Friday 20 July 2012

If you don't have a Southend tea towel...and something for everyone (well tried hard!)

Thank you all so much for delicious words - you have made an old woman  happy!

Thought of this Missy when you mentioned that you were looking for a Southend tea towel...

Posting these photographs of a purse that I made a while ago - using an image that is not copyrighted (see what I did there!).  This postcard usually lives on our mantelpiece and it makes me smile - I printed it out on to some cotton fabric and used some original 50s seaside fabric on the reverse.  I thought that the lining (an old sheet Ada!) reminded me of those old fashioned paper bags mixed with a bit of candy floss. I thought that this could also easily be done with an old Southend postcard.  Just a thought but I will search high and low for a Southend tea towel - I sold about a dozen of my souvenir tablecloths on ebay I hope that that wasn't Southend amongst them.....I did my midwifery stint somewhere near Southend I think.  I remember all that I did was cry at all the births!  Rubbish am I (said in a Star Warsy type voice)






Please let me know if you make one

For Garden of Daisies - It took me a while to dig out an older photo of a purse that I made last year -(entre nous this was bought by one of the vintage buyers for Cath Kidston after they had bought the other ones so I think that this was for personal usage.....how much longer will I be dining out on that one......).  Particularly handy if you are like me and do not know how to use a Satellite Navigation System (I like to use 'proper' terminology)....you will never get lost again....so long as you do not stray too far from this coast line!


It would be great if you could make one of your local area too

And while I was at it (for A tale of toadstool house)  this took a while longer but I knew it was somewhere - I found my scales photo (this was daft because those scales sit right next to me here so it would have been quicker to take new one!  Today they have two building bricks (the sort that are covered with a paper design) on them.

I do like a nice old tin.....

Mmmm not a very good photo so I will upgrade one day!  Children break up today though of course I'm still working and will fudge through.  Spent a while deleting my photographs from Flickr groups today - all except yours Elaine and three others - a shame that.


Now this is an odd photo to end with you might be thinking.  Well, this is the arm of Stuart - he is a 'right diamond geeezahhhh!  Some of you may know Stuart - an older gentleman with a pony tail and plenty of tattoos to distinguish him from the crowd.  Stuart and I have had many chats putting the world to rights - I make him laugh by greeting him with the words: 'Your name is Chalky White and I claim my prize'.  He likes to talk about his old days in the East End where he remembers the Kray Twins. Stuart works in a charity shop - not in my town but nearby and I go there about once every 6-8 weeks.  Stuart is one of the few men to have admired by bags (not a euphemism) so I have instructed him in the mysterious art.  One day Stuart asked me a favour - would I make a purse for his sister using a photo of his 'old mum' and she liked lilac.  It took me a few weeks to get back there but today I was able to.  He was chuffed as chuffed - he let me photograph his arm for posterity....gor blymy laaarrrvvv.  He was a bit emotional.  I was chuffed too.  Stuart makes me laugh like a drain.  I did ask if it was ok to put this photo here but just in case he forgot in all the unwrapping  I have cut his mum short - I hope that is ok!

I did not charge Stuart very much........ho ho...........said for comedic effect as always
Tatty bye - that is all for a while so have a nice weekend and thank you all so much again.................

16 comments:

  1. Ooh they are so gorgeous,thankyou for that I was trying to picture how they would look next to my till :O)
    Its such a shame about your flicker account,I love to look through sweet Paulas pictures,but dont have flicker myself.happy weekend,the kids are on a high,schools out for summer,yay! juliexxx

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    1. Every single image of Paula's is delicious - she gives so much of herself and just oozes loveliness.

      School's out!

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  2. I love the purse! I wonder if you did your midwifery course at Rochford, there was a hospital there before I lived here. I don't actually live in Southend but in a village about six miles from it but it was my childhood seaside day out venue (we'd go down in my dad's taxi from London) and I still get a little bit excited when I go to the seafront! My kids think I'm mad when we come out of Marks and Spencer and I have to turn and look at the sea. (Which is actually not the sea but the Thames Estuary, but it's my sea.) I have old photos of my dad as a boy sitting on the beach at Thorpe Bay, just along the coast a bit. So I have a soft spot for Sarfend!
    I wish I was clever enough to make a purse, I'm venturing into patchwork at the moment and as I'm more at home with a ball of wool I'm a bit nervous about it. I'm enjoying it though, so much I dreamt about it all last night. Soppy mare!
    Happy weekend!

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    1. Do you know what - I asked Dom if he remembered and he said: 'I think that it was Rochford or somewhere...' So there you go I was there - I assume it is no longer a hospital then? I haven't been to Sarfend for thirty years or so I think! I suspect it has changed.....
      Believe you me purse making was only a venture started last year (and it shows half the time!). I am so s-l-o-w at knitting I drive myself mad so I envy knitting skills. Not soppy at all - I dream of clashing colours!

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  3. How many blog posts have you published today??? And the day is not even over. As one of your other commenters said, I wish I had your energy. I wish I had half of it, come to that. Lovely stuff, as ever. But stop showing off about your charity shops selling tablecloths for 20p. That would never happen in Bristol. Grrr!!!

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    1. Dear Elaine thank you so much once again for all that you have done for me. It is a shame about the bank incident but I will draw a very thin veil over it (for NOW!). There is one shop that sells most things for that sort of price - I will never divulge its name...I will only give my name and number....

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  4. Of course it is the sea, Missy [It is called S-on-SEA after all] My childhood treat was to go out in the evening and walk the length of the pier, and then turn and watch as the lights came on along the seafront. Dad and I would have some chips, Mum would have some cockles...and all would be well. Perfect holiday!

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    1. That is a lovely warm memory Angela - very cosy

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  5. Yet more lovely photos. I am glad Stuart liked the purse. What a wonderful idea. I keep saying I must learn how to do photo transfers onto fabric.....just need to find a moment or ten!

    I trawled some new charity shops yesterday but all I managed to come up with was a lovely pink apron ("Oh we never seem to get many of those to sell these days" said the lady behind the till) and a pink-lidded dish complete with powderpuff and a wonderful smell of talcum powder ("I was only saying yesterday I think that is probably quite old" said the other shop lady). It reminded me of the one my mum always had on her dressing table. Both items really made my day. :-) Philippa xx

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    1. Thank you - it is very easy to do but Dom wasn't about to manipulate the photo!
      Like you I love my little conversations with the ladies in the shops - this 'vintage' malarky is all about nostalgia really

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  6. Oh that tin is amazing...Im a sucker for a lovely tin too
    Nicky
    x

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    1. There are just too many tins in the world....

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  7. Awww...I love that Stuart was chuffed as chuffed. Well done.

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    1. I wish that you could meet Stuart - he is a real character

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  8. Your sewing is awesomely neat. Do you think it is ever too late to learn to sew properly? Or is it something you have to absorb while very young? I try and try but all I seem to be able to make is envelope backed cushions. I have an awful lot of those now....

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    1. Thank you indeedy - it really isn't (and I keep blaming my awful sewing machine). Our mum made every single thing that we wore (including knickers and coats) so I certainly grew up with sewing and though I did make things as a child/teenager there were certain sewing skills that I was too scared to ask about! Alongside button holes (I have been terrified of those for years) the other was zip - my mum would shout with fury at trying to put zips in so I had always assumed it was a devilish artform. Last year I watched a You tube video and ta dah...how easy was that. After all those years it was not so tricky after all. For years I had a 'thing' about only sewing by hand so I have got several quilts all hand pieced....I would not do that now. Give it a go and see how you get on.

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