Some of my bunting....

I used to make miles of this - not so much of late.  This is an old composite of my bunting from Flickr.  some of you may have this ;) (this is my first attempt at a face thingy!!).

War has been launched against Pinterest and though I am fearful of some of the people there who post the most fearful comments I will persist!  What a carry on - I am a middle-aged (and a little bit more..) woman who was just having a nice time sharing my things...the shine goes off that a little each day so I am looking into my blog becoming a private blog (I think that means that you will all be able to see it but no one else).  Mmmmm

Vintage kitchen fabrics - Dekoplus et al

I love bold, strong graphics - I made this little montage of some of my kitchen fabrics last year.  Fabrics with motifs from daily life are a particular favourite (see peg bag from earlier this year here: http://thecustards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/peg-bag-season-est-arrive.html).


Can I say here (again) that photos from my last two posts have already appeared on Pinterest and I have now filed copyright forms... what a sad state of affairs really.

I have a huge amount of this  Dekoplus fabric (middle row, far right) and was going to use it for blinds in the kitchen but you know how difficult it can be to make that first cut (sing along at the back again please).  I sold a little bit of it on Ebay last year and Jane Foster bought it to add to her collection.  You never know who is on ebay - over the years I have sold to many people (aside from one of the vintages buyers for Cath Kidston) - Phillip Treacy shop being another ((bought some vintage Christmas decorations for a shop display I think), plus many tea towels/tablecloths etc that pop up on well known vintage on-line shops (price being a little bit (!!!) higher than what I sold it for I hasten to add....some staggeringly so), a selection of 1960 swimming hats that were used for an Edinburgh fringe show, clothes for various re-enactments, books gone to art displays, oh and my Crinoline Lady bags that also emerge elsewhere for a little more than I sold them for.....  Stop it Jenny as you are now sounding bitter and twisted - it's all your own fault as you well know....all right then....

I am going to check my Dekoplus fabric today and look at again with cold, hard, business eyes....oh dear...not really...maybe...

PS Should also add that I have also sold things that have gone for crazy money (some of my old books for example) - in that instance I am thinking oh my lawd that is far too much please stop now....can't win with me really...

Dog and birds bag

Thank you for kind words regarding bags - following kind comment regarding my 'birdie' bag I then sifted through some other tapestries and found this one  - now named the Dog and Birds bag....

What do you think?
Better than the Birdie bag?
Here is a before shot!

What do you mean you prefer the before shot!!!!

I think that I will be taking this along to the vintage fair next week....I think I will....I might....
PS Thank you as always about not posting on Pinterest - I have a strong feeling that my words are utterly redundant on this blog so I am thinking of returning back to Flickr - pictures from all my posts continue to be pinned to Pinterest.  I  read with consternation some of the vitriol that is on Pinterest - not a place I wish to be thank you.

All embroideries are equal - though are some more equal than others.....

I am updating this to say I cannot tell you how sad I was to see these photos on Pinterest - despite asking and polite requests - I now submit copyright forms to Pinterest at every opportunity. There are many lovely photos out there people love seeing on Pinterest so please use those not mine.

Rainy again today - felt a little penned in so tra la la'd down the local high street - stopped off  to see the ladies manning their little stall - they were very welcoming and they commented they had not seen me for a while as they had been saving embroidered tablecloths for me....they will bring them in for me next week....I do not need any more tablecloths....They did have a little pile of hand painted bone china plates (six in total - I donated the saucers back)......I do not need any more saucers (or plates)...together with some pretty hankies (all with hand crocheted edges) and one or two scarves.... I spent £2.99.  So already the day seemed brighter.

I digress - again - I proceeded in a south westerly direction aiming for the Co-op (in truth we needed bread) - bumped into Emily (I have not seen her for a while) - she kindly asked if I might consider applying for a job at her college (nice to be considered in these tumultuous times).  Day a little brighter yet...

We were chatting outside the local church which was having their summer fete - we had chatted so long the fete was on the point of closure....tables were cleared and just a few cakes left....I could have them for a pound (5 in total) and three boxes of candles (one of such great delight it warrants a separate post) from the 70s....very handy for Christmas (always best to buy out of season I find!).

So here we have some pretty plates topped with the most FANTASTIC little cakes I have EVER EATEN (words cannot convey how ruddy marvellous they were) - all finished with a sprig of fresh lavender and just quite simply deliciouso.  I may have come home and busied about finding the nicest embroideries to display such delights.  All topped off with the fact that I will have finished writing my essay by tomorrow  - tra la la la la!

I hope that you too had some cake purchases/makes.

PS As I tra la la around I consider myself to be very lucky -  as I say hello to local traders and ask them how business is doing people are very kind to me. I  like to chat very much indeed and I think a bit of friendliness goes a long way. I live in an city - not a little village - neighbourliness can happen anywhere.  It was no different when we lived in London (not a well to do part of town but a down at heel/seen better times part of town) I knew all immediate neighbours well and we helped each other in good times and sad....sometimes overwhelmingly sad...

