Retro Age Vintage Fabrics

You can find us here!

2012-07-23T13:50:00.001+10:00

Hello vintage fabric lovers!

It's nice to take 10 minutes out of a busy day to sit and put everyone up to date on what we've been up to with the business and life.

I am sitting here listening to the wonderful Rob Dougan - why oh why haven't I found his CD until now? I have loved some of his singles but had no idea about the Furious Angels piece. So bloody good! I am sitting at my desk at our work room - my desk is my grandparents laminate dining table. I spent every Christmas at this very table with the entire family until 2002. It has cutting marks in it from where Pop cut his meat. I love those marks.

We're also on Facebook almost daily and love keeping everyone up to date with what we're up to - if you click on the Facebook logo above it will take you to our page!

Back to work for me now - keep in touch on Facebook with me!

xNess

Hello again!

2012-07-09T10:38:00.000+10:00

Hello again! I have had a lovely break from the blog. It's the first break I have taken from it since starting it, to be honest. I didn't mean for it to be so long, though! But a lot has happened in our little world since my last message...

For starters - I am on Facebook every day. Please come and visit the page for a chat and a vintage fabric love fest. Our page is here. I am finding it fun to interact with people on FB and I also pop as much news as I can about the website and our new work + show room...

Yes - we are finally ready to welcome people into the OFFline world of Retro Age Vintage Fabrics. We know you want to pat, stroke, touch, feel and play with the fabrics - and now we have the space so you can do that! Our opening hours are updated on Facebook and the website weekly - we are only starting with six hours a week, but we'll grow from there...

I'll be sharing a video of how you find us in the lovely Victorian town of Drysdale, too - more on that later!

xNess

Mother (a personal story)

2012-05-13T22:21:00.001+10:00

I was told during my teen years that I would have trouble having children - more than likely not be able to. Without going into the nitty grittys, my ovaries starting being uncooperative when I was around 10 years old. I have had problems with them ever since, but I do love them so. Apparently they aren't the most attractive ovaries around, but they did end up giving me my wonderful boys.

I grew into adulthood not really thinking about children, as I'd accepted I wouldn't have them. On top of that, I am not the most girly girl around and wasn't overly maternal, either...so, all was well in the land of me and not being a Mother unless I adopted (which was fine with me!).

I found the man of my dreams and he accepted that we would probably never be biological parents. Life continued...and continued...and continued.

And then in I started feeling very tired in the evenings and I had a little nausea waking up. I shoved it to one side, citing stress. The weeks continued, as did the tiredness and nausea. I changed my diet thinking my body wasn't happy with something I was giving it. I remember driving to work each morning with this little nausea sucking on a milk drink to make it go away.

And then the penny dropped one day and I decided to buy a pregnancy test...just to see....just in case.

I told Justin what I was going to check for, but he shrugged it off as years had gone by without children and surely it was 'just a virus'?

I went and checked with my little test and two lines popped out of the whiteness as I was staring at it in the bathroom. It was positive result - I checked and checked the pamphlet and it said positive.

To say I was dumbstruck is an understatement.

I opened the bathroom door and walked into the kitchen. Justin was washing the dishes. I told him the test had come back positive and I was pregnant.

He looked at me, stunned, and said 'how did that happen?'

--------------------------

These are my first memories of being a parent. Because after I found out you I was pregnant I immediately looked after that little being with all of your might and will. I found out I was pregnant when I was 10 weeks along with Logan - and within a month of Logan being born, Retro Age Vintage Fabrics was also born. I am a Mother to both - without Logan, I wouldn't have my business. They are entwined - I truly believe that.

My own Mother is very dear to me and without her my life would be so much 'thinner'. She enriches it with her support and love - her giggles and stern rules - her love of a joke and watching sport in every spare minute. Her life has also been enriched by being Nanny to our two boys (Gabriel followed Logan four years later!) and to watching our business blossom and grow.

Tomorrow Retro Age leaves my comforting arms and moves to it's own space and will open for those who love vintage fabric. It has grown large enough to leave the parental eyes 24/7 and will live entirely separate to us - it is growing each and every day into a wonderful business we are immensly proud of.

I can't imagine my life without my sons. Sure, there are some days when I wish I was the spontaneous thing who could do anything and everything on a whim...but 364 days a year I am so very grateful for the blessing of bringing up two boys who are being taught to care for our world and the people in it.

And I am so very grateful I have such a wonderful Mum who is there for me each and every step of the way - no matter how young or old I am. One of my most wonderful memories is when she arrived in my hospital room the day I gave birth to Logan. She saw us together, one sitting and happily watching the twinkling city night lights and the other happily suckling at the breast. She beamed so very proudly.

