven canvas for interior design. They are the perfect size to fold in half, and I envision them embellished and stitched to fashion fun little coin purses or something such.

There are a total of 8, and as soon as I picked them up, I saw what I was going to try and do with them.

Yep, a good thrift store day.