Thrift Shop By Macklemore Plays Gently In The Background : A Thrift Haul + Thrift Shopping Tips
We'll get onto the haul, but first my three favorite thrifting tips! They've been acquired through 25 years of accompanying my Mom to thrift stores. So you know they're at least half decent tips cause boy can that lady find a good bargain. I think that and making everything she cooks taste delicious might be her super powers.
1. Pick your thrift shop wisely.
I tend to lean towards thrift stores in smaller, more rural areas. They tend to not be horribly picked over, as well as cheaper, and occasionally you can score really good deals by virtue of the people who run the thrift store not knowing the worth of the clothing they're selling.
Conversely, wealthier areas can have better clothing. They tend to be slightly more expensive, but they also tend to have more brand name, nicer items if that's what you're looking for.
2. Keep an eye out for amazing deals.
This probably goes without saying, but sometimes you can end up in a thrift store that has barely anything you like, but after digging you find that one diamond in the rough. The dress I got today is an example of this.
3. Don't always think that you're getting a better deal because it's a thrift store
This one's a really easy mentality to get into. The idea that it must be a better deal because it's at a thrift store, right? Not always. Thrift stores are amazing, and growing up without a lot of money means that oftentimes I've been dressed in the thrift stores finest. But as my Mom preaches, you can also get great deals by hunting out deals at Target, Kohls, Ross, Old Navy or a variety of other cheaper stores. If your searching for clothes to wear straight off the rack, with no modifications, check your clearance racks, weekly ads, and try to be aware of what things cost other places before buying that basic top for $8 just because it's at the thrift store.
Now, onto the actual haul!
It needs to be taken in just slightly, but I intend to wait to do that until I'm slightly more confident with my sewing skills and wear it in the meantime anyway. It's too cute not to. It's definitely going to be my church dress this Sunday, I'll be the cutest one above the age of 10 there. (Kids are always going to be cuter than me, it's not my fault.)
The rest is pretty much just fabric, because that was the actual goal of todays trip.
I also found a puppy! No, that's just Maggie who decided it was of the utmost importance to lay in a way that made it impossible to not get her in the picture. Though, really, who doesn't want to see an adorable dog?
The round table cloth was $0.99 and a total score. It'll be (eventually) transformed into a circle skirt for my Mom, who is very excited over the prospect.
Another round table cloth! Also for $0.99 and also destined to one day be a circle skirt. I'll probably do this one first because it'll be for me and is therefore allowed to be a little wonky. I'm hoping to blog the process so that the world can see my very first attempt.
Pillowcase, $0.25. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it was really cheap and I'm a sucker for animal print.
2 pillowcases for $0.99. I also have no idea what to do with these. They're pretty big, definitely bigger than your standard pillow case so I'm tempted to turn them into a new bag since my current one is getting a bit worn out.
A large amount of some sort of stretchy, t-shirt like material for $0.75. The current intention for it is to eventually get skilled enough to make it into some sort of t-shirt dress. Also, enjoy the bonus dog in the corner. Who doesn't like a bonus dog?
A twin fitted sheet and top sheet, also in a stretchy, t-shirt like material for $2.99. This one's destiny is to eventually become a comfy tank dress for my Mom.
A very adorable children's bedsheet that I got for $1.25 and will eventually become my first attempt at a skirt. It's cute, but not so cute that if I end up messing it up I'll end up devastated so it's perfect to try skirt making with!
A curtain for $0.75. I have absolutely no idea what to do with it, but I thought the pattern was really interesting so I had to grab it to add to my giant pile of fabrics that I either don't know what to do with, or don't feel comfortable enough with my skills yet to do anything with. There's a beautiful brocade fabric in there, that I have such hopes of turning into something one day, but that I'm afraid I'll butcher with my absolute beginner skills... but now we're getting off topic, moving on!
This small, but very cute piece of fabric for $0.25. I have no idea what to do with it, and no idea what it actually was in the first place (A cloth napkin maybe? It seems a bit too big to be a cloth napkin) but it's cute so I have it now. Have you noticed the trend of "It's cute so I got it"? Because I have, and I feel like it could potentially be a character flaw.
The last piece of fabric! It's been a journey, and if you're still here I commend you. You deserve a cookie for reading this far, and hopefully you've been moderately entertained. This was $1.99 and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. Maybe it's because I'm a Captain America fan, but anytime I see red white and blue I'm filled with internal glee, even if it's not something that's actually Captain America related.
This is going to be turned into a ginormous amount of hair bows. It'll be bananas. It'll be bownanas.
Lastly, I picked up a grab bag for $0.99. I bought it for the embroidery thread, but am tickled by the freaky wooden doll heads that were inside of it.
I mean, look at them.
Hopefully you've enjoyed this post, and you'll come back to read more! I'm hoping to start updating this thing regularly, so keep an eye out here for more.
I really enjoyed reading this. I've never been into thrift shopping or sewing, but I must say, after reading this, I feel this sudden, all-consuming urge to try tackling both!
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