Fabulous vintage fabric and homegrown goodness...

Firstly thank you for your kind comments to get well from the dreaded flu lurgy... still a bit congested 10 days on but so much better..

Anyway onto cotton vintage fabric finds...

I had a bad vintage eBay experience recently which left me £5 out of pocket with no fabric and feeling ... well a tad pissed off so I'm so pleased that the fabric I won this week has all been fabulous...

I had entended to cover this bit of foam for a seat for Maud, but as lovely as this fabric is it is also very soft and I'm not sure it will wear well... so am having a rethink...

There is enough to make a bottom and back cuison, I wondered if I sew a heavier twill type fabric behind it would that help??

Any thoughts??

I thought some recycled dark unstretchy Denim...


I love it.... and it would work a treat visually but I would be very sad if it just ripped!


Then....

I won a few small bits, below is my favourite...

Then I found and to my surprise came home to find I'd won this beautiful piece of Rapsodi Boras cotton... which I am in awe of... it only arrived this morning.... Mmmmmm

I'm very, very happy with all the vintage fabric I've got for my £25 of Paypal credit...






















Meanwhile a quick visit up to the allotment yesterday

- to pick leaves, herbs and flowers for salads,

- to pick side shoots off tomatoes and tie them to stakes,

- to feed toms / courgettes / cucumbers / squashes with lovely smelly comfrey and nettle water 1:10

  I make this regularly throughout the growing season storing it in old containers...
  I wait till the plants start producing fruit and then feed every fortnight or so.

- cut the first courgettes of this season,

- picked some strawberries,

- picked some more gooseberries

I have a friend joining me up there later today so we will be lifting some salad spuds...
so new spuds for tea!!


Hope you too are eating the fruit of your labours... and are having a lovely weekend...


Smiles Cass x

I have been very patient... I really have...

But now please welcome My little van...  Maud

Yes I really did want a turquoise van!! no boring white for me...

Old she maybe but she is also bright and cheerful... and I will be able to find her easily in a crowd... hooray!!

I couldn't afford a VW T4 or T5 so have gone for the Mercedes Vito... she is an automatic 12 year old, no frills of electric windows etc, with 3 seats up the front...

Currently she has a dual passenger seat, but I am considering swapping that unit for a single so I can put a swivel on it which will allow me to get into the back... without anyone knowing to have a rest.

I saved up for 2 years, sold stuff and had some help from my parents then two months ago I took the plunge and bought this van... it was then sent to a chap called Clive to interprete my designs for the insides and put in a roof vent...

I finally got her back a week ago....

She will allow me to have a mobile bed and that is what I need to lead a more normal life....

A single bed frame, that can be shorten at one end and made into a seat at the other, was made from an unwanted double futon frame...

The two thermal window covers were bought from SW Campers and are fantastic... blocking out the light when i want to rest and easily removed when they are not needed..

I made one curtain to cover the shelves, gas bottle and water container... access is from the sliding door behind...

and found hooks to hang this one I made years ago... I think I may put some applique on it in time but for now it is fine...

The pod has my little cooker and tap out of my old sprite caravan...

I've had a roof vent put in, that has a useful mossie screen too... but that is leaking at the mo...

With sliders the table can be used in two positions, I'm still waiting for one slider which is why the table is a tad wonky in the photo below.

There is plenty of storage under the bed...

I've done a fab swap with the lovely Amanda at http://vintagesheetaddict.blogspot.co.uk   for some vintage fabric and wallpaper...

I will be attempting to make a cotton duvet cover from an old white sheet with some patchwork or applique from the fabric below...

And soon some funky wallpaper will be lining the shelves of the pod too...

Other retro things I've found for the van are...

this lovely tray

I was thrilled when I found this slim line cold box in aqua for £4 and finally one of my crochet blankets, not made by me but by a lovely elderly lady way back in the 50's...

It has seen better days (haven't we all)  but it is perfect for the van... I've been busy sewing up all the holes...


I've gone for a retro scandinavian feel, can you tell??

We have a few more problems to overcome but...

So there we are my little van...

I will be sorry to see my little old faithful golf go on Friday but I can not afford or indeed need two vehicles so I embrace this change and hope it does indeed open up my world again...

