radio days

As you may know if you read my tweets, I am a huge fan of the radio.

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

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?

rummage results

I may have mentioned that when we visited Lyme Regis on our way home from Dorset last week, my favourite shop for a good rummage was, unfortunately, closed.

There are other good rummaging venues in Lyme Regis, however. And I am happy to say that I managed to take advantage of another couple of them.

As a result I unearthed a couple of treasures…

First up, this lovely cushion, from the antiques centre on Lyme prom:

It came in very handy on the long journey home, for lad to rest his weary head. (He was under strict instructions – no dribbling allowed).

The reason I couldn’t show you this treasure earlier was that it almost became a permanent addition to our car’s interior.

It has been treated to a tour around the county this week, but has now been retrieved and is ready for my tender ministrations

I love the fabric and will admit, I have stroked it once or twice already.

My other rummage result was the bluey-purple floral item you might have spied in the picture above…

It is a tabard. I cannot, under any circumstances, imagine myself wearing a tabard.

Even with a label proclaiming it’s suitability for “shapely figures”.

It is therefore the perfect subject for the snip snip of my scissors.

I have already nicked a little bit of it for a project I have in mind to show you this week…

But that’s another story!

thrift of the day

I really wasn’t looking to buy this.

I have ogled and fondled many a card index box in my time, but never bought one as they all proved too expensive. So naturally, when one turned up in the local charity shop it caught my eye.

It was still waiting to be priced, so I had to come back later. And it had gone. A momentary pang ensued – until the nice lady told me to have a look in the window.

And there it was.

At a charity shop price that was just too good to miss. So now, it is mine, all mine!

It may be the subject of a small make-over, as it’s rather worn leathercloth is peeling off at the back and is looking a tad dowdy.

But I think a selection of my sewing and crafting bits and bobs will soon be very happily in residence within my new acquisition.

bye bye… and hello

I have an errand to carry out today.

Collecting my makes from local vintage shop Lu-Lou’s.

The shop will be closing soon.

It is a sad errand. Lu-Lou’s will be missed.

But owner Clare is not looking back. She has a brand new beginning to look forward to.

Bye bye Lu-Lou’s… hello new baby!

As for me, I have a new stockist - The Handmade Studio in Hampshire, run by twitter-friend Linda.

Endings and beginnings… they’re what life’s all about ♥

pennsylvania dutch

During yesterday’s lazy Sunday afternoon I spent a while, as is my wont, happily browsing Etsy.

And I ran into the item above – isn’t it pretty?!

It’s a midcentury tablecloth from Etsy store LastCentury. So lovely!

It reminded me of something…

I took this photo whilst on holiday:

It is a detail from an old tablecloth that was lurking, faded and forgotten, down at the railway carriage.

I liked the pattern so I took a snap.

Now look closely at that first tablecloth again… See those little people? Lurking amid the midcentury prettiness?

Both patterns hail from the Pennsylvania Dutch folk art tradition.

As do these…

I love these folky, traditional patterns that have re-emerged from the past.

In fact, I must say, I like Pennsylvania Dutch – very much