Happy Mother's Day, Mum - and thank you to my lovely boys for my breakfast in bed and hand-picked goodies chosen from school. It beats a silly toaster or mass-made product any day...

A week past...

2012-05-07T21:37:00.001+10:00

This is an ode to a growing beard that is now lost. Somehow a 'tired from moving fabric to new work room' Justin used bare clippers on his beard instead of his usual 'just trimming' length. He is now talking to his little stubble, begging it to grow faster and telling it off for being so grey.

What has made the beardless one ever so happy is finding a rogue jar of Marmite at the back of the cupboard. The Marmite factory was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and there is now huge shortage...you can't buy the stuff anywhere. Not that I care - I am a Vegemite gal, but Kiwi Justin can't be happy without his Marmite. The jar is currently under guard by the Marmite security in our pantry - no one is allowed to touch it!

We've had lots of sunsets and evening drives. So very pretty!

And, as you would know by now, we're currently relocating the business into a new work + show room. That means packing all of our fabric for easier transportation. It's amazing what I have come across - two Lucienne Day cafe curtains, Verner Panton Mira-X etc. This is a little sampler, but the 50s design is just so today - I love it.

As we knew we were relocating this year I had already packaged at least half of the fabric into 50L containers. These are just two that have already been moved.

And the big part of the move is relocating all of the website 'live' stock in order! We're want to literally take it out of the shelves in line and get it into our new shelving in line. That way the disruption to the online part of our business should be reduced to around a week...if not less.

All but signed, sealed and delivered - the Retro Age Work + Showroom

2012-05-03T22:19:00.002+10:00

There has been much going on in the land of Retro Age - and that of our own lives.

If you follow (or stalk quietly) our Facebook page you would know the past two weeks have been our worst yet for 2012- with further storm damage, an acute arthritis attack that put me on my back for five days and largely being offline due to electrical damage. On top of that there is more, more, more - what was use is it to live life looking at the negative, I say?

Let's look at the massive positive!

On a super high note we are all but moved into a wonderful extra large and extra bright space - it's a huge 105m2 and has large windows on two sides. I have four rooms and offices to place all of our fabrics out on display - finally! It's the new beginning for Retro Age Vintage Fabrics - a work room and a show room and a drool room and a 'welcome come and pat some fabric' place all rolled into one. It also means I can offer all of our stock for sale - yep - all of those pieces that are lurking behind the lines that our online customers never get to see. We have so many local customers - yay for dropping in to have a look at fabric, I say! There will also be some vintage beauty in general to see :) - lots more in the pipeline, there! The part of the space you can see in the photo is half of one room - yep, HALF of one room. Do you think I can fill it?

I am SO SO SO SO EXCITED, peeps! I can't wait to show you all of our fabric - I am bursting at the seams to finally bring it all out in daylight and put it out on display on bolts on shelving. I could sing and dance and yelp and cry and jump and raspberry and - oh! - did I say sing? There could be pop-up shops, showroom nights, Facebook offers galore and more room to move, put your fabrics in the lay-by section etc etc.

Did I tell you how excited I am?

I did, didn't I?

And did I say this is just the beginning to the new Retro Age? Oh yes siree - this is the first of several big steps...but, first step first and do it well, I say.

Yep, I am excited!

Should we or shouldn't we?

2012-04-23T20:57:00.002+10:00

I am leaning towards we should...

I can't bloody wait!

What we've been up to...

2012-04-19T12:28:00.000+10:00

Kids looking like angry birds...

One of the whippets making a pillow out of their favourite boy...night after night after night..

Making sure I take time out to enjoy the grass in my toes and upside down trees behind me...

Packing all of our remnants...

The whole family got a crappy virus - which meant crappy family times...

Spending time at the skate park with both boys and their scooters and skate boards...

Finding lovely things at auctions....

Enjoying Easter, Easter family times and the good stuff the Easter bunny brings...

Facebook sale tonight! Fabulous vintage fabrics at fabulous cheap prices!

2012-03-28T13:16:00.002+11:00

It's our first Facebook sale and it starts tonight! Prices start at just $1.00 and I think the most expensive fabric is $6.00!

I have selected around 30 fabrics - individual pieces and packs - to sell to the first peep who says SOLD on the listing.

I have tried to get a good cross-section of eras and fabric styles to suit varying vintage fabric loves and projects.

If you'd like to be a part of the fun like our page and view our first sale collection here!

Facebook is fun...

