L'Ile sur La Sorgue

This year is the 89th bi-annual Ile sur La Sorgue antique fair. It is renowned for its exorbitant prices and swarming with American buyers, but ince my mother and I can never resist a good grunge, we set off, determined not to buy anything. However, things never work out as you plan, do they? We ended up buying a beautiful stack of monogrammed linen granite napkins, two linen shift dresses for my mother (actually one is cotton), and a 1920's silk nightgown for me (Pictures up soon, but the camera's screen came to an untimely end as i was cycling to Uzes on my vintage bike, lovingly fixed by my bike-wise brother). I love my nightgown, such a femmy colour. I am planning to cut off the bottom third or so, as there is some strange staining, so as to line the bodice, but keep the back, which is lace, unlined. I'll have to buy a peachy-coloured lace bra to wear underneath it. Then we have to find some more fine silk with which to line the remains of the dress, and I want to sew on fake buttons on the bodice, the small round pearl ones. I am very excited. Here are some pictures I took of the fair. This year it is on from the 12th to the 15th, so do go while you can.

My new dress!

Antique jam jars

Etched champagne glasses

Chocolate mould

Fake teeth anyone? Well, I guess there's something fo everyone, isn't there?

Enamel watch faces

Pink bucket

Mini salt and pepper sellers

This linen stall was displayed as an elegant dinner table (sort of), selling glasses, silverware, and dyed linen.

I love this shape of boot. unfortunately these were too narrow.

Spanish hair ornaments

Antique boots circa 1900

Silk and lace French knickers - imagine how comfy these must be!

Boutis quilts

Chinese slippers

Antique scooters!

Haberdasher's and linen stall

An almost-purchase: a 50's ball gown, on the knee, exactly my size. Instead I opted for the 1920's silk shift.

I'm still not exactly spot on about my antique clothing dating, but I have a strong hunch that this is in fact 18th century. Tell me if I'm wrong, but that narrow back seems to me tailored for a tiny corseted torso, and those side panels seem made to lie ver the characteristically French 18th century boxy skirts.

View of the canal