I needed a little vintage shopping therapy, and since I missed the most recent Sacramento Antique Faire, off to the antique mall I went. I don’t go often, so I’m very thorough when I do. I carefully examine every stall in my quest for hidden treasure. And I got quite a lucky haul this time:

This is the majority of the goodies I found.

The gloves were the first things I spied. I’ve been obsessed with finding a pair of crochet lace gloves since seeing a vintage-styled photo of Amy Adams wearing a pair.

I’ve had no luck tracking down any gloves on the Internet, so once I determined they fit (being 5 foot 9½ comes with long fingers), I knew they had to be mine. As for the buttons, two sets are for using, while the third is all about the button card. Here’s the title page of the book since you can’t tell anything from the outside:

This gem is copyright 1943 and was less than $6. I found it in the very last stall.

Here’s a peek inside:

How dreamy are these pages?

I also found these three patterns:

The Advance pattern looks like I just pulled it out of the drawer at the fabric store.

I love the collar and neck pleats of the Advance pattern (not so much the puff sleeves). The middle pattern has a belt that is sewn on most of the way around. I would love to use a vintage buckle on it. The one on the right turned out to be a maternity pattern! But it looks easy to take out the special features that make it adjustable, and I LOVE the neckline. It could make a great blouse.

But I think the find of the day was this book:

A 1951 Girl Scout Brownie Handbook.

And inside were these:

Girl Scout membership cards from 1954 through 1957. How awesome is that?

If you’ve read my “About me” page, you’ve seen that I’m a Girl Scout volunteer. To be a volunteer, you must register, which means I’m a Girl Scout. That’s not something I had the opportunity to be when I was a kid, so I appreciate being involved now. My daughter has been a Girl Scout for nine years, and I’ve been one for about six. Did you know Girl Scouts USA turns 100 this year? I’m going to a 100th Anniversary Gala at the California Museum in Sacramento on Friday.

Obviously, today’s shopping excursion was meant to be. I’ll be curling up with the 1943 sewing book in bed tonight, to help inspire my next project. The skirt is almost finished, and it’s time to start thinking about a blouse.

Gemini note (because sewing isn’t everything): I’m a Giants baseball fan by marriage, so my husband pulled me away from my computer Wednesday night to watch the ninth inning of Matt Cain’s perfect game, one of the most exciting things I’ve ever seen in baseball!

Tagged: Girl Scouts, gloves, sewing, vintage