2012-03-23T10:52:00.003+11:00

Did you know Retro Age has a Facebook page? Yep - we sure do! I am on there daily, usually putting up photos of fabric I am working with at the moment or just chatting away...

Our page is here - like us if you would like to chat with me or keep in touch throughout the day!

Have a wonderful weekend, all...

Cheers
Ness

Popping back in...

2012-03-18T21:19:00.004+11:00

Sigh - I have to admit, I am totally loving having a little blogging break. I didn't realise just how often I thought of the blog and what I should write about! They say a change is as good as a holiday and I have to totally agree....

Thank you so much for emailing us with your concerns and kind words regarding our storm damage. We are still awaiting our insurance company to get back to us with their report - that is taking much longer than anticipated and is quite disappointing. However - we are not like some of NSW and Victorian families whose homes were inundated with water etc. We still have our trusty SES tarp up and we're working - albeit in semi-darkness, but we're still functional!

Change brings about great visibility in life, though - it's like our wipers are totally going off on our windscreen and we can see the pouring rain of society coming through. So, there is change about with us - we're very certain a move is on the horizon and that will being with it the Retro Age showroom we have always wanted to bring you. It may be rural and a bit of a trek to get to...but it will be there when you want it! And there will be staff, too - so that leaves me with a lot more time to get all of our stock up on the website - and there is a lot of it, as some of you know!

Apologies if I am still not around much here over the next few weeks - this break is really refreshing. But I just wanted to pop in tonight to say hello! lovely people and that you're not forgotten :)

xNess

Storm damage

2012-02-28T20:39:00.000+11:00

We wanted to say hello, we're here! and also apologise to all of our customers for not being in contact - nor posting - today. Unfortunately we sustained storm damage 24 hours ago and our roof hasn't been able to be saved! We wanted to say the fabrics are fine, we are fine and business will return to normal tomorrow afternoon.

We also wanted to say through-heartfelt-tears-of gratitude THANK YOU to the Victorian SES for coming to our rescue and saving our business. You were all knights in shining armor.

Change is coming

2012-02-26T21:31:00.001+11:00

Testing putting a post up from ye olde mobile!

Key West

2012-02-24T20:22:00.002+11:00

The above fabric is a 1970s hand printed fabric manufactured by Key West and designed by co-owner Peter Pell. I have often come across Key West fabrics - newer rather than vintage and always touting the Lilly Pulitzer name - but this is an original piece sold in it's golden era. I came across this interesting article while researching the fabric - it's a historical note on Key West and very interesting...

Sanderson and The Skater Boy

2012-02-23T10:32:00.000+11:00

My work time is currently spent wrestling with long large bolts. I wouldn't have Retro Age any other way at the moment! We have so many already here and many more we have to pick up. This is a fabulous Sanderson piece called Rea.

My private time has been spent at a skate park. I am wondering how I ended up here...after all, my own youth running around Brunswick and Carlton and then university at RMIT seems like only yesterday. But no. Time has flown and now I am leading another little human into the turbulent teenage years. I am so proud of him doing his thing surrounded by bigger and more experienced boys. You go, Logan!

Bolts of latte...

2012-02-20T21:10:00.002+11:00

This morning had some lattes and chats and inspiration...

The afternoon was all vintage fabric order packing and photographing huge bolts. Gosh - fabric is bloody heavy en masse!

The Road Trip and Bolts of Fabric...

2012-02-19T20:51:00.004+11:00

We took a big road trip yesterday to another state to catch up with loved ones and to pick up a companion for Syd the whippet. Photos of Dobby the whippet will be coming soon.

And we have so many fabrics arriving in the weeks to come. This is just a sampler that arrived on Friday. Very, very excited about these bolts...

Have a great week!

xNess

Today and yesterday

2012-02-15T12:23:00.004+11:00

We don't do Valentine's Day as we choose to show our love any day of the year - but I thought this was a cute image on Instagram for kissing couples...

Home. Home is truly where my heart is.

Just admit it and go with the flow...

2012-02-14T09:30:00.002+11:00

I am kind of feeling a little like Syd the whippet about this blog. A bit yawn. A bit meh. A bit can't be bothered. A bit I have no idea what to write.

So I am not going to write anything for a bit - I'll just be posting photos of things I am thinking about and stuff that's in our day-to-day at Retro Age. No grand writings from me!

Sunday Snippets - My Personal Week

2012-02-12T19:56:00.002+11:00

My oh my - no blog post for a week! Gosh - completely unintended, but it felt good to take a little break. Life is very, very full at the moment - hence why a little 'fiddich at the end of some days can be a lovely thing.

