Happy New Year (belatedly)

Happy New Year everyone.  I am not sure quite where the last part of 2012 or the beginning of 2013 went but here we are almost through January and I have not updated you on how things are for me.

I was so busy with fairs in December and then Christmas came and went in a blur. It was a bitter sweet one this year as my beautiful big girl was away in France doing a ski season. I did miss her and her sweet Christmas spirit as she missed us.  Thank goodness for the internet for we spoke and saw each other several times that day.

She bought me the most beautiful present, a personally inscribed necklace  from Chambers and Beau with the sweetest words on, which made me cry of course!  I am the luckiest Mummy.

Paul and I then went to the Vintage New Year's Eve party at the Southbank, which was fun.

Sadly my phone ran out of charge early in the evening so I took no photos at the event, only these few of us getting ready and walking across the bridge to the Royal Festival Hall exist.

2012 was a wonderful year, a sad little loss of my darling Bella in Summer, but much to celebrate and be thankful for. It was the year I was the Homes and Antiques Magazine VIP for a month

It was the year that I supplied the Olympics with fabric for the Beach Volleyball dancers

 

My fabric was used for George Clarke's caravan  in  Channel 4's programme Amazing Spaces.  The fabric was used for cushions and the blind in the sitting room.

I was given the most lovely accolade by the Queens of Granny Chic, Tif Fussel (Dottie Angel) and Rachelle Blondel (Ted and Agnes) in their beautiful book.

and another mention in the fabulous Lola Nova's scrummy book

It is so lovely to get recognition from such talented and esteemed people as these. My little business is a real labour of love and a passion of mine and to be so successful fills me with absolute joy.  I am hoping to build on last year's successes, learn from the mistakes and continue to grow this vintage fabric emporium of mine.  It's already looking like a great year ahead.

I'm looking forward to it. Pin It

The Christmas Vintage Bazaar

Here I am sitting in bed, trying to shake off a bug.  I have no time for bugs right now, I am simply too busy, so I am ignoring it as best I can, whilst trying to do the right thing (take lots of Vitamin C, have early nights etc).

This Saturday is the last fair of the year for me.  One of my favourites, the Vintage Bazaar, is having it's Christmas fair at the Cheese and Grain, Market Yard,  Frome, Somerset  BA11 1BE (from 9am to 3pm).

Frome is such a lovely town with a great vintage vibe and lots of nice shops and cafes which I really enjoy visiting.  As well as my stall there are loads of great sellers making it a super event which is always very well attended.

Take a look at the Vintage Bazaar blog for more details and in the meantime I will go back to sipping my honey and lemon and getting my strength up!  Hope to see you there.

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Vintage and Handmade Christmas Fair

Well it's that time of the year once again.  I have 3 fairs to do this December, more than I have ever done before. 

The first one is the famous  Original Vintage and Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury, on Saturday 1st December.  A lovely fair which has some of the very best vintage dealers and the most talented artists and makers from around the South West. The quality and variety of goods on offer is outstanding and our visitors often stay all day, sometimes doing several rounds of the hall before going home happy and laden with beautiful and original Christmas gifts. 

Just check out the list of stallholders

If you are fed up with seeing the same old same old on the High Street and are stuck for ideas of what to buy your loved ones then this is a must for you.  The town of Chipping Sodbury is lovely too with lots of great independent shops, charity shops, cafes and is the home of the Fabulous Baker Brother's bakery, Hobbs House.  Well worth popping into for bread, pies and cakes.

I have been gathering bits for my stall all year and have had lots of fun today putting them all together and making a mock-up of my stall.

I have wonderful handmade soaps, wrapped in vintage fabrics, a 2 in 1 present for the fabric lover!

I have been pinning beautiful vintage brooches onto vintage postcards to make them into lovely gifts.

 

and have also wound vintage ribbon onto vintage Christmas postcards

I have vintage ice skates, little vintage children's shoes, vintage Christmas boxes, toy soldiers

and of course there is loads and loads of fabric and a rail of gorgeous vintage clothes

From pinnies, tweeds, velvets and fake fur, natty knitwear, sparkly dresses and a selection of little black dresses, this is a wonderful and exciting collection of vintage fashion.

Lots of other lovely bits, blankets, quilts, books, boxes and baubles.

 

 I hope to see some of you on Saturday, do come and say hello if visit.

My next fair is  the Country House Vintage Christmas Fair on December 8th at South Molton.

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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