Handled well

The local Habitat for Humanity Restore has officially become my favourite place to shop. The bag and linen in the photo above cost a whole $5.50 today. And based on the brief bit of research I've done, I walked away with quite a steal.

Unfortunately, there are no identifying marks on the bag, beyond the I.D. tag, and the only clue that it was vintage was the phone number and penmanship. Rather than a seven digit phone number, it was only four...and the handwriting screams pre-1950s.  But the well-worn handles and scratches and creases on the body of the bag prove that this bag is not only vintage, but well taken care of.

I don't care about the paint spots on the bag... I'd rather have something that showed it was used and used well. Pristine pieces are for collectors and museums; I'm just someone who wanted this bag. I'm still not sure what I'm going to use it for, but I'll use it. Hopefully as well as the previous owner.

And yes, that lock does say 'Cheney'. No relation to the former V.P., as far as I can tell.

Aside from the handles of the bag, the lining is my favourite part. It's a soft, light material that has held up well over the years... no stains or tears, not even in the small pockets that line one side. The zipper works well and the lock looks to be in good shape... no key, though.

The linen... oh, the linen. I had a lot more vintage linen in my hands that I could have bought for anywhere between 50¢ and $2, but I went with only $8.75 in change and spent all of it (not pictured: simple woven basket, bamboo picnic case and heavy shower curtain that I plan on using as a table cloth for my table next week). But this linen was something I had to have. The colour in this photo isn't quite how it looks in real life... it's more mustard than shown, but I bought it more for the stripe that runs through it. It's a decent size - 4'x4' or so - and will make a few nice bags, once I find a design that I think would work well with it.

I've become a big fan of finding the hidden deals, especially on vintage/retro pieces. I don't know if that's the budget-conscious mom in me or the Scottish blood in my mom's family coming through... either way, it could make for some interesting purchases. Much to Keith's chagrin :)