I am decluttering and reorganising our home room by room - still. This week it was sloughing my way through familial memorabilila - itemising, boxing and piffing stuff out. I love this telegram between my great-Grandparents...

The youngest started four-year-old kindy this week. He loves it - loves SpongeBob and Patrick Starr even more, though..

As I declutter the house it means deciding which 'pieces' stay and which pieces are donated. This one stayed - albeit in the bathroom, but it's still here!

I almost rotated my wall art around this house, but decided not to. I love this Mary White fabric...it cheers me up each and every day.

Last but not least it was playing...playing and more playing. Love life...just can't wait until this decluttering and simplifying and minimising ends!

If you love to weekly snippet visit tinniegirl!

Sunday Snippets - My Personal Week

2012-02-05T20:18:00.000+11:00

{sunday snippets}: a collection of photos from your week. No need for words. Let the pictures tell your story. For more snippety love visit the lovely tinniegirl!

A Year of Good Things - 14/366 - Friends

2012-02-02T21:42:00.002+11:00

And inbetween it all...you sit with two lovely women and yak for three hours over several lattes and several glasses of water...and that puts life in perspective. Sigh.

The sun.
The surrounding bush.
The birds eating crumbs.
The divine latte (or two).
The chitter chatter about life.
The feeling of being understood.

So damn nice.

xNess

A Year of Good Things : 13/366 : Autonomous Writing

2012-02-01T22:09:00.002+11:00

I remember learning about autonomous writing at uni when I was studying advertising - specifically copywriting. I can't remember the correct name for autonomous writing and I know someone famous started the whole autonomous thing, but for the life of me I can't remember what it's called or who started it. Jung, perhaps?

Basically it means writing without thinking about what you are writing. It's an amazing tool for creativity, as well as working with your psyche to lift issues that are underlying into the main realm of thinking....if that makes sense?

Usually my autonomous writing is basically creative babble - but you can pull the writing back, with some experience, until you have a free-flowing form of a message or an idea or two.

Here is my autonomous writing for today...

Are you where you want to be?

I mean – seriously – are you where you want to be in life at this very instant? Can you sit where-ever you are and honestly nod your head (vehemently, if necessary) and say with absolute conviction that there is no other place you would rather be? And how about this – does your heart give the same response as your head?

Wow - it came out very heavy today. Great food for thought for me, though. You should try to write without your thoughts clouding your creative direction - it's hilarious and oh so enlightening what comes out! It's certainly a wonderful every so good thing to do!

x Ness

A Year of Good Things 12/366 : Summer Holidays

2012-01-29T20:50:00.001+11:00

The 2011-2012 Summer school holidays are almost at an end. The end of grade two for Logan seems a million light years ago. And Christmas morning, just one month ago, is a distant memory. This last six weeks has been spent zipping around the countryside, in the water, sliding down huge slippery slides, picking fresh fruit and lazing about. I loved my school holidays as a kid in the 70s...I hope my boys enjoy these weeks just as much as I did!

Today we took off to Melbourne Zoo to generally sloth about and stroll around the grounds to view animals (of course!). The giraffes were a highlight for the youngest, the reptile park was adored by the eldest and the oldies loved the orangutans and the white-faced gibbon. Is there anything more cuter than a baby orangutan? Gosh, I could cuddle one for a lifetime...

And, yes, I am still addicted to Instagram. I am sure I will return to regular photographic programming soon...ahem.

Have a fabulous week!
xNess

12/366
Good Thing - Summer Holidays
This Good Thing is For : Kids!

Vintage Fabric Love : Man eating...

2012-01-28T22:20:00.000+11:00

This is a very cute piece we have had for a long time - we have sold the bolt and now we just have a little remnant for ourselves. I just adore it. This is a close up of one of the characters on the piece...

Fumbling through the Instagram haze...

2012-01-27T22:26:00.000+11:00

I am now on Instagram. Yep, sure am. Have no bloody idea how to use the thing, yet...have taken a couple of random shots and stuck them up somewhere on the web. Have no real idea where - or how - or what - I have done. I am sure I will work it out. From memory I am 'vintagefabrics' - or maybe not! But I plan to take random shots during the day of what we get up to etc...mainly to do with Retro Age, but other things may pop in, too...like when we decide to buy some fish and chips...as below...

You may think I have changed this photo in some way. You know - put a 70s look on it. But, no - that's what my local 'hood looks like.My 'hood is stuck in another time...hence why I like it so much.

I am sure I'll work out how to do noice things with Instagram. For now, it's weekend time...and that means we all have to relax and lay like broccoli, do some things we want to do and generally chase life a little bit more...

Have a great weekend!

xNess