Talented friend....

I would just like to show you what my fabulously talented friend  Helen  has been doing.....

Decorating a local pub with her clever free hand pictures and words where clocks, pictures and pixies run riot.....and Bob the cat greets you at the door...... 

 Check out the ladies toilets too...

 Not only does Helen have  a lovely  blog  but she has a great  website  with lovely hand made and vintage goodies for sale.
This weekend ( Sat 30th July and Sunday 31st July ) she is having an Open Event at her Goose House Studio, County Durham on her farm where everyone is welcome...10am to 4pm.

Not only is she a talented artist but is the owner of a gorgeous Grade II listed cottage available for rent in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

Meanwhile, I am off to re charge the old batteries with a change of scene......
Will be back soon...

Julie x

Buttons and .....

I was pleased to purchase some lovely linen covered buttons, unused and clean along with some pretty mother of pearl ones for sewing projects.

It always seems a shame to take them off their card as they are so decorative in their regimental  rows.

Even the odd dirty linen button from a button box is kept, as I always find a use for them, especially when making things with old fabric...they seem to add a little authenticity.....

I also bought these self covered buttons and thought it might be something different for finishing my cushions, boots and hearts. 

I can tell you, the title.... "self covered buttons....no skill required etc"  is totally misleading.

They are a pig to do!

Trying to tuck the piece of fabric over the button whilst securing the back is no mean feat.....

However, I persevered and using the big ones, a piece of old toile fabric that was too small for any real use and an egg cup as a template for the circle ..... I eventually got the hang of it.

So now I have pretty toile buttons for my cushions or maybe even to transform a jacket or cardigan.....now there's a thought....

 Do you remember this from the last post?

Well it is one of these......

 Taken this fine Summer morning in Northumberland.....brooding skies... threatening rain....

I always thought they were decorative, but I am reliably informed they are lightning conductors for old electricity poles.

Well done Cathy from Menopausalmusing...you obviously knew exactly what it was and thank you to all the other lovely people who had a guess too!

Regardless of its real function, I think it is quite decorative in an architectural way, so I may leave it on the covered porch table to confuse visitors for now.

(Oh and in case you thought I had been up a ladder to acquire one...sorry no...)


Hope you all have a lovely week dodging those showers....

Julie x

Sweet peas and Mr Waitrose....

The sweet peas I planted in the dead camellia skeleton a few months ago are finally flowering.
If you remember, they were called "Royal family" which I thought would be a patriotic mix of red, white and blue....and I think that is what I have got......pink, white and purple.....

They smell divine so I have cut some for a simple bud vase and put it on the bedside table.

The little feathery bits are the tiny pieces left over from flowers bought at Mr Waitrose yesterday.
Unable to grow Larkspur and Nigella in my garden, I discovered two fat bunches of these English grown, gorgeous flowers for just £2.99 each.

Enough to fill a tall enamel jug in the hall....

A large white jug on the landing.....

And the green French enamel jug in the covered porch where I keep my ever changing "rubbish" garden stock as you know.

 Finally, a little test...today's mystery object amongst the "rubbish" is this .....

Any ideas?

( Little clue....you must look upwards to find one. )

Julie x

Pandora's cardboard box.....

A little brown cardboard box bought from a fellow dealer at a Fair a few months ago, that I had completely forgotten about.

 All neatly wrapped in tissue paper.....to reveal various layers of haberdashery....

Firstly....... bead work pieces and possible lampshade trims or are they flapper dress adornments?

Long fingerless black gloves and a piece of petit point needlework.

Layers of lace trim......

Some smaller pieces for inserts....

Hard to see when laid one on top of the other.. but taken out of the box there are flowers, butterflies and bows....

Very old, delicate bobbin lace collars.....

Satiny collars....

Modesty panels and jabots.....

Cuffs....

And finally a most gorgeous silk and lace bonnet with a faded lilac ribbon.....

 Ideal for the Cranford ladies.....

Or was it possibly a bride's head piece from the 19th century?

Any ideas....

Julie x

New lease of life....

Do you remember the monograms I bought in Paris a few weeks ago?
Well, today I was wondering what I could do with them .....a quick light bulb moment .... and  I remembered I had a headboard in need of re-covering.
So choosing the top left one which was the remains of an old, fine linen sheet...I quickly upholstered the headboard.

Legs back on......

A little wonky where I pulled the fabric too enthusiastically......but once it is on the bed with pillows, sheets and vintage eiderdown it should not be noticed.

Not bad for 4 Euros....

Just need to decide what to do with the other three now....
Julie x