Needless to say, it is a vintage emporium, but what an emporium!

Formerly H. Hopkinson Ltd, established around 1880, the building was an “Engineers Merchants” selling to factories, collieries, textile mills, anything relating to engineering, steel, aluminum, brass, nuts, bolts, tools etc.

Nowadays it houses four floors of vintage, antiques, art and creative studio space.

Here’s just a teeny corner of what’s on offer…

I couldn’t resist a little browse… and whilst browsing I stumbled upon the perfect thing for me: The Golden Hands Encyclopedia of Dressmaking.

It’s from 1972. Lets take a closer look at that cover…

That’s me that is, right there!

But they say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. Luckily, inside it just gets better and better!

I’m in love with the illustrations…

The typeface is terrific…

And there is lots of information on everything from fabrics and trims…

To techniques and design tips, measuring and fitting, projects, patterns and troubleshooting.

It’s exactly what I need to help me sort out my skirts, perfect my patterns, and generally sharpen up my stitchery.

Lord knows, I need it. I can’t afford to keep going to classes all my life!

Seriously… if, like me, you are trying to master the skills of dressmaking, this book could be your best friend.

The kind of friend that gives good advice, inspires you to greater things and is always there when you need them.

Ok, so it won’t feed your cat or babysit your kids, but hey, you probably have real-life friends for things like that.

Amazingly enough, you can find copies to buy very cheaply on amazon here.

Trust me, it’s pure gold. ♥

I absolutely love this fabric!

It did need starching after washing as, despite being of a good weight, the fabric has a soft drape and a fair bit of “give” in it.

This required careful handling, as cutting the fabric straight was quite tricky. In the end I did it by eye rather than by measurement. After all, when you see a cushion, you don’t generally get your tape measure out. Well I hope not anyway.

Although, now I think of it, I do recall an elderly customer of the wholefood shop I once worked in, who always carried a tape measure about his person. We spotted him in Boots once, measuring the bath sponges.

Anyway, I think this commission has turned out lovely. I hope the recipient agrees.

I have another one the same already cut, which will be finished off today. That one will be appearing on my stall at the Lace Market Gallery pop-up market on wednesday.

As an added bonus, I am planning to make the off-cuts into lovely circular pincushions.

If you’d like one, just let me know!

I got lured into getting it when I was working as a manager earning lots of dosh. There was no personal use of phones or internet allowed at work, so it seemed a good idea.

But it was slow. It didn’t seem to work properly, which was confirmed when my partner got one and his did things that mine just refused to.

But I have been loathe to replace it. You get used to things. You find ways around their quirks. And I couldn’t face the cost and hassle of getting a new one.

Until now…

My old phone had slowed down to the point where I could make a cup of tea whilst it considered letting me look at the internet.

It spent a-g-e-s chewing over whether it would let me see what friends were up to on Facebook, before deciding no, it wouldn’t.

And it spat me out of Instagram at crucial moments, leaving me spitting with frustration. I could almost hear it’s evil electronic cackle.

It was time to act.

So I have a new phone! But it has been a ridiculously complex process getting it up and running.

Somehow, mine and my partner’s phones have become seemingly inextricably intertwined. Which would be fine, except his phone calls all the shots.

We have both spent hours on the line to technical support, as yet to little avail. I still can’t see my emails, which on the computer come addressed to him. His phone receives all the texts he sends. And his photostream has vanished into thin air – or rather, you can see it on my phone, but not on his.

Anyhoo, rather than throwing both phones against the kitchen wall, which is what I feel like doing with them, I decided that I will coddle my new one in a brand new case.

Here are my favourites so far…

The last one is the winner at the moment. But if anyone has seen – or makes – any other lovely ones, please let me know.

My sister said to me, just before I went into hospital to have lad, “take a cute hat. If the baby comes out ugly, it’ll help you bond”. She was right. My gargoyle-baby looked adorable in a cute hat.

I’m hoping that a cute case will help me bond with my new phone. Because we’ve got off on the wrong foot and I need to not feel like I want to grind it into dust.

Got to be worth a try, eh?

They have their moment in my mind, usually when I’m first all fired up with an idea, and then they either work or they don’t, and I move on and forget all about them.

So it was with my statement necklace.

I spent quite a while making extra buttons and sewing it all together, but then I forgot all about it.

I think it’s because I haven’t found an occasion to wear it yet.

It started life as a few buttons left over from making other things. I decided to “utilise” them, as I hate wastage. The ribbon was another bit of salvage – it arrived wrapped round some pyjamas bought for lad from Primark!

