Cushy number!

Seemed like ages since I'd written a blog post and now I see that it is! As it's some time since I did a show and tell I thought I'd share some pictures with you.

I noticed when I was plumping my cushions that my random occasional purchases are sitting together very nicely. Not one for having a matching set of anything I have bought cushions when I have found the right fabric or the right price.

There is no theme or colour combination I particularly look for but I do like the old fifties fabrics - barkcloth or linens.

I recently bought a couple at Spitalfields market and was told by the supplier that she buys feather cushion pads from an online source Marrick and Day who happen to be about half the price of John Lewis so I thought I'd share that nougat with you. Speaking of sharing nougat I should also mention to those who asked about lampshade making (previous post) that there is a company called "needcraft.co.uk" who provide everything necessary for making your own lampshades including the flameproof backing for the fabric or paper you choose to use. I managed to find several drum shades at the car boot yesteday that I will be able to transform.

I'm finding it more and more difficult to find lovely old fabrics but do still turn up the odd nugget like the one top right. Note to self - get sewing machine serviced and make your own cushions!
I really like the cushion with the band of fabric with a buckle detail on it.

and the yellow one with the crackle background.

I've had some luck recently finding old packaging - I've been looking for medical packaging as I often find that nurses and doctors collect such things. Anyone remember Electric Lung Mixture No 14?

Also loved the little Dairy Box that I found yesterday - I don't remember this packaging from the first time round so if you do please let me know. The mother of pearl button is just to show you how small the box is.

I've been asked to supply a new vintage shop locally so am busy trying to find new items and today have been asked to find items for a third shop! If you are local and would like to visit feel free to let me know and I'll send you the details.

And now I must prepare my basket of goodies ready for my weekend workshop with Julie Arkell next Sunday...Life's good right now - oh and Niobe's home too! Yay!

Hope life's good for you right now.

Love Wend

Boot style?

When I posted this picture on Flickr a few days ago I was amazed that somebody flagged it as a fave. I realised I haven't shared any pictures of home on my blog. Usually that's because with all my vintage finds it's not often as tidy as it should be. However I have been decorating our snug so some serious clearing has had to be done. The snug is my official name for, as Alan Bennett would say, "the other room"



Very little of what I have matches and that is ok - I like it like that! Rooms are constantly evolving as one new find replaces another. The picture above is my favourite chair - a Laura Ashley firm button back from 20 years ago - shabby but still the most comfy chair I have, and speaking of comfy the throw on the back is a vintage Durham Comfy. The cushion is an Elizabeth Bradley needlepoint which I snapped up at a charity shop. (£100 new on the website so a snip at less than £5, pad included!)



This chair is a 1950s Lloyd Loom in gold. The gold has mellowed over the years and I have several pieces in this colour. This was picked up at auction. The ones in good condition I keep inside, those that have had a bad paint job get relegated to outside. I never paint LLs as I prefer to see their faded worn colours.



This one was also picked up at auction - the back is caned but the seat is sprung and is covered in a very 60s nylon cover which would be great in the right setting - but not here! I have just put the seat in a vintage grain sack. I love that you can see the red stitching across the sack. Niobe bought me the little crocheted sausage dog for my birthday.



The little cabinet to the right of the chair I picked up at the car boot for £4 a couple of weeks ago - it isn't Lloyd Loom but it fits in fine. The one to the left is an old sewing cabinet.



This is my favourite piece of furniture - totally impractical - (how many people do you know who like spending long sitting on a church pew?). Still it fits in with the "useful or beautiful" test so its allowed to stay. It's good for setting off my cushions! I have stuffed a grain sack with a couple of pillows for the seat itself.



My cushions are a mix of vintage ones that I have rescued and put new backs on to stop them disintegrating further, some bought and others I've made myself.



On the hymn book shelf I prop 50s floral (Vernon Ward if I can find them) pictures and books with great covers.



Behind the Lloyd Loom are shelves which have lots of my car boot finds, my Timothy Richards doorways and some of my non-orange Art Deco Myott pieces.



