Saturday 16 July 2011

I hit the Austrian jackpot...!!

Hello there and a very happy Weekend to you all! I hope that you've all had a marvelous week, I've been busy busy busy with the show, but I'm now officially half way through the run and I'll be home in less than two weeks! Hurrah!

Today I'm going to share with you some more of my Austrian adventures. This week my parents visited to see the show so I was able to explore a bit more of the town near the theatre, and my goodness am I glad that I did! On my wanderings in the sunshine I ended up taking a different route than usual and look at the sight that met my eyes...

Wool! Glorious wool!

An adorable little wool shop stuffed with lovely wooly goodness! You could say that I was quite excited by this :) Well I was even more excited when I saw the prices! All the little bins outside the shops were filled with wool on sale, just 1 or 2 euros a ball for some, so you can imagine the little jig of happiness I was doing on the streets of Linz!

Yes please to wool :)

This was one of those times when I cursed the fact that I have a very strict baggage allowance on the way home! Oh to be able to fill my suitcase with wooly goodness... Anyway I did treat myself to 5 balls of cotton blend yarn in a cream colour, it is so soft and snuggly! Plus all that yarn only cost me 5 euros! I've already picked out a sweet vintage shrug pattern to knit up, another project to look forward to when I get home! However I'm still tempted everyday to wander back for more, I'm having to be very strict with myself :)

Sigh, I love you yarn!

Finding the wool shop alone was enough to make me happy (ok, grinning from ear to ear!) for the rest of the day, but perhaps the most glorious moment was still yet to come. I had passed the shop window below almost everyday on my walks to and from the theatre without paying it much interest... 

Mysterious shop...

I could see that it was a fabric shop, but from the outside it looked tiny as it was squashed between two much larger shops. However, as I was already on a day of wanderings with my lovely parents I figured there would be no harm in just having a quick look. Well, my dear readers, nothing could have prepared me. This was not just a fabric shop, this was the MOTHER of all fabric shops. Spread over three floors, and stuffed to the gills with beautiful fabric. It just went on...

Oh look, fabric!


... and on...

More fabric! In rainbow colours!

... and on...


My mum cannot believe there's so much fabric! :)

... did I mention it went on??

Lacy, spangly fabrics!

Literally every corner you turned there was another feast for the eyes waiting for you! I just couldn't believe how much fabric was there and how I had only just decided to pay the shop a visit!

And there was even more downstairs!

I could have very easily stayed in that shop for hours, just browsing through the huge selection of fabrics, you'd get a fabulous education in textiles if you did I'm sure! It was almost too much to be faced with such variety, I literally didn't know where to start, so I just wandered around wide eyed with (I'm sure) a dopey look on my face whilst occasionally gasping and having to stroke some sample or other with reverence. This was the place that fabric want to go when they die!

Fabric makes me happy :)

The one thing this shop did not have going for it was wallet friendly prices, everything did seem to be rather above my budget, and once again I had to remind myself of baggage allowances (sob sob) so on that first visit I did restrain myself and left with nothing other than a sense of awe. However (you knew that was coming, didn't you?!), I did pay a second visit to the shop a few days later with a specific purchase in mind, one that I was sure would be kind to both my wallet and my baggage allowance...

My spoils! What could be inside...?

Silk Organza!

Yes I bought myself some yummy silk organza, light enough (fingers crossed!) to not weight down my suitcase. Plus it was very reasonably priced :) And why did I buy this organza you may ask? Because when I get home it will be transformed into my first ever 1950s style petticoat! I told you it would be the first thing on my mind when I got home, and now I have the raw materials to set it into action. I'm so excited I can even tell you, I just know that this petticoat will get so much wear, and who knows, if it is a success there may be a whole parade of petticoats in a rainbow of different colours to follow :)

So there you have it. Linz, you officially rock my world. You have now provided me with wool, fabric, and vintage finds. What more could a girl ask for? :)

4 comments:

Tasha said...

Ooh I would be hyperventilating at both those shops!!

Kate said...

Wow, what amazing shops! If I were you, I'd buy a lot of yarn then mail it to myself :D

Elise said...

AAaaah loving all the wool! Hey if your parents were there what about abusing their baggage allowance haha! Cant wait to see how the petticoat turns out, I'm still searching for one myself :)

Katie said...

Tasha - Believe me I was!

Kate - I should so do that! Now to find a post office that can deal with my shocking lack of German...

Faff - I already abused their allowance to the tune of some vintage goodies and wool, I felt bad abusing it further! I can't wait to get started on the petticoat, the tutorial I'm goin to use is really clear and helpful, so hopefully the whole process will be smooth :)

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