Kitten Vintage Mackay

 It’s been a long time since I posted here.

If you’re wondering what happened to me, I finally started my vintage shop!

You can find it at https://www.kittenvintagemackay.com.au/

Or follow me on Facebook or Instagram at Kitten Vintage Mackay 

Thanks lovely 

💋Deb

A year and a pattern

I cannot believe it's one year since I decided to open my shop...a year since I did my second swap meet in the heat and dust and thought 'there must be a better way'. What a journey it has been. And so busy! Things like this little blog have fallen by the wayside....but I'm back! In a very basic way though, just to share some vintage tidbits that I find, like patterns. And don't forget to click on the vintage ads link above for my tumblr blog full of great ads💋Deb

Click to enlarge 

Sun Hat Season Again

It's the end of September, and here in north Queensland the days are warm and sunny. It's definitely back to sun-hat weather.

For someone who has just had a skin cancer removed from their face, hats are a must! It's still possible to get sunburnt here, even in winter.  The sun in Mackay in July is stronger than the sun in Chicago -  I spent two weeks walking around Chicago one July a few years ago without burning, and two hours here on my return and burnt!

So for a little vintage inspiration, here are some hat ideas from 1954 -

 

Even a small hat will stop your scalp burning, and I do have a few cute little hats in store a the moment - just $25 each!


Vintage Hats

Deb x

10 Painted Furniture Before and Afters

I've got back into painting furniture in the last few months, both for myself and to sell. I have been experimenting with a  variety of paints, including latex, Annie Sloan chalk paint, Fusion mineral paint and home made chalk paint. I think I like the Chalk paint the most, but am looking for an Australian made product, and one that I may be able to sell in the future. Let me know of any recommendations!

I do list everything I'm selling on my Facebook page (click the link at right or go to kittenvintagemackay), but I thought I'd show you all a few before and afters.....

1. This one was for a client's daughter, home made chalk style paint and beeswax, hand painted lettering (sold)

2. An old kitchen cabinet I found on gumtree, sanded, sealed and feet added (sold)

3. Old meat safe, replaced mesh, sanded, decoupaged and sealed (sold)

4. Old dressing table, stripped, sanded, painted, sealed and new handles (for sale)

5. Cane bedside table for a client, sanded, painted with gold, distressed and waxed (sold)

6. Old dressing table, sanded, painted in home made chalk paint and waxed, new handles (for sale)

7. Small lamp table, painted, distressed and waxed (for sale)

8. 1920s timber chairs, contact removed (yes contact), sanded, repaired, seats painted and sealed (sold)

9. Small laminate bedside table, painted in chalk paint, waxed and new handles (sold)

10. 1970s carved timber cabinet, painted and waxed with dark wax (sold)

I try and paint every day, weather permitting as I work outside....for now!

I have been working on staging and found a spare wall to photograph against, and things have sold faster. Here's another photo of a dining set I painted and sold the first day...I just don't have a before photo.

Hope these inspire you to get painting!

Deb x

Vickers -From church bells to Sewing Machines

Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. The company began life making steel castings and quickly became famous for casting church bells. 

 In 1867 the company went public and gradually branched out into making hints like marine shafts, propellers and armour plate. In 1890 they made their first artillery piece and soon manufactured everything from torpedos to machine guns.

Vintage Pattern - 1930s Cosy Knitted Slippers

I do love knitted slippers, as you may remember, and this week's magazine from 1935 has another lovely pattern.  These have soft leather soles and are lined with fleecy lambs wool.  They are apparently simple to make, in any 4 ply wool. Perfect for our wintery Australian days...

Kleenex and the death of hankerchiefs

As a child, I learnt to iron when mum let me do the hankies and the tea towels.  I loved the large checked hankies for Dad, the smaller hankies for Mum that I folded into rectangle, and the tiny hankies for my sister and I that went into neat little squares.  I still use tea towels every day, and now my own children are learning to iron on them, but hankies have sort of fallen by the wayside.

My family love their aloe-vera softened, eucalyptus oil enriched tissues - recycled tissues are 'too scratchy" and hankies are too much effort....until they leave a tissue in a pocket in the wash!

A pretty vintage hankie

To Transform the Homely Scone

What to do when you've made soup for dinner but are out of bread and short of time? Make scones!

Every 50s housewife know how to make scones - usually sweet with jam and cream - but a scone recipe is adaptable, and can be savoury as well.

If you follow me on instagram you will know I make scones now and then for afternoon tea (seriously its quicker than driving to the store). This is my easy never fail, cheat recipe -

3 cups self raising flour
1 cup lemonade (or other soft drink)
1 cup pouring cream

Mix ingredients together gently, don't knead, and press into a round about 1cm thick. Cut into circles with a floured glass. Place on greased tray, brush with milk, beaten egg or water and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

The website is up and running!

Yes, I have finally organised a website for the shop, somethings I have been planning on doing for a while.

See it at http://www.kittenvintagemackay.com

Let me know if you have any suggestions.

This week I'm focusing on a new lot of kitschy salt and pepper shakers and egg cups that just arrived, and vintage compacts - they'll all be in the store soon. Here's a few to give you an idea -

Enjoy the weekend kittens

Deb💋

A new look and a new name

Yes its time for a name change for the blog, to match my new Etsy shop name.


