A bright and shiny New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope this post finds you well and happy.  My New Year has got off to a great start and I have many plans to make improvements to my home and work life this year.

I have planned to attend lots of fairs this year, my website has been updated with new and exciting fabrics and I have had some great press already.

So, first things first, fairs -  The next fair I am stalling at will be the Vintage and Handmade Textile Fair at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall (see sidebar for link) on Saturday 25th February. This is followed by a new and exciting event in Taunton. The Remnant and Rag Rummage, organised by the Vintage Bazaar girls Lizzie and Clare (again see sidebar for links).

Both great events and ones for your diary. I will update you as the year goes on but do keep an eye on my sidebar for future fairs.

I have updated the website which had been a bit neglected as I  stocked my warehouse, prepared for  fairs and prepared for Christmas. There is now a selection of bright and beautiful new fabrics in stock.

Also added to the website are these beautiful 19th Century French linen mangle cloths.  All in unused condition.

There are so many uses for these beautiful cloths. They measure 90cm wide x 3 metres long so lots of fabric to use for cushions, upholstery, curtains, blinds, table runners etc.

Just before Christmas I had a rare crafting moment.  I really wanted us to have a nice table runner and being unable to find anything I liked I decided to make one.  Using a mangle cloth, I added some snowflake doilies and appliqued the words 'peace' and 'joy' in polka dot fabric.  I was very pleased with the result but I ran out of time so I aim to add to this during the year, maybe embroidering some words, or our names.

I really enjoyed making it and need to find more time to make things this year. I plan to make myself a workroom so that I have my own space to create as I always sew on the kitchen table which is not very good when I need to prepare dinner/ supervise homework etc.  I have found this little book that I was given for Christmas really inspirational so watch this space!

I had  a little mention in this month's BBC Homes and Antiques magazine which was  a nice surprise!

In the same magazine was an article about the writer of this new book

 

What a lovely book this is! This is  perfect for anyone who likes to make gifts out of thrifted and found things.

It's a beautifully put together book and I was inspired to look at things I may see at flea markets, charity shops or boot sales in a different light.  It  gave me ideas for the things I see but can't justify buying as I don't know what to do with them.  I can see my thrifting habit getting worse!  Another surprise was that Sarah had mentioned me in the back as a stockist.  I am listed alongside other vintage fabric lovelies as Liz Van Hasselt and Linda Clift.  How lovely!

 

(photos by Debi Treloar)

I'm not sure how many of you are on Facebook but I have a page - here - and am having a little giveaway.  Just share my page with your friends and leave a comment on my Facebook page to be entered. You could win a sweet little sewing kit.

 

Have a great weekend x

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Vintage and Handmade Textile Fair

Just to remind you all that the next event I shall be stalling at is the Vintage and Handmade Textile Fair in Chipping Sodbury on Saturday 3rd July.

There are going to be some wonderful sellers there and if you haven't done so already I recommend popping over to the website to check out the illustrious list.

I am praying that this weather holds and that I see lots of you there!

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Vintage and Handmade

The Vintage and Handmade Fair was held today and was another great event.  The brainchild of Jayne and Michele, this was the 4th fair and it has become very popular with queues of eager shoppers waiting to get in.  Sadly this time I forgot my camera but 10 minutes before the crowds poured in I remembered my phone and took a few photos of my stall and the stalls just next to me.

There was the lovely Lizzie  who had her usual mix of delicious fabrics, vintage treasures and gorgeous clothes.

Next to her was Amanda Shabby Chick who was far from her home town, Totnes, with her lovely Mum.

Opposite Amanda was Daniella from Acorn and Will with her beautiful, colourful, vintage treasures and handmade goodies.

Unfortunately these are the only photos I took, and they are not very good quality,  because then it got busy and stayed busy until late in the afternoon.  Luckily there are many other bloggers who took photos so no doubt there will be some great shots posted in the next few days.

I always love to buy at these fairs but this time I was quite controlled (for me) but I will share the treasures I got.

This lovely plastic bag came home with me via the lovely Amanda.

I bought some beautiful Heals fabrics which were brought to me by a sweet customer of mine.

I also purchased this pretty eiderdown from her.

I couldn't resist this  tea towel from Claire.  I love her  elf and toadstool illustrations and she is my favourite designer being the creator of my logo!

