Spoilt rotten....

Yes.......

Yes..........

YES........!!!

A little bashed courtesy of Easyjet baggage handlers.....but they got here on time from Paris, no delays!

Cabbages and Roses.....AT HOME WITH COUNTRY...... gorgeous book with gorgeous illustrations.......

I really want that toile wing chair.....

And that side table.....

The sofa, quilt and cushions..........

And that sweet, soulful eyed JR......

I didn't get the chocolate labrador  but I got a black one....

And a posh pot of eye cream for a woman of a certain age......

Anti-gravity?

How the hell does that work?

Never mind, slap it on and hopefully I will be 10 years younger.....

Hope you were all spoilt rotten too!
Julie x

Cosy, cosy.....

Well, that's it ....no more Christmas stuff to do....

It's cold and snowy outside, so I am going to flop on the sofa with a glass of red wine and a plate of homemade sausage rolls straight from the oven.
The cosy atmosphere of soft lighting, candles and the woodburner ticking away with its warm glow is just right.

This little baby has been on 24/7 during this freezing cold weather as can be seen by the ash piles on the front ledge and hearth.....I have given up tidying it....it is a working stove after all.

As for the dust on the furniture....I can't see it....

So, some festive pre Christmas evening shots around Chez Cloth Shed for you.
 The skinny cabinet and its tree branch lights in the hall.....

The grey cabinet in the living room with its ever growing collection of old glass, now covered in Christmas cards....

The clever but  "possibly a little tacky".... lights from B and Q which constantly change colour and are suspended every year from the wire sink light system in the kitchen.....

I love watching them twinkling away when I'm cooking..... changing from red to blue to green to yellow to orange....

Now all I need is my children to make it back to Northumberland for Christmas.....the train from London and the plane from Paris.
So please Mr Weatherman ....no more snow and ice!

Wishing you all a wonderful..... Cosy,Cosy Christmas...xxx
Julie x

Getting Christmas started.....

A fanfare trumpet from the wooden angel to herald the start of the Christmas decorating frenzy at Chez Cloth Shed.

Made of painted wood with a tin coat and wings....

She was a  bargain find last year at good old TK Maxx.

Standing on the floor in the shop, looking rather forlorn with her halo round her nose and her wings a couple of shelves away...... I had to rescue her.

I think the naughty children with the switched off Mummies had been visiting that day, wreaking havoc in the aisles.....!

Two vintage paper pom poms .......the type that fold flat when you have finished.

So big and blousy.

A batch of sticky mince pies that I know won't last long.....

And a little gathering of  festiveness....

A prim Mammy doll with an old hand stitched quilt dress and ice skates made by the very talented Maria at The Cinnamon Shack in Northumberland sits amongst the candles and greenery.

I just love her startled expression and knotted string hair.....

Enjoy all your Christmas preparations......and thank you for all your lovely comments, I will be back soon,
Julie x

Georgian Chairs.......

I think I might have a problem with chairs......Georgian chairs especially.

 An Antique Fair in Northumberland produced these, courtesy of a lovely lady exhibitor from the Scottish Borders.

Beautiful patina with drop in seats, upholstered in a Laura Ashley floral fabric.

Then a few minutes later, I found these rustic beauties on a different stall.......

OK..... not exactly the same..... but similar style back....

Over 200 years old, with all the knocks and wear of previous generations...how could I pass pass them by?

Now I am in a dilemma,
My mantra of "what comes into the house must be offset by releasing something similar"...... is obviously not working......I want to keep them all.

One in the hall......

 One in the bedroom......

One in the sitting room......

The rest around the table in the kitchen......

I now have 13 Georgian country chairs scattered around the house, which is possibly a little greedy.

Some will have to go..... but which ones?
I really don't know....

Of course with Christmas lunch just around the corner, I will have to pull out the spare leaf in the middle of the dining table to accommodate everyone, so having plenty of chairs is important...
That is my excuse for now.

Talking of Christmas, I am obviously way behind everyone else with tree buying, decorating, present wrapping, card writing, mince pie making, guest room blitzing etc

Must get a wiggle on.....
Julie x

Snowy Squirrel Nutkin .........

We are very fortunate to have red squirrels in our garden throughout the year and they are a joy to watch with their acrobatic leaping between trees.

But I thought these little critters hibernated....... obviously this one woke up feeling hungry.....

So....bottoms up,

Lets bury some nuts........ then forget where we put them in the Spring!

Right, that will do......... now up that tree........lets impress that little robin on the fence.
( did you spot him...... I didn't until I enlarged the photo!)

Check out the neighbours on the way.....

Nope....no one at home, must have gone South.

I can tell you...... I now know what it must be like to be a member of the paparazzi.....photographing him had me clicking that camera like a mad thing.

One minute he was there, then the next he was gone.....What a star!

Have a lovely weekend whatever you get up too....
Julie x

The Christmas quilt.....

As you probably know by now I prefer soft muted colours in my home.... but it is equally true that I also like a "little bit of red."

 However,  this quilt  is quite a dramatic step up for me ....bright turkey red reverse with a frilled edge and the most fabulous selection of Victorian hexagons.

So as much as I love it, it really only sees the light of day at Christmas when the tree is up and decorated with an assortment of coloured baubles and lights .....and everything is looking very festive.

The rest of the year it is stored away in a laundry basket....shocking I know!

It has retained all its jewel bright colours even to this day and the patchwork selection of hexagons are in perfect condition.....

I never get tired of looking at the different fabrics.....it's like a fabric sample book....

And I love the little Victorian children....

A real labour of love for someone long ago ....was it kept for a special occasion like Christmas or just stored away and never used?

If only it could talk.....
Julie x

Victorian goodies and sparkly bits......

As promised, some new acquisitions from Kendal on Sunday......a  hand worked, unfinished quilt or table cover with geometric pattern of spider's web embroidery in little squares....

Three fabulous Victorian hats.......
A black velvet smokers cap with embroidered dianthus flowers and green silk bow with dangly bead ends....

Black basket work and beaded lace hat with faded violet and ribbon front.......

And a wired ribbon fascinator style with black watered silk ties.

More cutlery.....lovely, large vintage berry spoons.......

A1 quality silver plate forks with initials....

And a sweet engraved spoon and fork with initials AW on the reverse.......

 

Finally, a sparkly tiara and sparkly buckles.......

All destined for my next few Fairs at Durham and Hexham......

Julie x

Weather forecast for the weekend here is more optimistic.......possibly  RAIN on Sunday?
Mmm.... lets wait and see.......still snowing!!