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Tuesday 14 September 2010

lille flea market - the search for vintage haberdashery

I cant belive it was over a week ago that me and my partner Joe suddenly dashed to Lille for the flea market.luckily we live just 50 minutes from Ashford. We left our house at 7.30 in the morning and by 12 we were at our hotel that was just outside Lille. the front of the hotel was so sweet. We didnt stop as we just dumped our bags and went to hit the market in search of lovely french vintage material, buttons, ribbon and ooo la la!






we had been warned that it was big - it was huge! we walked for 6 hours with just a quick stop for some muscles and chips. i did not find one bit of haberdashery - we read the next day that there was over 100 km (can that really be true? it was in the paper..) i think we just didnt get the right roads.















There was some really great bits and bobs for sale, real bits and bobs, some wierd some fabulous, and lots of rubbish ( but i love looking at it all) . i couldnt get a picture of this stuffed goat i wanted. It was 200 euro and on its own plynth of green grass. oh well next year i will save up. i am a vegetarian so i dont know why i lie taxedemy... i contented myself with 2 tins.i i got to practise my french. i might even try and go to night school so next year i can bargain on a stuffed cow or something.


















to end the day we had a glass of wine (it's the law in france) and headed back to the hotel to drink a bottle and crash as it had been a long day. exhausted and disappointed about the lack of fabric but glad i went.
the next day we decided we wouldn't go back to the market. Joe isn't a great fan of shopping, so we deiced to head to Belgium!
























2 comments:

  1. Oh, I want to go! I have not heard about this flea market but would certainly love it. I go to France regularly (monthly at least) and, although not in that area, come across lots of markets ... but mostly for food ... I seldom see anything craft related. The French appear to only buy well made and expensive things and never try to make and mend. Small fabric shops can be found but they are never inspiring. I hear Paris is better.

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  2. i would recommend it - it was huge! i dont think i saw half. all that lovely old fabric that must be in france - where does it all go? i must find out!

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