a few pics

just to keep the blog going a bit.  I'm a bit snowed under with a sewing project that I kept putting off and really need to finish this week so I'm unable to start anything new.

The pics aren't great I'm afraid.  Need to fiddle with the settings on the camera I think.

So first a looky at my bed at the moment.  I was lucky enough to get an eiderdown for Mothers Day a couple of weeks ago now.  It's not as pretty or lovely as some of the lovely patterns around, but it goes really nicely with my bedspread I got not too long ago.

I also made a couple of pillowcases using a candy stripe sheet that I got ages ago.

Some lovely daffodils in a little Grindley PetalWare jug I got from the charity shop the other week.  Another little addition to my utility china collection.

And finally a sneaky peek at my sewing project :OD

patchwork and crochet edging

I have an empty space in my kitchen that has in the past housed a dishwasher, but we got rid of it and now just use it as extra storage space for recycling and other bits and bobs.  It always makes it look so cluttered though that I 've always wanted a little curtain to put across it.  If I could inject some colour into the kitchen too, then all the better.  I decided to do a quite large patchwork curtain as I could never decide on the right fabric.  My DD and I spent an evening cutting the squares and arranging them in just the right way.  I'm really pleased with the final result.  The sewing was a bit sloppy, I think something had gone wrong with the machine or the thread wasn't playing nice, but I just wanted to get it finished.

 

I also have another patchwork blanket in progress, but shall do a photo once the recipient has it.  She doesn't read here, but you never know.

I got a lovely bedspread on ebay the other day, it was a Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady print.  I'd never seen the bedding range, but have her book which I love.  It was a rather brill bargain at less than £8 including postage.  You can just see it here on the bed.  I wanted to take a better pic, but OH is packing to go away with work next week so his side was messy!!

 

Did you notice the crochet edge to my pillowcase?  I was enjoying the difference the nice throw made to the bed and wished my pillowcases looked a bit better.  I need a nice stash of vintage ones!  Anyway, I was browsing how to embellish a pillowcase and came across this blog.  She has done some wonderful crochet edging on pilllowcases and I wanted to copy her.  

There is going to be a crochet - a - long on this blog where she is going to do a tutorial on how to do it and make a pillowcase too.  I was being a bit too impatient to wait so I got going straight away.  The hardest bit was blanket stitching the pillowcase, and if I'm honest I don't know yet how to do the nice scalloped edge that some others had, so I'm on the lookout for how to do those.  I just used a crochet edge pattern I had in a book at home, not quite as fancy, but I still like it.

 

I still need to do the matching one, but shall do it when hubby away next week.  Oh and I now have plans for more edging in different colours!!

Finally, a bit of thrifting went on yesterday.  Not much but I found a lovely little Johnson Bros Greydawn jug and sugar bowl to add to my collection.  Love that stuff.  I need more in different colours though!!

 

 

2010 - the year of the...

(ok I know we're in March already, but well...)

eiderdown

 

(pic from www.Ohsovintage.co.uk  - but sold!!!!)

Oh I soooooo, want an eiderdown!!! It's my birthday coming up and I'm very tempted to get one, but I'm also aware I really want a nice vintage one, I don't know if it will upset my hubbys allergies (he's had down jackets before so he says he'll be ok, but argh they are expensive!!!).  I could get the CK one, but it's not really as nice as some of the vintage ones.

 

What do you think???

What I need is to be able to find one at a car boot sale or charity shop, just so I know they will be safe to have with my hubby, and then I can save and buy the perfect one.  Or I could just go for it.... and make OH sleep on the couch???  lol!!

cornishware

I'd like to have my first item of cornishware - a jug perhaps??

a vintage roberts radio

I'm not going to pay the price of the new ones, I just want a cheap one that looks good!   

I don't want much this year do I????  Lol.

Hopefully a craft filled post to come, but have been a bit unwell this week and need to sleep!!!

keeping the momentum going

I'm not feeling well today so have spent the day snuggled on the couch. I thought I'd blog some more recent pics. I love blogs with lots of pictures in them :O)

Christmas was lovely and I managed a bit of craftyness with some new stockings for the kids. I left it very last minute but I was super pleased with the results.

