Peasant cushion......

This is one of my favourite cushions......it was originally just an embroidered panel on linen, bought years ago at an Antique Fair in Cumbria. For months it sat in a drawer, until one day I decided to do something with it and backed it with a piece old French linen....... filled with a down feather pillow.

I love the Peasant lady with her wonky checked skirt, rolled up umbrella and basket of eggs ......

and the Peasant man....with his lunch in a cloth looking like Dick Whittington. His face and shirt are quite faint....perhaps he has lost his stitching or maybe it was never completed?

It sits on my Hungarian bench and I have always thought it had an "Eastern European" look about it.

If any of you vintage textile loving ladies have an idea as to where it may have come from..... I would love to hear your thoughts.......

Julie x

Seeing red....

Some more Cloth Shed stock to include lengths of unused Sanderson fabric.... lovely hunting print linen, bullion fringing, lampshades, cranberry glass, and floral jugs......

Trying to keep it all nice and cosy, with splashes of red to warm the cold days ahead.

Of course, it's drizzly, damp and miserable outside this morning and I have these old wool blankets sitting in the kitchen, waiting to be washed and dried on the line.....why does it rain when you have a backlog of washing?

However, I think I can manage these fair isle wool gloves with grubby finger tips though,

 Shouldn't be too much of a problem.....

Have a good week,
Julie x

kitchen blues......

This small kitchen dresser base with battered enamel top would be a quirky addition to a retro style kitchen......small enough for me to take to a Fair without filling the car completely.....

I think I will leave the blue paint and just tidy up the handles with wire wool and polish and clean the enamel top.

As I was doing my "David Bailey" photo shoot outside, it started to rain..... surprise, surprise.... so the rest of today's blue goodies had to go inside to be photographed......

I know..... more curtains and cushions......

That is why I am called The Cloth Shed......or as my lovely brother says....The Clot Head.....because I am obsessed with fabric and he can't understand why!
Thanks....
Julie x

New addition to the family....

Just the cradle thank you......no contents!

Isn't it lovely with the original old paint....brown/muddy green on the outside, dirty mustard on the inside.

As I am not a "dolly" person, the cradle will stay empty for now.....  no blankets or quilts ..... maybe a plant perhaps..... I might even put it on the kitchen window with herbs or bulbs later in the year.

I decided to "introduce" it to the old doll's bed that lives on top of  the wardrobe in the bedroom......I love the simple lines and original  peeling paint.

  I think for now though, I am going to keep them apart......

One in the bedroom with the crown.....

The other in the living room with my other country pieces......

Until of course, I decide to move them around in a couple of weeks time......

Julie x

Autumnal stock.......

Some new bits and pieces for my forthcoming Fair on Sunday in Cumbria......

I am trying to keep things light and airy, but the dark colours are starting to creep in........bits of pewter, tapestry, strong coloured paintings......

I suppose it's that time of year.......and I really can't help it....
Before I know where I am I will be making cushions again from Harris Tweed fabric and mixing everything with old woollen blankets.....

Actually that sounds quite nice.....

Have a snuggly weekend,

Julie x

Wheelbirks......

I went with a friend a few weeks ago  to Wheelbirks Farm...... and what a lovely surprise.

Set in the beautiful Northumberland countryside, Wheelbirks Farm is  home to an Ice Cream Parlour with a difference. Retro....vintage...funky....and definitely trendy!

 Run by the gorgeous Lucinda  and the equally gorgeous Hugh and Tom.....

The Richardson family  have farmed for generations to establish the oldest Pedigree Jersey herd in Northumberland.  The delicious ice cream is made from the rich milk of their pretty Jersey cows, who obliging line the fields on the road up to the Farm.

You can read all about them here www.wheelbirks.co.uk

 So, eventually settling for a latte, a mocha and two substantial fruit scones fresh from the oven with jam and cream...... delicious....we sat at an old pine table with views over the apple orchard, soaking up the atmosphere.
Geared up for parents/grandparents with children, it is a delightful space for the little ones to stretch their legs, climb on the old tractor and generally let off steam......

 Of course, I couldn't resist a little purchase from the Farm shop on the way out.....along with some Jersey raw milk and cream......

A cute, handmade strawberry.........

Bargain.....

 Unfortunately, I couldn't quite get this sofa out of the door without them noticing.....I  must try harder next time....

Julie x

The Cinnamon Shack....

Can I introduce you all to The Cinnamon Shack

The lovely and very talented Maria has been making American Folk Art inspired dolls, animals, wooden things, metal things, paintings etc for well over the 10 years that I have known her.
She lives in a beautiful stone farmhouse, in an equally beautiful part of Northumberland,,,, amongst the trees, with spectacular views over Catcleugh Reservoir.....

I have picked a few things from her new website that I would quite happily have on my shelves at home.....
 

Baby Billy Bear with his quilt nappy and rusty pin....

Tiny, Tubby Bunny...made from scented and grubbied flannel.....

Primitive Deer made from aged flannel with hand painted faces and real twig antlers.....

Stars and Stripes Samuel Bear......

Noah's Ark on wheels.....and....finally...

A Vintage style pull along bear.....

Her attention to detail and  final finish are brilliant, everything is made by her own fair hands.......and as she says..."no men involved"
If you can get to her Christmas Open House on the 6th and 7th November, I'm sure you will not come away empty handed.
If you can't.....well you can always buy her handmade creations on her website!

Julie x

Pimms to go....

Now that Autumn is fast approaching, these vintage bottles of Pimms will soon be going back in the cupboard. .....I bring them out and pop them on a kitchen shelf for a bit of fun in the summer months.

I love the old labels....so much nicer than the modern one......





Invented in the 1820's as an aid to digestion of all things, I discovered that there were 6 varieties of Pimms.....No1 to No6, each with a different spirit base.

Most were phased out over the years leaving the original No1 gin based Pimms that we drink today in the Summer at Glyndebourne.....Henley Regatta.... a back garden in Northumberland.......

I know they do a winter Pimms but it never feels the same....

Oh and just in case you are wondering.... no...... I have not been tempted to try what's left in the old bottles!

Julie x

Nicholas Mosse....

 This tall, skinny cabinet which used to hold books a long time ago in its previous life, came from that fabulous emporium in Corbridge, Northumberland.....RE 
Having measured it and assuring everyone it would fit in the hall, I am proud to say it slid into place with a 3 inch gap between the top and the ceiling!
 It still has the little sliding vents to allow the circulation of air....this would have stopped the books from going mouldy when the doors were shut......

  The top cupboard  is home to my collection of Nicholas Mosse Pottery......
 Bought bit by bit over many years...... other pieces given as presents......

Quite a few cups and jugs are damaged from over zealous dishwasher activity.....especially the earlier pieces.

I think it was a softer clay body and therefore more prone to damage.

Each piece is hand thrown and sponged with quirky flowers and animals......no transfers here.

The bottom cupboard is the "junk" cupboard......sorry, no photo allowed....too messy.

It houses all the little bits and pieces I just might need for future projects..... buttons, lace, ribbons, broken beads, old photos, scraps of precious fabrics..... the list is endless.

Do we all have places like this or is it just me?

Have a nice weekend,
Julie x

Julie x