Why Kitten Vintage? Well it combines my two favourite things - kittens and vintage!


Here are our two newest additions, Sebastian and Charlie, rescued by a friend who kept their mother. Their arrival coincided with my twins birthdays, so of course we had to keep both of them!

Hopefully a bricks and mortar store is not too far away....


In the meantime, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr.....I'm enjoying making gifs from vintage films at the moment.....like this one:

Bye for now Kittens

A behind the scenes look at Grace Kelly's Wedding

Despite an acting career only six years long, Grace Kelly remains one of the most loved and iconic actors of all time. She began her acting career in 1950, age 20, and in April 1956 retired from acting to marry Prince Rainer of Monaco and take up royal duties.

This article from April 1956 gives a little behind the scenes look at the royal wedding......

Hello again and a free pattern

It's been a while, but I finally have my google profile worked out so I can post again.

Many months ago a reader asked for a crocheted collar pattern, and finally I have one! I was listing this 1960s Pins and Needle magazine today (see my Etsy store)....

When I found this pattern....

I still can't seem to be able to change the size of photos so let me know if you'd like it emailed, or just grab the original mag from Etsy!

Ducks make everything better

I am having a range of problems with Google and this blogging platform at present, so for the foreseeable future I will be blogging at my other site, https://thewartimewoman.wordpress.com/

I'd love you to visit!

Deb

Ps - we have ducks now, and often I will just sit and watch them instead of blogging or doing anything else useful.  Can you blame me? Ducks make everything better.

Planning a Retro Wedding?

The death of my computer has meant that blogging has become difficult. I have worked out now how to blog from my iPad, sort of, so please bear with me. Adding photos and changing font still has me apprehensive!

Anyway, if you follow my tumble blog, which is easy to keep up with on an iPad, you will know I have been having a look at the 70s, and in particular 1975 - a mere 40 years ago. I was only little at the time, but I do remember a bit from 1975.  I had one of my aunts stay with me recently and she was married in 1975. I am trying to get one of her wedding photos, but in the meantime, if you are interested in having a retro 70s style wedding, here are some pics for you, and a pattern  for a crochet wedding dress, from 1975 (Australian Women's Weekly July 1975) -

The dresses are quite simple with a-line skirts and simple bodices.

This is actually lingerie, but wouldn't it make a stunning dress?

And here is the pattern.

Vintage Beauty - the 1930s ideal

1930s Lovlies

Today a look at ads from 1935 which give a bit of an idea of the 1930's ideal of beauty, and some of the products that were around to help you be at your most beautiful.

First you had to be thin -

Although certain foods were seen as healthy and essential -

Even chocolate -

and alcohol - 

Not to mention health giving cigarettes!

A beautiful complexion was key - and it needed liver salts, tablets, cleansing oils and creams.

Unwanted hair could be removed -

and of course there was always make up to make you even more beautiful -

And finally, this is Mrs Thelma Peake of Queensland, in July 1935 - Queensland's all round leading woman athlete of the day.

She is so fit and healthy looking!

Thelma was a Long Jump National Championship during the 1930s, but also competed in sprints, hurdles and middle-distance events. Through her career she set many firsts -
1935 - the first mother to become a national champion or record-holder in athletics 
1938 - the first mother (or married woman) to represent Australia internationally. She may also have            - the first mother to win an individual medal (and a team gold medal) at an international games  in Sydney 1938.

After 1940 the approach of war in the Pacific war forced the cancellation of most sports in Queensland, so she retired from athletics prematurely at the age of 26.

I think I like the 30s ideal woman - what about you?

Thrifty on Tuesday - How to cut a bob and new clothes

I was a little late with my thrift shopping today. I had a bad hair morning, so decided to cut and dye my hair. I haven't had it cut professionally in over a year, but I usually get it cut into a bob each winter, the only time here it's cool enough for me to wear my hair down - if you look at instagram you will see some before photos. I have also been really into the 1930s this week, and a bob seems very 30s to me, but feeling extra poor this month, I decided to give it a go myself. 

How to cut a Bob
I put my hair into a pony tail on the top of my hair and snipped off about two inches - it was just below shoulder length- to get layers. Then I did another pony tail on the centre nape of my neck, and snipped off the whole thing. 

 

I also put in a blonde colour, which didn't really bleach it as I had hoped, but at least covered the grey roots!

You can't see the back, but is a little shorter, sort of a concave. I am quite happy with the result, and the price, just $6.99 for the color! I am thinking of going a little lighter, maybe with a bit of peroxide and baking powder....and one day I might even try real 30 style waves instead of just scrunch drying it.

Thrifting

As to the thrift shopping, this week I found two dresses for me, a TS14+ top, a wool wrap and a country road towelling robe - all $2 each. I may even do photos of me in them one day.....

On Vinnies $1 rack I found a Roger David burgundy metallic shirt for hubby, a long floral satin nightie and leopard print top for me.

I also got a Maggie T t-shirt and a vintage Katie's polka dot blouse for my mum and daughter.

And these adorable ear muffs - new in boxes - 3 pairs for $5. Just the thing for these chilly winter mornings, and afternoons, obviously!

So for under $30 I have gone shopping and had my hair done - a very thrifty day!