Sweet Williams.......

Some more new bits and pieces for my next two Fairs......Gateshead Stadium on Sunday 4th July, then Wentworth Leisure Centre, Hexham, Northumberland on Tuesday 6th July.

(www.ccevents.net for further details)

Busy, busy, busy.....

More pink things.......

Lovely vintage, soft pink, wool blanket and a faded paisley eiderdown......the lampshade and cushions made by me from toile de jouy fabric.

 Sorry, items on bench all sold...


And finally, aren't these Sweet Williams lovely.....can you believe only £1.29 a bunch from Aldi yesterday.
I only bought two bunches and look how many I managed to squeeze into this big glass vase......

How do they grow, package and sell them for that price?

Julie x

Having a heart.....

I seem to have a bit of an obsession with hearts.....when I look around the house they seem to be breeding......

French linen, old quilt fabric, metal hearts........

  

American waxed and cinnamon scented fabric, old eiderdown fabric....

 

  Every key or handle seems to have acquired one over time.....
   The daft thing is, I make my own to sell.... but the ones I keep have been made by other people......

Julie x

Vintage kitchen ....

I have been sorting out stock today for my next Antique Fair at New College, Durham on Sunday 27th June.
( www.ccevents.net )
 I thought I would have a vintage kitchen theme for a change....

Some wonderful recipe books......

With equally wonderful illustrations inside.....

I think I will display them on this 1950's,  kitchen dresser as part of my stand......should I paint it or leave it white?

              Decisions......

* Decision over on the dresser..... it has now been sold.*

Undercover.....

I bought this quilt from a fellow dealer the other day,thinking it would be an ideal project to cut up and make into cushions. The pretty pink edge was intact but the centre duck egg blue panel was quite worn.
On closer inspection I could see signs of another quilt underneath.....

So, I carefully took the scissors to a blue panel corner, unpicked the hand stitching to reveal......

A beautiful, log cabin pattern of pinks, reds, spots, stripes and florals.....

 I have done this before on old quilts and been disappointed, but this is an exciting find.
 Now, I just need to spend hours unpicking the rest.....!

Julie x

Lovely cushion......

If you are looking for a one-off, individual cushion .... Emma Boyne may have the answer......www.emmaboyne.co.uk
 With a great eye for coordinating vintage fabrics, this very talented lady produces distinctive cushions that are beautifully printed using antique printing blocks.
I commissioned this one from Emma and it is made from vintage French linen with a ticking stripe back.

Even her hand printed labels are quirky......

I love the colours on her brochure.....

And for those of you who like retro '50's fabric......Emma also does these......

desk top buddies.....

This cute little vintage, sailor doll made from felt sits on top of his wool dog friend, right in front of me on my desk. Both have a wire frame so their limbs can move and the attention to detail is wonderful....The stitches on the sailor doll are tiny, from his little socks to his mouth, nose and eyes. His hair is made from individual stitched curls with a jaunty felt hat and the most "out of proportion"  ears.....is he a pixie perhaps?

The dog is made of wound wool with knitted ears, leather collar etc and for the sharp eyed amongst you, there is no doubt, it is a dog dog.......whoever made him must have had a chuckle making his under carriage....!
They both usually sit on the Christmas tree, but this year, I decided to keep them out and put them under the weeping willow star tree on my desk.

I bought the tree from my dear friend Helen at  www.busybeestudio.co.uk ...... the little metal stars jingle when you brush the branches....you can't help but touch it.

Have a good weekend.....
Julie x

French chic.....

I bought these lovely French candle sconces yesterday at the monthly, midweek Antique Fair in Hexham, Northumberland.....
 www.ccevents.net

Along with a gold painted spelter figure of Mary....

A couple of  French department store bag handles....the French ladies would hook the handles around the string of their parcel making it easier to carry....... very clever....

And a most beautifully painted glass bottle with enamel detail all the way around. Unfortunately the neck has been damaged, but I had to have it regardless......

A la prochaine.....


Julie x












                               
                                                                         

Egg cosies......

These pretty, 1930's, floral chintz egg cosies will be coming with me to my next Fair at Wentworth Leisure Centre, Hexham  on Tuesday 8th June (www.ccevents.net for further details )

along with these little cuties....

Aren't they sweet?

I'm sure you are wondering what kind of domesticated creature this little boy is feeding.....( the furry thing at the side )

Is it a pony... a cow... a goat perhaps .....

No....

It's a PANDA!

Well, what would Health and Safety have to say about that.......

Julie x

Bird spotting...

I was up early this morning and very industriously decided to wash all the windows inside and out......however, as the sun came out and shone on the glass, all I could see were streaks and smeary marks...and there was me thinking I had done a good job!
Maybe I need to employ a professional window cleaner with a squeegee thing....

I then put the washing on the line.....

As you can see, we live in a woodland environment and there are a lot of birds.....so consequently we get a lot of this..... on our deck as they roost in the trees.

However, today they decided to sit in the trees over the washing line.... yes, you've guessed it.... it all had to go back in the washing machine and I was not best pleased.

                      SO.....

I went up the steps....


 

Under cover....


                        

And had myself a pot of tea and biscuits.....not one....but two.....Waitrose Belgian chocolate and lemon biscuits and felt much better!

Julie x

      



                       

Flag Day

I bought this 1953 Queen's Coronation flag yesterday to hopefully make into a cushion. It has a few rust marks but I'm sure this just adds to the vintage look...To keep or to sell..... I will decide when it is done.....

One I am keeping is my Royal Standard flag....I backed it with old, French grey linen and it now sits beautifully with my Hungarian  linen, stripe cushions on my shabby old bench in the hall....love the washed out colours.

What to do with a Queen Victoria 1897 flag?

Too delicate to make into a cushion....frame it perhaps?

Or pop it temporarily over a mannequin and secure with a vintage military decoration.....

The detail both back and front of this star and tassel is wonderful and I love the description of WH Waghorn - GOLD LACEMAN.

All handmade with silk and metal thread.....beautiful...

,

Have a good week...
Julie x