Great Glebe Garage Sale

I brought along my fabric hearts to the Great Glebe Garage Sale today.  They looked so sweet hanging all in a row from my makeshift clothesline. My vintage aprons were there front and centre and proved to be the most popular item yet again.

Wrapped in Nostalgia

These are a sampling of the vintage aprons I'm going to part with at this year's Great Glebe Garage Sale on Saturday. Maybe I'll change my mind about one or two and place them back in my collection but most of them, and others, will be there.

To me, these aprons are such a symbol of the housewives of days gone by. They make me think of all the baking and dinners that must have been prepared while they were worn. They are all shapes, colours and sizes, no two the same.

You can tell that many were handmade... some using left-over bits of fabric , no doubt from other sewing projects. Some aprons are plain and utilitarian, others are embellished with ruffles, rickrack, trim, eyelet lace and even embroidery. One of these aprons is reversible, with pockets on both sides. You really get a sense of the owner's style and personality by the little details they put into making them.

Often used as a teaching tool for learning to sew, these old aprons can exhibit all sorts of sewing techniques: smocking, embroidery, gathering for ruffles, fancy stitches and hemming. The levels of sewing skill, from the novice to the more experienced, are apparent on close examination.

A source of nostalgia, these aprons bring to mind a time when not only were all meals home-cooked, but the baking was too... they speak of time spent in the kitchen, hard work and loving duty to family.

For the retro-chic hostess to wear, or just to collect as an appreciation of what they represent, these aprons are a little piece of history to wrap yourself in.

Cocoa Locale, Success at Last

My blog post of May 20th, 2009 told the sad tale of my attempt to visit the delightful cake shop called Cocoa Locale. I had arrived a short time after opening hours only to find that everything was already sold out and the place was already closed for the day. So on my latest visit to Montreal, I tried once again, and in my eagerness I arrived an hour early! But persistence pays off, so after whiling away the time at some of the neighbourhood's other delightful boutiques I returned minutes after their noon opening. Crossing the threshold, I could hardly believe I was actually inside. And what a delightful wee shop it is. As you can see from the photos, it's chock full of charm and whimsy. And oh, the sweet cakes... some large, some wee-sized for two and of course cupcakes if you want one all to yourself, all with Reema's signature flourish of sprinkled flower petals across the tops. They all looked so sweet sitting there in the display case waiting for me to arrive! And there was owner Reema herself, ready to box up my selections and listen to the tale of my pilgrimages. I was so excited to finally experience Cocoa Locale that in my enthusiasm to take a few more pictures, I left the shop without my boxed cakes! So I popped back in and collected my little cake box at the counter where I'd left it and where Reema had been watching for me. The thought of me heading back home without my cakes was too much for the lovely kind Reema, who said "my heart was crying for you." And she flashed one of her warm smiles and wished me a safe drive home.

Fabric Sale Finds

Just some of the lovely vintage items I picked up at yesterday's Fabric Sale in the Glebe Cummunity Centre. I was hoping to find some vintage fabrics this year and the sale didn't disappoint, thanks to a few of the vendors who specialize in vintage. Found (photo at bottom and moving up) some colourful tablecloths, three delightful hankies, a faded cushion cover and vintage apron pattern, some sort of drawstring bag with a strap, an assortment of lovely large shell buttons, a soft well-used quilted placemat and even a pearl necklace.

In the Style of Dottie Angel

No more flowers today. Thought at least some of you might enjoy a creative project around about now. It’s been awhile since the last one. This project was inspired by the unique and wonderfully quirky style of blogger, Tif Fussell, a.k.a. dottie angel. If you haven’t yet discovered her delightful blog and refreshingly different take on vintage, then be sure to check out http://www.dottieangel.blogspot.com/

When I found this very plain wall-flower of an apron at the local Nearly New for 50 cents, I immediately thought that it was screaming for a makeover in the dottie angel style. Poor thing had probably been languishing in the corner for ages because, really, who would have noticed it, looking as washed out as it did? Time for an intervention! As I have drawers of vintage lace at home and a tin of old buttons just waiting for projects such as this one, I brought the apron home with me and couldn’t wait to begin the transformation.

And here is the result, a little bit of lace here, a little lace there, some buttons for accents, a snippet of vintage material to brighten it up a little, a crochet doily to add some interest, and voilà... my Plain Jane apron has been madeover. I think it still needs some work... stay tuned. And in the meantime have a look at dottie angel's designs who does this sort of thing superbly!

Vintage Aprons

Aprons. Does anybody wear them anymore? When I think of aprons I visualize housewives of the fifties, who used to dress for dinner and so put on an apron to protect their frock while they prepared the evening meal, while awaiting the arrival of their husband who had been at the office all day. Those were half-aprons, often ruffled at the edges or trimmed with rickrack, often handmade.

Vintage aprons can still be picked up fairly easily at flea markets and thrift shops for almost nothing. The one pictures here range in price from $1.99 to 7.99.

Nowadays, I suppose it’s the long versions we see most often, worn by men at their barbecues. Or perhaps your local butcher, if you’re lucky enough to still have a local butcher. Oh yes, and I believe the baristas at you-know-where still wear a green apron to protect them from flying foam and steaming milk.

Cocoa Locale

And now for my big disappointment! Before leaving for Montreal I googled "desserts Montreal" and this wee cake boutique kept coming up. There was even a short video of its charming owner. The place looked so cute and funky and the cakes yummy. They have been described in reviews as homemade and old-fashioned. Cakes like your mother would make, or like mothers used to make. So I made it part of our plan to go there. Noticing that the shop is closed on Mondays, we drove to Montreal on Sunday and found Cocoa Locale at its Park Avenue location.

And I knew right away that Reema Singh and I just might be kindred spirits when I saw the line of vintage aprons strung up in her front window. Although the shop closes at 6:00 on Sundays, we were there in plenty of time, around 1:30 in the afternoon (after all, they only open at noon).

Or so I thought! Much to my dismay there was a sign on the door that said, "Sold out!" How could that be?! Still, if selling out so early in the day doesn't say something about the popularity of her product, then I don't know what does.

I bent to look under the blind that had been pulled halfway down the front window, and I could just make out Reema working at the back. I had this urge to knock on the door and say please just let me have a peek inside... but I didn't, after all I wasn't the Paul Liam who, via the blue post-it note stuck to the door, was instructed to do just that!

Oh well, the next time I'm in Montreal, I'll try again, only I'll aim to get there at opening time.

In the meanwhile, I can always comfort myself with some of my own cupcakes, pictured here, made with buttercream icing.