So I didn’t start out by choosing fabrics to fit with my wardrobe – which means it doesn’t, really.

Three of the buttons are offcuts of a frock adapted from an Indian salwar kameez made from Liberty lawn. I found it in a local charity shop – a most unusual and serendipitous find for £3! 

I wore the frock in Australia. If I wear the frock, I could wear the necklace with it.

But it’s a summer thing.

It’s still just too darn cold for it at the moment. I am writing this sipping hot tea, swathed in the thickest cardi I own, my legs swaddled in woolly tights. When will Summer finally deign to arrive, I wonder?

My necklace also suffers from being a little bit floppy. I think I need to stiffen it up a bit by stitching on a backing, so that it doesn’t droop when I wear it.

After all, it would be no good making a limp statement, would it?!

My plan to play it safe and rediscover some confidence in my dressmaking abilities was a good one.

The pattern pieces I had drafted were correct, and my fruity skirt is, as you can see, well on it’s merry way to completion.

But as is my wont, I can’t just keep things simple.

I have already decided to relocate one of the two planned pockets from the front of the skirt to the back. But I’m never that easily satisfied and more is always more…

So I think I’m going to add some ric rac.

I’m not quite decided on whereabouts yet.

Perhaps along the line where the yellow and green fabrics meet following the line of the hem, to disguise the join:

Or possibly peeping out around the pocket-edges:

Or maybe even both. I do love a bit of ric rac!

I was actually sent some yesterday.

It came wrapped around a little parcel from Rachel containing my new pocket mirror (to replace the previous one I dropped during a clumsy moment in the bathroom).

And of course, Rachel being Rachel, it was wrapped in a fabulous piece of vintage fabric! So much nicer than bubble-wrap, don’t you think?!

Whilst thinking about what to do with my ric rac, I idly googled it.

I spied a mention of ric rac flowers. Which of course warranted immediate further investigation.

I was led straight to a brilliant little tutorial over at Craftiness is not Optional.

So now, Rachel’s ric rac has been transformed into this!

Perhaps I should make a green one. I could wear it as a brooch to go with my skirt.

I told you ric rac rocks! ♥

I’m a bit rubbish about buying cards online.

I have to admit that, even when the occasion I am buying for involves those closest to me, I am apt to forget all about a card (and usually giftwrap too) until it’s time to actually write the thing.

At which point I find that I have absolutely nothing suitable in the house. And by which time it’s too late to order online.

But I am trying to improve. It is on my list. Along with sorting out my driving and painting the spare bedroom floor.

If I weren’t so rubbish, I would definitely have bought some cards from Jolijou by now.

Not that I imagine either lad or his dad (my primary card-recipients) would fully appreciate them.

But so much the better…

I might just get to keep them for my wall instead!

p.s. Check out Jolijou’s mugs too – they’re lovely!

p.p.s. The broken English descriptions of the goods in the shop are so sweet!

e.g. “These cards are much too good to be used as a map, make plugged also great eye-catcher on your wall, or on your wall if framed, dangling with a Clothespin on a leash, you will hopefully enjoy it”.

See what I mean?

When I went to a festival the other weekend there was a fabulous kids’ area, full of crafty goodness to which I was drawn like a moth to a flame.

Officially I was there to help lad to decorate his magic staff (a branch stripped of bark with a potato peeler) as he can be a bit craft-phobic and often needs a bit of creative encouragement.

However, I wasn’t that keen on creating a magic staff of my own.

So once he was suitably engaged with his, I found myself earwigging what others were up to – and consequently ended up re-learning the art of pom pom making.

And I found that I loved it!

There’s something almost hypnotic about making pom poms.

For those of you who don’t know, here’s how you do it.

1. Cut two circles the same size out of cardboard. The size of the circle will determine the size of the finished pom.
2. Cut a hole in the middle of both circles, so that each looks like a ring doughnut. Put these two discs together.
3. Cut a long-ish length of your chosen wool.
4. Wrap the wool around your discs evenly, passing the end of the wool through the hole in the centre of the cardboard each time. When you run out of wool, cut another bit and just carry on wrapping. Keep going until you’ve wrapped the wool around enough times to almost fill in the hole in the centre of your discs.
5. Using sharp scissors, snip the wool all around the outer circle edge by inserting the lower scissor blade in-between the two cardboard discs.
6. Cut a length of wool and, without disturbing your snipped bits of wool, tie it around the middle, pulling it tight between your two cardboard circles in a double knot.
7. Remove the cardboard discs, then fluff-up and trim your pom to ensure it’s nice and round.
8. Marvel at your creativity.

