beautiful bargains

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?

dolly mix fix

I lost my blogging mojo a bit this week, I’m sorry to say.

I’ve not been feeling 100%. I haven’t done any sewing. My energy levels have been very low and I’ve not felt up to much at all.

So I haven’t had a lot to blog about.

What energy I have had has been employed sorting out presents and treats for my partner’s birthday. I baked him a cake and we had lunch out – his favourite all-you-can-eat curry buffet at Shivalli in Leicester, where vegan food is cheap, plentiful and very very good.

And afterwards (purely out of the goodness of my heart of course!) I took him to one of my favourite vintage clothes shops, Dolly Mix Vintage.

If you’re ever in Leicester, you must visit this box of vintage delights. It’s like stepping into an eccentric aunt’s attic dressing room. There are two floors of delights to explore…

Just look at those shoes! (Alas, they didn’t fit me or they would’ve been mine).

My partner almost succumbed to the lure of a pair of very classy brogues, but those didn’t quite fit him, either.

But I found I had left my willpower at home.

Consequently, despite having no intentions to buy anything, I cheered myself up with a new crimplene frock purchase from the rails of gorgeousness…

Vintage frocks are like vintage fabrics; if you find the perfect one, you can’t hang about – because they won’t.

So I didn’t.

I think I’ll need to step up the summer fitness regime a bit, as it shows every bulge.

But I figured that if I could just about get away with it after consuming my own body weight in curry immediately prior to trying it on, it was certainly a frock worth purchasing.

And a cardi hides a thousand sins.

It’ll look nice with the bargain summer plimsolls I bought from the clearance rack in TK Maxx the other week, too:

Like the musical box at the beginning of Camberwick Green, they hide a secret inside (a pleasant one, I hasten to add)…

How cool is that insole?!

So now I’m all fitted out with a fix of flowery flummery.

Hopefully, my moth-eaten mojo will soon find itself on the mend.

If you’re very good, I’ll show you the other thing I bought, tomorrow… ♥

winner!

The giveaway is done.

A list of entrants was compiled, each was assigned a number, and the random number generator has been consulted this very morning!

And the winner of my giveaway to win a handmade apple pendant is…

Sue Schlabach!

Get in touch via my Commissions page Sue, and let me know your address so that I can post off your prize!

Thank you to everyone that took the time to enter and follow and pin and like.

Commiserations to all those who were unsuccessful this time around.

And if you really can’t contain yourselves, remember you can always buy yourself a consolation prize apple pendant from my shop! x

disillusioned

When I was younger I used to go to festivals.

I went to Glastonbury in the 1980′s, when people still pitched tents in front of the main stage and you could climb over the fence and get in free, if you were brave enough.

There were lots of other, smaller festivals too. Generally, I had a great time.

But then it all turned sour.

Someone staggered into and destroyed our tent in the night. An extremely drunk couple thought our tent was theirs – and refused to leave. Too many aggressive, scary people around. Knives and threats. Lots of drugs and alcohol. Huge expense to be there in the first place.

So we stopped going.

We only recently started trying out a few festivals again. Just safe, friendly ones. Because kids get a real sense of freedom on a smaller site, meeting others, trying new things. There is some great music to be enjoyed. And the culture has changed from those days when it just didn’t feel safe.

At least, that’s what I thought until this weekend.

We went to Ashleyhay Festival. Small, friendly, local. We went to have fun.

But someone visited a good proportion of the tents, including ours, and, whilst we slept only inches away stole whatever they could reach from inside. Including all our money for the weekend. Even the small change. Even a child’s pocket money.

I’m amazed I didn’t hear them. But what would I have done if I had?

People were nice about it afterwards, but I didn’t want to be there any more. I just wanted to go home.

And I feel sad and angry and disillusioned with festival-going all over again.

Am I over-reacting? Possibly.

Do I think my feelings will change? I don’t know.

But I don’t want my child to be frightened of people coming in the tent in the night, going through our stuff. Actually, I don’t want to be frightened either.

So sadly I think that, for me at least, it’s time to admit that my festival-camping days are probably over.

wheelie nice

I had a fabric delivery!

Circles and flowers – what could be nicer?

Two sorts of flowers, that’s what!

It is currently a tablecloth, but I have a feeling it won’t stay that way for too long…

I can feel the lure of cushions calling…

And perhaps a circular pincushion or two, made from those lovely flower wheels.

If you should fancy one, just say the word via the contact form on my commissions page.

spring cleaning

It all started with a spot of spring cleaning.

It’s amazing how, when the sun comes out, you notice things that have eluded your eye all winter. Like dirty windows.

We live on a main road. We have a coal fire in our sitting room. And we have no window cleaner.

For some reason, nobody seems to want the job of cleaning our windows. I’ve asked several burly men I spotted with squeegees in hand around the local area, but they all said no, they were too busy to take us on.

So I got out my e-cloth and had a go myself. Wow! What a difference! It was like someone had turned the light on!

And then I got started on the cobwebs.

And then I noticed the state of the curtains…

We have white curtains. Probably not the most practical choice, but I like them.

After I’d got over my disgust, I had a sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm and got them down for a good wash.

But whilst they were drying… I remembered that long ago in the dim and distant past I had thought, briefly, of changing those curtains.

I had even got as far as actually buying something on ebay with that end in mind.

I dug out my purchase, a pair of vintage Osman Terylene and cotton sheets in exactly the right colours for the room: turquoise, purple, green and white.

The design is by one of my fabric heroines, Pat Albeck and is called Flores.

I have hung them temporarily onto to the curtain rail gliders with safety pins until I can get some curtain tape to sew on.

I rather like them.

So I am temporarily spared the job of ironing my clean white curtains.

Which means that every time I look at my newly adorned and spring-cleaned bay window, it gives my lazy heart a double dose of joy.