Rag Rummage

This week I have been getting ready for the Rag Rummage in Taunton tomorrow, organised by the lovely Liz Van Hasselt (aka Washerwoman). 



It is a fabulous opportunity to purchase vintage and new textiles, trimmings, lace, buttons, linens, patterns and much more from West Country workrooms, collectors and dealers.

Doors open at  9.30 am and it finishes early at 2.30pm.  The address is Trull Memorial Hall, Church Road, Trull, Near Taunton TA3 7JZ.  There is a tiny 50p admission charge.

Teas, coffees and cakes will be available.

For more details visit The Vintage Bazaar blog.

Here is a sneak preview of some of the stock I will be bringing along with me.  Hope to see you there.

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Barkcloth Bonanza!

We are currently having a Barkcloth Bonanza event.  Lots of new pieces of this beautiful fabric were uncovered from our stock room and have been added to the website this week.

I am often asked 'what is barkcloth?'.

Barkcloth is a soft, thick, slightly textured fabric, so named because it has a rough surface like that of tree bark. It is usually made of densely woven cotton fibers. It was once common in Asia, Africa, Indonesia, and the Pacific, coming primarily from trees of the Moraceae family and was made by beating sodden strips of the fibrous inner bark of these trees into sheets. It was very popular in the 1950's and 60's and is perfect for upholstery, cushions, curtains and lamp shades.

Folly and Glee are a company who specialise in making bespoke lampshades from barkcloth. Their lampshades are truly beautiful and they have made shades for Sanderson and most recently for Jamie Oliver's new mega restaurant, bakery and bar at Gatwick Airport.

So, I am excited to announce that we have collaborated to offer you a 30% discount on a bespoke lampshade made from fabric on my website.  Polly's shades start at just £12 for a 20cm diameter table lamp.  What a bargain!!!

Here are some examples of Folly and Glee's wonderful shades using barkcloth fabrics

 

or how about an inside-out shade with the fabric on the inside, as chosen by Jamie Oliver?

Polly has lots of different shapes of shades and can help you with any bespoke design you have.

Just to let you know also that I am doing 2 fairs this month.

The first one is next Wednesday 17th October. This is the wonderful Talent for Textiles fair at the Meeting House in Ilminster, Somerset.  The next one will be The Rag and Remnant Rummage sale at Trull Memorial Hall near Taunton.  Click on my 'Vintage Fairs' tab at the top of this page for more details.  Hope to see some of you there. Pin It

Vintage and Handmade Textile and Fashion Fair

Oh yes, it's that time again!  The wonderful Textile and Fashion Fair is on this Saturday, 29th September,  at the Old Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury, run by the Vintage and Handmade team.

I have been busy getting my stall ready, sorting out new stock, washing, ironing, pricing and packing it all away ready for the big day.

This fair is always popular as it offers some of the very best textiles and fashions from specialist dealers in the South West.   The town of Chipping Sodbury is also a great venue,  it has some lovely shops, cafes and the Hobbs House Bakery, home of the Fabulous Baker Brothers.

If you haven't been yet, you have been missing out and if you have, you will know how gorgeous an event this is. 

Here is a little preview of the stock I will be bringing for you.

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A Month of Change

It has been exactly a month since my last post, a month since my little Bella left us.  My heart is still heavy, and I think of her and miss her every day, but the pain has lessened.  I want to thank each and every one of you who left kind words. I cannot tell you how comforting I found them.  I often wonder if it would make a difference to say anything to people I don't know very well when I read sad posts.  Now I know that it does.  The kindness of strangers, as some of you are, was so appreciated. Every comment like a gentle stroke on my arm, a whisper that 'it will be ok'.  So, Thank You lovely readers.

The end of Summer was a busy time for me, not busy with work as I shut the website for a few weeks, but busy with the important things,  holidays and family life.

My Mum, the children and I visited Lyme Regis, a favourite place of ours, and stayed at a friend's house for a week.  Lovely sunny days (and a few rainy ones) filled with sandcastle building, swimming in the sea, fish and chips, reading, mackerel fishing and treasure hunting in vintage shops.

We breakfasted in the wonderful Town Mill Bakery.  A perfect start to any day.

If you go to Lyme Regis do visit.  Their Eccles cakes are second to none.

The day after we got back from there we flew off to Spain and our first family holiday in 7 years!

How lovely it was to fly off, with the full moon bright in the sky, to warmer climes.  To spend hours in the pool, feeling the sun on my skin was just so healing and so needed.  I am not going to leave it so long again.

 So here we are, the end of Summer and looking towards Autumn. There is a real crispness in the air and the nights are drawing in, it is getting darker so much earlier these days.

I love this time of year.  I adore knitwear and look forward to wearing my tights and boots.  The fire will be lit soon and we will be cosying up.

I have added lots of new stock to the website. Treasures found on my travels and things tucked away in readiness for the new season.  I have listed lots of beautiful quilts and eiderdowns.

 Lots of new fabrics have been added too, including some amazing 1940's French dress fabrics that I found still on the bolt. They would make the most amazing tea dresses and I have LOADS of it!

Lots of lovely new stock, all of which can be found here.


Sadly, due to family commitments, I have had to cancel my stall at the Vintage Bazaar being held this Saturday in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire.  If you get the opportunity do try and go.  Lizzie and Clare, who organise the Bazaar,  select the very best sellers to be at their events  making them a not-to-be-missed fair. I'm only sorry I am not going!

However next Saturday (29th September) I will be stalling at the Original Vintage and Handmade Autumn Vintage Fashion and Textile Fair.  Another wonderfully organised fair by Jayne Soule and Michele Chivers, this is an event not to be missed.  Two rooms of the finest sellers of vintage textiles in the beautiful town of Chipping Sodbury. This is truly a great day out for any vintage lover. 

I have a huge amount of new stock, as you can see, as well as a rail full of vintage clothes to bring along. I do hope to see you there.

Last but not least, I am sure many of you enjoyed the Olympics this summer, I know I did.  A few months before they were about to start I got a call from them asking for some vintage 1960's stretch fabric to make shorts for the dancers who entertained the crowds during 'time out' at the Beach Volleyball games. 

I wonder if I should have 'Official Supplier to the 2012 Olympics' on my headed notepaper?

It was a very proud moment for me seeing these dancers in my fabrics.

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