There’s a how-to with diagrams here if you’re in need of further guidance.

When I saw some cheap, bright-coloured wool on offer in a charity shop in town the other day I bought a bit, so I could have another go.

These are my first batch. I love ‘em!

I am now on a quest to find the bestest, brightest, most fabulous jewel-coloured wools at the cheapest price so that I can make poms galore!

I’m not sure what exactly I will do with them, what with woolly hats not really being an option as it’s almost summer, but I’m sure I’ll think of something…

But I do occasionally find my head turned by brand new pretty fabrics (especially cheap ones.)

Which was exactly what happened when I was in Australia, on a trip to Spotlight.

I found myself overcome by cheap fabric beguilement. And I bought a few yards of the nicest of Spotlight’s stock, without any specific plans for it.

Recently I have been attempting to master rudimentary dressmaking. And failing, on the frock front at least. My most recent frock project has proven a problem too far. It resides in the “rethink at a future date” pile for now. I have not quite enough enthusiasm to keep going at it.

So I am in need of a new project…

But what to do when both funds and confidence are lacking?

Answer: revisit the Spotlight stash – and the A line skirt pattern that I managed to succeed with at first attempt.

But unfortunately, having no project in mind whilst fabric-buying has created another problem. Not only am I short of confidence, I’m also short of fabric.

I know that might sound ridiculous when I have a cabinet full of the stuff!

What I mean is, there’s just not quite enough of the one I want to use.

Because upside-down apples wouldn’t be any good, would they?

Bah.

The situation calls for some creative thinking and pattern adjustment…

My cunning plan is to add a band of contrast fabric at the hem to cover the shortfall (and a tad more of my legs).

So out comes another bit of Spotlight goodness, for it’s moment in the… well… spotlight!

I’ve drafted the required extra pattern pieces myself. But I’ve decided to run them past my dressmaking guru in class next week, before chopping into the bit of fabric I do have.

Not just because I’ve not quite enough confidence to go it alone.

But also because I’m not quite daft enough to risk wasting any more of my precious stash, vintage or new!

I usually have BBC Radio 4 on all day in the background. I make time to sit down and listen to the Archers and when possible, the afternoon play.

And I love to drift off to sleep to the gentle burble of a late-night comedy.

I can also be tempted by vintage offerings on BBC Radio 4 Extra and even occasionally by BBC Radio 6 Music. Although when it comes to music I generally prefer to choose what I listen to, rather than have someone else’s choices forced upon me.

And I can’t abide radio adverts.

My partner’s the same. He also favours Test Match Special, which always reminds me of my dad.

I have a copy of the Leicester Mercury from 1953, which includes this photo of my parents emerging from church after their wedding via an archway of cricket bats:

When I was a child, summer had truly come when cricket-mad dad was in the living room in his shorts, curtains closed, watching cricket on telly with the sound turned down and Test Match Special on.

I can still remember the spectacular whiteness of his legs, which never really saw the light of day.

Anyway, what I was going to say is that this amazing vintage valve radio arrived as a present for my partner’s birthday the other day, courtesy of his brother.

It has been restored to working order, although we think it needs an aerial as we can’t get much out of it so far other than a distant crackling.

But it is spectacularly nice, nonetheless.

It glows gently and gets warm when you switch it on.

Even if it never makes a sound, I will be happy to have it there, adding it’s vintage good looks to our living room.

Whilst I listen to my favourites via digital radio, courtesy of the much-less-photogenic telly

I spotted this little cabinet in my all-time-favourite local charity shop a couple of weeks ago and my heart skipped a beat.

I’d been looking for something to store some of my ever-expanding fabric stash in – and this little beauty had my name written all over it. Except… after tentatively enquiring as to it’s price, I was informed that it was already reserved.

Oh.

But the nice man in the shop said it wasn’t yet paid for – and that if they didn’t come back for it by the end of the week, I could have it for a tenner.

And so… it is now mine – for £10!

A further week later, and we finally loaded it into the car yesterday and brought it home.

I’m going to give it a bit of a makeover.

It has all it’s doors and shelves, but I’ve never been a fan of teak veneer (so orange!) so, weather permitting, I’ll be out in the back garden doing a bit of sanding and painting.

Oh, and I promised to show you the other thing I bought from Dolly Mix Vintage, didn’t I?

I think it’s the nicest vintage scarf I’ve ever seen.

And it cost me £2! I’m not sure whether to wear it, make it into a cushion, frame it, or just add it to my collection…

What do you think?

I think it’s certainly been a week for bargains.

It’s funny how they just turn up when you’re not really looking for them, isn’t it?