Yay! A shopping trip for new items to make some fun aprons! Today is the first day of my annual shopping trip to Iowa, where I find several great linens and fabrics to make more aprons. Today was a good day -- a large antique mall proved to be a continued good source. Among my vintage finds were two tea towels, two doilies and four pieces of flour sack fabric. I have another large antique store tomorrow, then it's on to some smaller shops for the rest of the week. 

There are a lot of vintage tems to choose from, especially in a large store. When I first began this venture four years ago, I was buying anything and everything having to do with vintage linens and fabrics. Fortunately, most of what was purchased early on has worked. However, resorting this week resulted in a few culled items that will be donated to a thrift store that benefits the homeless.

My choices are becoming more honed, and I set a definite budget for myself. Setting a budget allows me to be more selective with my choices. On this trip, I am looking for a few practical items, but also seek the more noteworthy or uncommon linens. The two tea towels purchased today are a great example of this search. One towel was a practical plain white, which can be used  in many ways for my aprons -- background for another fabric, a waistband, an apron bib, or a pocket. However, the other tea towel is red with a fork and spoon design -- a little more expensive, but I cannot wait to get home to make it into a half apron! Look for it soon here at TheUpcycledApron!