Vintage fabric umbrella - at last something that I am reasonably pleased with - though not so pleased with events at the workshop - read on reader!

I felt that this umbrella deserved a separate little posting. See previous post for original state - purchased for fifty of our nation's pennies. Thank you to everyone for not posting my latest pictures on Pinterest that has been kind.

Here we have the tale of two umbrellas....

I did take a long time deciding on the fabrics - I was not sure if this would work so I decided to use fabric that I had a lot of so could be 'wasted' if it all went pear shaped.  Then I could not decide the colour...then could not decide if I should stick to a particular decade of fabricness! In the end the fabrics had to decide themselves - so these were chosen on the basis that I have lots of it! I recently spent silly money on yardage of fabric on ebay then whilst out 'shopping' (I think that we all know what I mean here) with a friend I bought some very similar fabric - lots and lots of it for £4.50 (the purpley Sanderson print on the left). The central Bernard Wardle fabric was £1 for several yards, the other two panels were both curtains and both were a pound per pair -  there is a moral here somewhere I think.

 The cup and saucer is an extra large one - these were used in the last century as an advertising ploy I think, suits me because I lurve tea!

I was restricted by armage as to what I took to the beach - so this was all that I could fit in my arms - on reflection I could have taken most of the contents of the house ( very much wish to take a photograph of our dining room table on the beach - replete with vintage china adornments)!

This garden parasol below was the other one that I bought from 'The Shop that opens more often than it used to' - it was also 50p and I marvel at the mechanism that enables it to be tilted.

At the May Day church fete there was another one but it was £2 so I decided not to buy it - I am gnawing knuckles again...

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, oh I do like to be beside the sea....tra la

Sad that Picnic editing thingy has gone but tried the new editing thingy - don't really know what it all means...must ask the children...Note here that the tide is coming in at a great pace so I was not able to dally when taking these photographs and I couldn't really see the images on the camera because of the bright light. Add in the fact it was blustery so had to try and hold the umbrellas in place at the same time as taking the photographs it all was not quite as good as it should/could have been.

I think that I will take the kitchen sink with me wherever I go from now on ....

More umbrellas planned and in the making.  My crafting workshop (you remember - where we gathered on the seafront and tried to stop all the fabrics blowing away across The Solent, yes THAT one) was a huge success and umbrellas will feature heavily at the next day school (dates to be announced).  At my last workshop it was lovely to see how many of you lined up along the beach and tra la laaaa'd your freshly made 'objet of craftiness' for the Grande Finale photo opportunity - sad to recount that some of you took it a bit too far and started to do the 'Can Can' (with a particularly loud musical accompaniment and 'oom pah pahs' from a certain class member).  Was the showing of the derrière really necessary Crafter Y? It would not have mattered so much  had your underwear not been a certain grey colour......Can I request that next time you are a little more restrained please - it has been difficult explaining the behaviour of the minority to locals again. However I did like how one crafter had customised her umbrella with 'object trouve' - very useful to keeping flies off in the summer months I thought!

I will not be held responsible for the few wonky umbrellas that were created (I use the term 'created' very loosely here) and no refunds will be given (please take note Crafter X - you know who you are - begging is so undignified). It is your responsibility to listen to the very carefully crafted instructions that I proffer and if you decide to chit chat your way through them you must blame no one but yourself (I am getting a bit fed up of Crafter Y here to be honest - again you know who you are).

I have to apologise for rising levels of tension during the day - I was increasingly aware of the lack of camaraderie shown by the little clique that grouped alarmingly rapidly during the first of the half dozen tea breaks.  Clucking around the Victoria Sponge were a certain group of razor tongued crafters (I don't think that you realised I could hear EVERY WORD) - the comments about my  basting abilities  were not kind or indeed called for.  Dom has always been quite taken with these skills in the past.  I may have to block certain crafters from future events -  a sad turn of events I know but I refuse to allow the sniping minority to spoil it for the one remaining customer.  I did notice this same clique casually snooping perusing the house - fear not as I had carefully carried out a full inventory which I will be checking and rechecking over the next few days.  I hate to say it but I think that invoices may be raised for absent items - I do not wish to point the thimble clad finger at any single crafter but someone whose name has cropped up fairly frequently may be receiving something in the post  v.soon (prompt payment or return of itemised goods may result in the removal of the  perpetrators name from the published list of the light fingered).

Could I please also request that at the next "Custards Umbrella..ella...ella...ella Workshop Extravaganza"  we keep renditions of THAT song  to a minimum - I know that it made us laugh the first time Crafter X (your name cropping up again here sadly) but after the 16th warble my nerves were jangling and it was all wearing a trifle thin (though not as thin as the cheapo fabric your brought along - particularly galling as I had specified QUALITY vintage only).   We live and learn.

 Oh how we laughed!

Tra la la, fiddle de dee off I go to make yet more tea....