 

My DS, DD and I made some lovely orange pomanders which sat nicely next to a lovely Christmas scented pillow I got from Mary Poppins.

The tree was small but I liked it.  It needs to be in this house!!  We made popcorn tinsel and some saltdough decorations.  I also made a gingham present sack, as the lovely Mary P sent me some spare red gingham tea towels after I saw what she had done with them.  Easy peasy to make, even for me!

Christmas saw some lovely presents come my way.  I was very spoiled.  I got a radio I had wanted for ages, here it is in situ

 

It goes so well with my bargain of the decade (lucky we're into a new one, maybe I'll get another bargain!!), which is a Dualit toaster I picked up from the car boot sale for £2!!!!  Yes you read that right two pounds!!  Of course our scabby kettle packed up the same day so I had to go get a new one to match it all :O)

 

It would have been fab to be a colour other than cream, as you know I have a cream and beige *everything* but hey ho.   It still looks good when the kitchen is neat and tidy :oD

Well it took me till the day after I wrote this to sort all the pics out, but I've also found the camera charger so plans for more pic filled posts in the near future.

Blows the cobwebs away....

Gosh it's a bit dusty in here ;) I'm not sure if I even have any readers left! Although I did get an email from a Real Life Friend who stumbled across the blog, so big waves to S! So weird how different worlds collide in this age of the internet.

I've just realised I had some comments in moderation - thanks Mel / ShabbyChick for checking in on me. Must try and sort the comments to come to my e-mail (I think they must go to an old addy).

I'm not sure I have lots to catch up on. I've tried really hard lately to not spend too much money on frivolous things, and what with no car boot sales well the pickings haven't been too rich.

I thought I would show some pics of things I was lucky enough to be given and that I never managed to show off.

First of all was some fab decoupaged letters that I won from a giveaway over at Clover Cottage. I love them so much! OH attached them to the fireplace and, even though I was worried he would hate them , he didn't!!!



Then we have a lovely owl brooch that was part of a swap I had with Louise. I did take some photos of the whole swap but can I find them? Nope. Anyway, it was a lovely stash of goodies. I'll try and gather up the rest of the stuff and post a photo.



Then we have a lovely little hanging butterfly I got from Little Gem. She sent it as a thank you for sending some fabric for her to use in her crafting sessions. It's lovely and it hangs in my room and makes me smile!



I made a start on a little crafty-ness the other day, I made a patchwork cushion for my DD. It was using pre cut squares that I got from the Vintage Fabric Market. A lovely site and I especially love that it isn't hugely pricey and the prices include postage. Anyway, here's the finished article. It's my first ever patchwork and I have plans for lots more!!



I took some other photos of some things I'd like to share, so I'll try and come back tomorrow or soonish with some more things to show off!

Thanks for reading if anyone is still out there!!

Gone AWOL

but for a good reason. We've been on holiday to the Scottish borders and had a wonderful time. The kids were a bit scrappy with each other but I tried to ignore it and my hubby and I just felt so chilled out by the end of it. Was really what we both needed. The sea was just across a very quiet road, lots of rock pools and nature. Lovely.

I managed to avoid the Cath Kidston shop in Edinburgh but only as it was in the wrong end of town to where we were. Hmmm. Next time maybe!

Unfortunately I'm going to be off line for the next week as well as we're having a 1940's week at home with ration foods and not tv or computers. I'm hoping it will give me plenty of time to get back into being creative with the sewing machine and catch up on what I still need to do at home.

Well it seems I have one victim for my PIF. I think I may try and do a giveaway with 2 prizes if no-one else fancies it? I'll try and get going with my gift soon.

I've had a serious lack of mojo going on here. I have a whole host of things still to do. Thinking that if I blog I'll remotivate myself. Maybe I need to do some lists or something.

So what have we been up to lately? Lots of visiting friends and going out and about. We went to a fab historical reenactment last weekend. I adore WW2 and the forties so we hung round those bits lots! I've been buying some new books about the period too





and these 2 fab books



Such an amazing feast for the eyes and lots of history to discover. My favourite :O)