50s fabric, nice pots and the kindliness of shops!

Thank you for kind words regarding My Darling.  I did have a 'gardening' post lined up as it is Chelsea week but this one has muscled in ahead of time.

You may recall the: 'Shop that never opens - which now opens more often than it used to' shop?  

YOU DON'T!!! 

Crikey!!

Well, that shop was not open again the other week but the shop keepers were busy loading their lorry and I spotted  a nice glass lampshade in their window and they kindly said that I could buy it.  I did not have any money so said that I would walk to the Co-op, get some money out, come back and pay in about ten minutes.  

Ten minutes later when I returned they and the lorry were....... gone!

Crikey again!!

Mmmmmm

Two weeks later I was walking past again and again the couple were loading their lorry.  We repeated the previous conversation and again I scuttled to the Co-op (I usually only have small change on me - a bit like the Queen!).  

I went a bit faster than last time....

Quick march back

Phew - they were still there.

An hour later........

We had had a very long chat.  

I find it amazing what complete strangers tell me and they shared great deal of poignant stuff.  People have the most interesting lives.

Anyway.....

I bought some old curtains.....

'Hang on - we thought she was buying a lampshade.  What happened there?'

'Hang on these aren't  curtains either!!!!'

More of this in a minute...

If you thought Mr Langford's was packed....

This is a place that always has a wonderful shop display and seldom anything for sale

This shop knocks spots off CK any day of the week in my opinion. This is my sort of shop

So, back to the curtain fabric that I bought - £15 so a bit pricey but lots of fabric and I wanted it for a specific something.....

I don't have much in the way of fabric....

Here it is drying on the line

Perfect colours I think

When I made the cushions for the front I didn't have quite the right fabric for the sixth cushion.  If you wait long enough the right stuff will appear.

Like magico

 After our long chat I was given this lovely dish - just because.  Isn't that kind.  Isn't the dish super

Handle close up

And it goes nicely with the fabric

More handle photos....!

Made in Norway in the 60s I think

 Fair exchange is no robbery so, by way of thanks, I made this zipped purse and popped it in the shop's letter box the next day (it was not open of course!)

 Pleased with zip insertion (using No.2 Vintage sewing machine with zipper foot) !

I still haven't used this original 1950s wallpaper.....one day....  thought that it matches this purse nicely!

And this is the cushion....at last (showing a few stray threads)

And plenty of fabric left for lots of other things.

Also just adding in this little purse that someone might recognise - a 'just because present' from me ...Nice to meet up with you Shelley.

I wonder which island Shelley lives on.....

 Whilst we are chatting about shops giving things away....

I was walking home a while ago and there was a local house clearance van parked in the road - in the back was a plastic bag full of old hangers all in a range of ice cream colours.  When I got home I rang their shop and asked if the hangers were for sale (in great need of painted hangers that particular day...). 

 I was told that I could hop in the back of the van and take them! 

 "Take them!!! I can't do that someone will think I am stealing!"  

"Don't worry then madam - we will delivery them to you".  

An hour later they arrived!

They would not accept any money (they told me that they have HUNDREDS of hangers every year....) so I made a donation to charity. 

 Everyone's a winner!

I am not fond of plastic hangers (unless they are those nice old children's ones)  or indeed wire ones - I like a nice old robust wooden one so this is what we have always used.  Here are Bronte's dresses again all lined up on nice wooden hangers

I realise that wire and plastic hangers hang nice and flat but wooden ones are the best for me - especially if they have a nice bit of  advertising writing on them or a painting is even better (when the children were little they had little images painted on them - not sure where they are now).  I also like ones that 'do' something, fold up in half for example or have an extra hanger bit to them or ones especially for trousers. We also have plenty of vintage fabric covered ones, crocheted ones (so you didn't really need those painted ones did you Jenny....) and of course I have used them for many a peg bag in the past. Oh and some nice hanger/clothes embroidered covers.  Can a plastic hanger do all of that?  I don't think so.

Any hanger collectors out there?

Smiley, happy people

In a world where such vile things are happening let each of us do an act of kindness

PS: Interview this afternoon and this morning I am writing an essay utilising thematic analysis....no sewing