Charity Shop Scores: Bexhill and Eastbourne

You know me, if I can't make an item of clothing (or can't be bothered to make it), then I try to get it second hand. That means I'm often found 'hunting' in charity shops with eyes a'peeled! Here's a recent haul that was acquired in two locations within a few days. This particular batch features a rare inclusion: stuff for Pat (Mr So Zo)! I often feel guilty about how little I focus on sewing or charity shopping for him these days now that we have a daughter. These two garments won't exactly redress the balance, but they have provided him with much-needed clothing for his new teacher's wardrobe. He even started a Pinterest board to work out what to wear! Can you guess which pin I added in there for a laugh whilst he wasn't looking?! 

Above:

Wool jumper, 50p

Spotty shirt, £4.45

Jojo Maman Bebe Breton top, £2.45

Fleece top, 99p

Back to my usual charity shop fodder: things for Dolores. I was chatting to the mum of a two-and-a-half-year old and she was saying how useful lots of tops can be for busy, messy little peops. I plan to make Dolores lots and lots of tops, of course, but a few nice second-hand additions may prevent me from being chained to the sewing machine following a growth spurt! Although I must admit, the challenge of having to make everything she wears does appeal to me, but would possibly break me in real life.

I particularly like these two pictured above because the breton top is excellent quality (and it's a breton top!), and the other is a sweet, cosy style that is quite different to anything I'd be likely to make myself. Also, I don't have any fleece in my stash and although I think it's a great fabric for children's wear, second hand fleece garments in charity shops (that I would buy as a source of fabric) often look a bit ropey. 

Anchor print jacket, 99p

That's a lot of anchors for less than a quid, isn't it?! This spring jacket is fleece lined and Dolores has  worn it heaps this week once the weather perked up. As a 'bonus', it instantly turns whatever else she is wearing into, what Pat and I call, a ''How old is he?' outfit'! I really don't care if people assume she's a boy upon first sight, and I imagine a lot of the assumptions come from the fact she has very little/short hair, but I find it interesting that even though her shoes or wellies, reins and bits of her pushchair are pink, it's always assumed she's a boy in this jacket.

Stripy tops, blue tracksuit & mint sweatshirt: between 50p - £1.25 each

This pile of crazy was all bought for the fabric, I promise. I don't plan to be rocking a size 22 cornflower blue tracksuit with embroidered roses any time soon. This Bexhill charity shop was having a massive sale on everything and the staff were more or less making up the prices when you brought stuff to the counter. When I found that out I got all squinty-eyed to try and block out what the actual garments on the rails looked like and rummaged through to find lovely quality fabric instead. 

Spotty vests/onesies, 99p each

Thanks to my previous subscription to Ottobre magazine, I do actually have patterns to make these things. But life is too damn short IMO, when you can swipe them from a charity shop for very little. 

How about you? Any decent charity/thrift/op-shop scores recently? Tell me tell me tell me...