Making a start on Christmas...

The Christmas tree is up and ready for decorating.... the wooden angel has been dragged unceremoniously through the loft hatch, dusted down and ready for duty....

Obligatory, festive Aldi loo rolls have been bought and are now in place.

This year it is reindeer and foxes ready to do bathroom duty.

The Gluhwein is stocked and quickly road tested...

And the first batch of sausage rolls are straight out of the oven.

 I know for a fact there will be none left in a few hours.."bite size" goes down far too easily at Chez Cloth Shed!

Finally the dreaded Christmas cards have been written and posted too.

Every year I am a real, grumpy old woman and say I am not going to send any, then they start flying through the letterbox and I feel so guilty. So off I go and stand in the post office queue that snakes round the shop, buy stamps that cost an eye watering amount and stuff the lot in the red letter box outside.

£15 gone just like that!

And that's just the start....

Julie x

New buys...

A few new buys recently include an old pine wall shelf with decorative edging and fine scroll ends...ideal in a kitchen for large and small plates and hidden hooks for cups under the bottom edging.

A little painted stool with a hand blown French glass jar on top.... filled with broken hydrangea heads.

Two old Cruickshank engravings dated 1835 in original oak frames...I really love these old prints as there is so much going on.
So much so, that your eyes are all over the picture trying to understand what is being portrayed.

"The Blue devils" or depression at work...

And "Jealousy "doing its best to torment and destroy.

A large Newport Creamery butter box that would make a great tub for a small Christmas tree or plant.

Lined, check curtains and tie backs with pencil pleat heading and self covered buttons....

Well loved and used cloth backed maps of Cumbria, Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland that I will keep for a future project I have in mind.

A mahogany, bedside cabinet painted in Annie Sloan French linen ...and looking very French now...

And the oddest little wooden scooter girl,

 With a decidedly long pushing leg!


My last fair before Christmas is this Sunday at The Rheged Centre, Penrith, Cumbria....then a well earned rest before I start thinking about cleaning and decorating the house, buying presents, tree, food and everything else.

Where has this year gone?

Bye for now,
Julie x

For sale Friday....

A single, floral eiderdown with frill edge,

Pale lilac background with white spots...

Nice and plump.... freshly laundered,

With pretty, yellow and purple flowers.

Ideal for the end of a double bed, on a child's single bed or just snuggling up on the sofa.

Measuring 43 ins wide by 60 ins long

£60 plus P&P


Also a large hand stitched,  faded floral quilt.

White reverse with white and pink flowers on the top side.

Some wear on both top and bottom edges, as is often the case with old quilts and a small hole on the white reverse.
No stains and freshly laundered.

The edges could be bound with a contrasting fabric or even cut off and shortened as it is a large quilt measuring 80 ins wide by 96 ins long.

Would look lovely folded at the end of a bed or as a sofa throw with its pretty  "Caroline Zoob" faded look.

£60 plus P&P   SOLD  thank you x

Please email me at...... jloswl@aol.com

or ring 07956422733 for further details.

Julie x

Glitzy and girly....

Lots of pressed glass was sold these last two weeks at the  Rival Arts Christmas Fairs in Durham and Hexham...

Fabric pictures, silver plate, cutlery and bowls of hyacinths all disappeared from the table.

Tealights in vintage tins and handbag mirrors made from old fabric and manuscripts proved extremely popular...

And the Annie Sloan French Linen painted dresser did a sterling job displaying white china all weekend

Before finally moving onto its new home on Sunday afternoon.

Two great Fairs.....lots of hard work, but thoroughly enjoyable...meeting fellow exhibitors and customers.

Naturally I had to buy something when I was there...

A heavy, linen pinafore in charcoal grey...with the most amazing pockets,

Big enough to carry a bottle of wine in each pocket...fab!

Thank you Susan at Village Lanterne, love it...

Julie x

Boxes, baskets, bookcases and mags...

Lovely wicker basket with galvanised latch... filled with this year's hydrangea harvest,

Two battered deed boxes in need of attention with fabulous brass maker's label inside....

Pretty little old pine bookcase....ideal for a bedside,

A glazed bookcase or kitchen wall cupboard with original amber glass knobs,

And a large pine dresser now painted Annie Sloan French linen over white, great for a display of all white china I think....

All coming to my Fairs in the next few weeks....starting with Hexham , Northumberland tomorrow.
Priced. packed and ready to go...

And to sit nicely on these pieces of furniture....this month's Country homes and Interiors magazine,

 Featuring my gorgeous friend Helen....her donkeys...

And her to "die for " kitchen where just last week we had coffee and cupcakes round that very same table!

The other gorgeous magazine is the fabulous Danish Jeanne D'Arc Living...

 

Won in a most generous giveaway from Ali @ Betty and Violet

I am thrilled!

So tonight I will be hunkering down reading how to transform furniture...

Swooning over Raw & Natural bedrooms...

 And wishing I had another house to play Scandinavian style re -decorating...

Julie x