I treated myself to this beautiful brooch made by the very talented and lovely Viv.

These delicious candy coloured cups with their contrasting floral saucers and plates were on Lucy's stall and I knew they would be perfect for my Open House teas.

One of the things I love about doing the fairs is getting to meet people that I have had contact with either on the phone or online as they buy from my website or read my blog. It is so nice to put a face to a name.  I had many people buy from me and at the end of the transaction shyly say how much they love my blog. This made me so happy  as there are times when I wonder if anyone will find it interesting!  A sweet couple over from Italy on holiday managed to tell me, in faltering English, that they always read my blog.  So for all of you lovely readers, who never leave a comment but enjoy my blog anyway, a big hello, and thank you for being here!

There were so many beautifully dressed women at the fair both customers and stallholders. On more than one occasion I had to have a stroke of someone's dress due to the gorgeous fabric and there were more Cath Kidston bags than you could shake a stick at!

A funny thing happened.  Jayne, Lizzie and I turned up in vintage dresses and coloured plimsoles.  We hadn't discussed this beforehand but it seemed to be the uniform of the day!  This is a great photo, borrowed from Jayne, taken by her husband.

 

There are some wonderful new and exciting books around and I always want to buy them.  Luckily I had a birthday recently so was treated to this gorgeous book

 

I am really looking forward to the exhibition later this year and when I go I will be wearing my Horrockses dress.

Another book that I really loved, but couldn't justify buying, was this one .

 

So imagine how pleased I was to find out that I was mentioned in the back as a supplier of fabric for anyone doing up a vintage caravan, (thanks to Sairer for the tip off).  Suddenly I could justify buying it and very glad I did too, it's a beautiful book and I want a vintage caravan now! Pin It

The Vintage and Handmade Fair

Well the big day has come and gone, that date we have had marked on our calendars since last May is now over,  and what a day it was!!!  Mum and I travelled up to Bristol the night before and stayed in a hotel, Sue came up too so it was a jolly girlie evening!  My 4.30am start for Ilminster the week before made me realise that I just can't do a ridiculously early start, a fair and then a long drive home all in one day.  By lunch time my brain has turned to mush, I can no longer add up and cannot remember my name, so starting off from a mere 19 miles away was wonderful.

Before going to bed  however, I switched on the tv only to catch the weather report  and hear the severe weather warning for the next day.  They said it was going to be at it's worse between the hours of 6am to 9am with 75 miles per hour winds, trees down and floods but should be over by 3pm.  So I went to sleep, or rather didn't sleep, with that worry on my mind!  Well the weather could not have been more different, it was sunny, dry and clear on our journey to the Town Hall and unloading was not the traumatic experience I had envisioned.

So, we unpacked and quickly set up ready for the shoppers to arrive at 10am, and they were prompt with queues around the building!  The fair was just wonderful, loads of beautiful stalls, really talented women showing  craftmanship at it's best, with the very best of vintage goodies to compliment them.  It was so lovely to meet many bloggers, who I have communicated with for years, but have never met in person. One of these was Claire, who designed my logo and whose work I adore.  I would have loved to have spent more time with her. 

I did not take many pictures sadly, it was such a busy day that after I took a few photos of my own stall, just before the customers were let in, and then of the crowds coming through the door, I did not get an opportunity to take any more.  There are wonderful photos on HenHouse's blog as well as Sal's and no doubt there will be many more as people get home and find time to upload their photos.

 

 

 

 

The photos do not do it justice though, the lighting in the hall was not great, but what you also can't get from the photos is the buzz, the atmosphere, the excitement and friendliness of the whole event. It has to be experienced.

I heard so many women talk of being overexcited and I could understand. When I first got in and saw all the lovely things being put out on stalls I was practically hyperventilating!!!

I bought a few lovely bits but, alas, cannot share them with you as my recipients are blog readers and I would not want to give the game away!  Let's just say there were a few bits from Hen, made with my own fabrics I hasten to add, some lovelies from Jayne, Michele and Niki, fabrics from Lucy,  Lizzie and Sue (as always) and some little goodies from Daniella and Claire and a furry something from Nicky (I tried not to look!).  I didn't get to look round all the stalls as I kept having to go back to my stall which was a shame.

If you didn't get to come this time, make a date in your diaries for May 1st and come, you will not be disappointed! Pin It