PPS My neighbour who kindly gave me the carrier bag of buttons - you remember - knocked on our door the other day with WARM...FRESHLY MADE roti bread - just because - hot out of the press and again deliciouso - she apologised that she had not made the matching vegetarian curry but promised that she would next time....I very nearly slammed the door in her face and shouted : 'Don't come round here again until you have EVERYTHING ready'...ho ho, just joshing!

PPS Another neighbour knocked on my door and said that I could pick all of his red currants this year as he was not so fond....I will make a summer pudding with them I think.

PPPS In return I proffer nursing advice and first aid wisdom, advice on whether child x should go to hospital (head injury) and neighbour y really should have the leg ulcer seen to...oh all right I will have a look at it myself...sometimes sadder advice... that sort of thing....fair exchange I think!!

PPPPS: My usual Pinterst request - if these appear I fear I will have to explode just to make the point....

Bags of bags

Hello again - I trust that you are well and enjoying some sunshine today

- I am just updating this post as I see that despite kind requests these photos have been posted to Pinterest so I sadly submit copyright forms to their HQ.  If someone from Pinterest would kindly like to explain I would be very interested.

Please don't be shocked by these bags - I may have mentioned before that some women have lots of shoes whilst I own only two pairs of shoes (not counting the ones for the 1930s and 40s that my bunioned feet can no longer get into....) and they are falling apart.  I do not have many shoes but I do have one or two bags....these are not all of my bags.....there are some more......bags are used all the time for Co-op shopping.......bags cheer up a day...........bags  cause an admiring glance now and again (funnily enough my shoes do not have that same effect....).

Inside most of these bags lurks a different type of embroidered purse....I like purses....I do not have many shoes but I have one or two purses......

Sometimes I sigh because I sometimes see the same embroidery crop up on ebay and I think why oh why did I use this for a bloomin' bag.....still they cheer me up.......Dom is not so keen on bags........he would like me to get a new pair of shoes...........It has now reached the point where I am too ashamed to go into a shoe shop because my current shoes would create a fainting fit I fear.....I like bags.....

The children sometimes find it difficult when I ask them to go and get my bag or find my purse.......there are some more behind other doors...........I like bags

|I will not be photographing my shoes............I like bags.........do you like bags?

PS: Alex it was lovely to meet you yesterday - I have been thinking about you saying how you were overwhelmed by our house and wonder if that was is a good way or in  a 'Oh my good grief get me out of here, too much, sort of way'? Alex you are one of the few people to ever see inside the 'Christmas Cupboard'...........a little too  full perhaps?  Dom often feels like this I think..........I like Christmas decorations........for another time perhaps........

PPS Thank you as always for not posting on to Pinterest and elsewhere - recently I have been feeling wobbly all over again about my blog, photos of from most of my blog posts end up on Pinterest yet only one person has ever asked me if that was ok....I see comments that people have left on my photos on Pinterest, not here but there, left for someone else to read that I find by chance.......

PPPS Just adding a photo of one of my favourite bags - the photo was taken from Flickr some time ago sadly

Do you think that this will make any difference?  I doubt it sadly again

Any umbrellas, any umbrellas to mend today....

It should be a very straightforward task should it not - here is a damaged umbrella in need of a new coat,  has a lovely Lucite floral handle and I just so happened to have the fabric that goes perfectly with it.  But no - it took HOURS of rowing discussion with my sister to decide upon the best fabric combination - we went through every possibility but could not decide.  I didn't want it to be all the same fabric and I very much wanted to add doilies into the mix.  Too many cooks.....I ended up NOT recovering the umbrella and it has been put to one side whilst I have a rethink....

Do you also find it tricky to make decisions such as this?

Toodle-uma-luma-luma

Toodle-uma-luma-luma

Toodle-aye-ay

Elderflower cordial

Elderflower cordial must be one of the simplest drinks to make - elderflower season is nearly over in this neck of the woods and forgot to photograph making it this year, so adding in my photos from Flickr.  I have used the BBC recipe for years - don't forget the citric acid as it makes all the difference!  Citric acid is more tricky to purchase now - but I bought a bulk lot when in the local chemist and it has a reasonably long shelf life!

I love that wide jug - made by Shorter and bought from a local junk shop years ago - it is PERFECT for POURING into a small opening!

This old bowl I must have bought 25 plus years ago and it is used several times a week for one thing or another.

Don't make the mistake (as I have done in the past) of stinting on the sugar (surely I don't need THIS MUCH!!!) - you need the right balance of lemon, sugar and steeped elderflowers for a perfect cordial.  The bottles are a bit tall to shove in the fridge to be honest but they are from the 1950s/60s I think and very Enid Blyton. Another top tip is to pick the flowers early in the season when the black fly etc have not got to them. I venture deep into local hospital grounds and pick them there - away from traffic and pollution. You don't have to live in the countryside to commune with nature.