Vintage Butterflies......

I adore this vintage muslin cover.....a  friend was having a clear out at her Mum's house and found this that her Granny had hand crocheted with the prettiest of butterflies and thought that I might love it.  An understatement to say the least.  J'adore!!!!

She thinks it was orginally made for covering food as it is both decorative and made from the finest muslin. 

For now I have hung it at my window whilst the sun is not strong to create a pretty and whimsical look.

xox

February Morning Musings.......

A small selection from my living room this morning. The morning light was odd today, quite overcast......

My favourite object here is the vintage February teacup.  It was bought for me by a friend, oddly enough I have never had a cup of tea out of it as I use it for tealights.  Need to look for an April one as that my favourite month!

xox

Out with the old......

I'm still a bit in holiday mode, after all Mia and Jonny don't go back to school until Monday.  So I'm taking it easy and pottering about, baking far too many cakes, catching up on reading and religiously practicing yoga every day in prep for the Edinburgh Half Marathon I am doing for Breast Cancer Care, in between keeping them (and Alfie) out of mischief.

This year I have decided to take a different approach to things - I feel focused and strong, and gradually getting rid of dead wood.  Over the past six months or so I have streamlined my stockists to the ones I have a great relationship with, I can do well without ones that don't pay on time or give prompt stock takes.  I will be concentrating on my online shop more after getting rid of the dreaded Mr Site, coming back for 2011 with lots of new designs.

I don't have any freelance admin work on the horizon for January, which is disappointing, but a reflection on the bad weather we have had recently coupled with the expense of Christmas.  The extra time I have I am going to use to spend some well needed time in the house re-sanding floors, painting and making tonnes of new cushions for my bedroom, and thinking about starting a fab dove grey/white/metallic quilt..... 

xox

Quilting....

Originally I wanted to create a quilt for my bed - a kind of family heirloom, with our names and wordplay incorporated into it.  I always had the idea it needed be dove grey, metallic, floral and white to go with my room - the problem being I couldn't find any suitable fabric.  


With ants in my pants as usual to get started on my first ever quilt, I purchased a mix of florals from Cath Kidston and John Lewis in pretty florals of pink, green and blue.  My sister in law gave me florals she had picked out for my birthday and my mother in law gave me some vintage Laura Ashley blue floral fabric she had stored away for a rainy day.


I loved the idea of mixing someone else's choice in with mine, and with this theme of adding old and new - I cut up a pair of Jonnys old grey denim jeans to add into the mix.  The back is made from a white linen table cloth from the church Mia was christened in.  Mia chose the polka border.

The thing I am finding with making a quilt, is
a) it's addictive 
b) it takes on a form of its own
c) it's comforting to be able to pick it up and lay it down when the mood takes
d) there are NO rules!!


I have since decided that I should stick to my original ideas for my quilt and be patient.  I will therefore wait, collect fabric as I go along and source greys and subtle colours that I love with a little bit of shiny mixed in.  


This quilt was always going to be very girly from the outset, adorned with flowers and birds, so it seemed only natural that I should change course and make it for my wonderful Mia.... 

Green Glass....

If you know me, you know I love a right good old rummage in a charity shop.  I've found some great things over the years, old lace that I have made into a shower curtain, vintage throws and 1960's stools I have renovated.   But my favourite finds are glassware, I love old glass decorated with gold, floral prints and self coloured glass. 

Yesterday I found this pretty green glass jug for just £2, that matches a pair of candlesticks I found a few years ago.  Perfect for filling with peach scnapps, champagne and fresh raspberries....  

Great Things.....Tiny Packages

Don't get me wrong - I love my house, but it is small, to the point my mother comments on it's lack of size each time she visits. Like everyone's house - mine is a work in progress, all of the time, you finish one job and there's another shouting you at to be started! 


These days there always seems to be an emphasis on where you work, and if you work from home - do you have an office, a studio, a workshop?  Let's cut to the chase here - I live in a three bedroomed end terrace, with two children, a husband (who does have a workshop - but far too cold and messy for me to work in, I tried), and no spare room and no room to swing a hamster, let alone a cat.  Dreams of a studio in the garden keep being put on hold for one reason or another.....

So, sick of working at my kitchen table, I decided to get create my own space on our landing (I can hear the laughter from here).  I do cheat from time to time and do all my sewing downstairs and any messy jewellery projects - like Silver Art Clay, but for the most part, I work at my little wooden school desk, surrounded by my tools, semi precious stones, admin, and books filled with cuttings and photos of things that inspire me, action lists and wish lists. I've even got space for my much loved hammock - my place for chilling out with a cuppa and a book.  And do you know what?  It works and I have that mantra - great things come in tiny packages.......

Being the optimist that I am, I am waiting patiently for work on my studio to start.  The space is cleared, swing set sold, David has drawn up some rough plans, permission has been asked from the adjoining neighbours, I have collected two sets of drawers for storage (awaiting me spraying them) and purchased a welcome sign.......all I need now is David to find some time!

Headless Edna

My Nanna was a dressmaker by trade, and as a little girl I earnt my first "wages" helping her with prepping garments for alterations and tidying her workroom.  Thinking back, I don't know how she managed to work in her room - it was small and it had poor natural light and was strewn with reams of fabric, garments piled in bags waiting to be collected (which sometimes never were collected!), a cutting table, sewing machine and ironing board. 

Amongst the mayhem was her old tailors dummy who we fondly named Headless Edna.  I think she dates back to the 1950's, she is generally in good condition with a few little minor holes.

When my Nanna recently moved, she took Edna with her, and looked after her until my parents collected her.  Edna spent a couple of months down on the sunny south coast of England, dressed up in clothes and a hat, before making her final trip up to her new home in Scotland.

I had forgotten how much some things evoke memories of childhood, playing in my Nans room with buttons, customers coming and going, endless days of watching my Nan at work.....

I had originally planned to sit her in my new studio once built, but I think she will be far happier standing proud in my living room, no accesories, just lovely faded fabric, holes and all. Thanks Nan xx

Home: Leggy Peggy

If you know me, you'll know I love a bit of vintage, charity shop chic and junk shop finds. Something that has a  story, a little kooky, upside down or back to front.  It's a running joke that I can't pass up a charity shop.


Don't get me wrong, over the years I have bought wonderful pieces like my Edwardian dresser, my oak kitchen table, period wardrobes and vintage blackboards, but I have also hoarded lots of cheap and cheerful finds.


I found the legs (Leggy Peggy as we call her) on a holiday to Cornwall, David lovingly carried her back to the car, took one of her legs off - stuffed this in his canoe on the roof and her other leg and arse came in the car with me and the kids.  Leggy Peggy shared the main bedroom in the caravan we were staying in with my friend who had popped in for a visit, much to her amusement as she's a Debenhams kind of girl.

Leggy Peggy loves her new home, and came to life when I sprayed her gold - she changes pants from time to time.  She's partial to polka dots, leopard print, the odd French knicker and NEVER sports a thong *shudders*.


Peggy is waiting on the arrival of her friend - Headless Edna - who currently resides in sunny Cleethorpes, and is being cared for by my Nan, due to arrive sometime this summer.