And finally some bits of car boot haberdashery faffed and put in an old glass pot!



You've seen Vintage Style, Bazaar style and Flea Market style. Mine is a mixture of all three with some Car Boot Style thrown in!

Hope you're enjoying the sunshine

Love Wend

Belated Sunday stash

I use the word stash very loosely here. Last Sunday I found this Festival of Britain Programme which I have wanted to see for a while. I swooped on it inelegantly and handed over £1. I was thrilled. If you like vintage adverts - enjoy - if not skip to the end of the post to see my other purchase!









Love seeing all these famous names...







You should be able to see more detail if you click on the picture













Why does this little magazine make me feel good? I wasn't around in 1951. I think it's that life just was so much simpler then than now...(OMG - staring to sound like a grumpy old woman!)



The i picked up this delightfully kitsch tin - on the cusp of turning rusty but maybe I can stop it going further. I love it - it reminds me of the houses of friends whose families had budgies in the 60s and 70s. Price - £1 (I know, some wouldn't give it house room!)





Finally - and not pictured because it's disgusting - I bought a dressform. I've seen lots of these on blogs and love the variety of ways that people use to "dress" them. They all look like substantial pieces (and I know they are way out of my price range.
Mine is made of polystyrene and covered with a silky fabric. Another £1 changed hands. Surely I can cover this in some way to at least make it resemble the real thing? Any ideas? - and don't anyone suggest stamps!

Love Wend

Happy Valentine's day



Seen in London last week - Liberty's window...



Gorgeous roses in the shop at the store's entrance



Had to visit Anthropologie - for research only! (Far far too expensive but eye candy by the bucket load...)



Old pieces of picture frame randomly displayed...



Their variation on the bird box...



and their interpretation of the vintage pinny - lovely colours but not for the hardened thrifter at around £30!

But today's best news - I went to an outdoor car boot after several months away. I just loved having a good old rummage again! Not in the least romantic - but it did make my heart quicken! I'll take some picture of my purchases soon.

Have a good week

Wend

Health warning - seriously self indulgent post

Feel free to ignore this post folks but I need to get something off my chest.

I've been in a corner licking my wounds this week.

I have to apply for a job at the grade below that which I have been doing for the last 18 months. I feel degraded and de-graded and utterly dispensible.

I'm lucky to have a job

I'm lucky to have a job

I'm lucky to have a job

I keep telling myself this. I also keep telling myself that they are lucky to have me.

I've told them I will do the higher grade job for the lower pay - just to hang on to my sanity. And they would like me to do that - but I "still have to apply".

But today I must complete an application form to compete against others on the same team (of 6) as 2 of us will be out of a job.

And why am I doing this on a Sunday? - so that the application doesn't impact on "business as usual".

I wrote that this morning before I thought "No, I must go to an indoor car boot". I hadn't indoor booted before (I'm a March to November outdoor booter!)

And I probably won't do it again. I felt as if I needed scrubbing down with a yard brush afterwards. This was not a nice car boot.

Displacement obviously.

I counted my blankets (Ebay free listing day called) - stopped counting at 25 due to guilt. How many blankets do I need I asked Gorgeous Girl. 6! came the answer - 2 for each bed and 2 to snuggle under. Hmm - double it I thought... And I took pictures ready for listing and comforted myself with images of my eiderdowns.



But the form waited.

What did I buy at the boot? 3 large bags of interesting looking stamps. Those who read this blog know my affinity with stamps.

Came home - ripped bags open.

Only to find I'd been duped into buying bags of first and second class everyday queens head definitive stamps. Marvellous.

Tried to work on form. Failed miserably.

Tried to make a nice meal but it fell off the dish into the back of the oven. Not good.

And still the form waits...

Off to hurl myself on that rather inviting pile of eiderdowns and beat the hell out of them.

Sorry guys - normally don't do the self indulgent thing on my blog but today I needed to. Feel free to give me a cyber kick up the backside.

Hope you had a good weekend

Love Wend