Till next time I send you all smiles Cass x

One year older and more for my fabric stash...

So how are we all coping??
Not so cold here today... but very grey...


A Fab Fabric bundle arrived on thursday from the lovely Rachel of http://myrainbowvintagehome.blogspot.co.uk
Do you remember we had a swap I made her a pendant... well in return I got these beauties!!

It was my birthaday on Saturday, not had a birthday over a weekend for ages..

I popped into a new little handmade fair thing and found a rather nice green cashmere sweater for £10 then off to a vintage stall just down the road, where a lovely lady called Penny sells her wares, I like to drop by to see what new bits and bobs she has... buttons, lace fabric and this time also came home with a petticoat. I've been on the look out for one for ages... with a little tweak ( undoing a couple of darts) it fits hooray!!

Penny also runs sewing workshops... I hope she runs another very soon...


Then on Sunday I invited friends round for a play and make with tea and cake afternoon... 19 of us squeezed into my tiny home, too cold to be outside but fun was had by all ages from 9-75 and lots of tea and cakes were consumed... I taught one friend to crochet and another to sew her first corsage...
As I went straight to bed when everyone had gone, at 7pm, I didn't get a chance to open my lovely gifts till the following morning...



















This book... I loved this series!

Some fabulous Honey!






















A beautiful pot from Peter and Karen... made by Peter you can find him here 




























and to be totally honest I am still recovering from opening this box!!



I was a very lucky girl because these are just a few, so much more and I was surrounded by flowers too.


Then this morning some beautiful fabric arrived... a large single curtain 45"x72" I found on eBay...

I love it but again need some help to identify what it is... any ideas??
I may turn it into a tunic...


As for me I'm shattered still recovering from Sunday but in a happy warm sort of way... I'm aching to sew but know I am just too tired so it will just have to wait...

Till next time... get your thermals on there's another big chill a coming... apparently...
Smiles Cass x

Vintage Fabric...

Oh My.....


Look what the postman has just delivered...

No borders...            

47inches x 200inches of Joy...


I love it!!
No real idea how old or its heritage do you??

And
For the first time in months I'm fit enough to pop down to the local church craft club... an alternate thurs afternoon group for £1... today making felt doorstops... there is also a very talented group of ladies that form a quilting group I hoping to gain some advise on feet for my cub 4 sewing machine... I really want to give free style machine embroidery a go but am being given conflicting advice...

Anyway I'm off for a little lie down before a bit of community crafting!

And the sun has come out...

Till next time smiles Cass x


Update

I thought it looked Boras like but didn't dare say... as it wasn't very expensive & I found it on eBay
But The design is called Ekero and it was designed by Saini Salonen... It's from the 1960s...
Thanks Rachel from Rainbow Village Home

Vintage Fabric Finds and latest Necklace Make...

So another rainy grey day here but brighten up by these Anemones...

Aren't they just Beautiful, Anemones always remind me of my sweet Great Grandma...


I thought I'd share some of my recent fabric finds ...

This was a purchase from eBay... I love the colours and design, 2.5 meters so even big enough to make a dress or tunic so I bid a bit more because it was cotton... sadly on arrival  the label said 50/ 50 cotton/poly made in Holland... I still love it but not sure about the dress idea... I over heat in Poly mixes so only buy 100% cotton nowadays...

Some smaller half meter Cotton bits...

And...

I've succumbed... I just can not cope with dampness in here anymore it can take three days for bedding to dry in here... so I've been taking it to dry at the launderette... whilst I visit the 3 charity shops in the same street...


And today I found this Fabulous Cotton Pinny from good old St Michaels, so much brighter than it appears here, it has the sweetest pocket! Found during the 15 mins dash whilst my bedding went round and round the dryer in the Launderette...

I've finished another pair of Gloves and yes this time with a gusset...

The is pattern below... I added some purl rows and double ribbing for added interest..

And finally I am pleased to report that the lovely Rachel                                              (http://myrainbowvintagehome.blogspot.co.uk) loves the pendant I made for her...

Tomorrow some sewing!!


Till next time smiles Cass x