It's Award Time!

And it's not just the Oscars I'm talking about!

Well.............what a lovely start to the day!
The sun is shining and I have just found out I've been awarded a Stylish Blogger Award from Becca at Fancy Vintage!

Thank you so much Becca, I am stunned, honoured and thrilled! I'm just sorry that I can't be wearing a posh evening dress to receive the award!

Becca's blog is a real feast for the eyes if you love vintage china and glass! Oh and virtually everything else vintage too!!!

Now, as before with the Liebster Award, there are rules.

1. Thank the one who gave it to you and link to their blog,
2. Tell 8 things about yourself.
3. Give the Award to 8 other blogs

Thanking and linking to the givers site is the first, which I have gratefully and excitedly already done above!

The other rules are to tell 8 things about yourself, and then to pass the award on to another 8 blogs!

OK. So here are 8 things about me that you may not already know, or may not want to know.

I shall try to avoid saying what you may already have gleaned about me from my posts.

***

1. I always wanted to go to art college - I have always created in my life since a child, its the very essence of who I am, and I would have loved to have had a formal training in art and then specialised in textiles. I love textile design and printing,  and one of the things I shall do now we have moved and I have more space, is to start screen printing again.

*

2. I love the sound of church bells ringing - I can hear them now as I type with the window open. On a Wednesday night it is bell ringing practice, and I love to go outside in the dark and listen.

*

3. I love having windows open so I can feel in touch with the outside, hear the birds, smell the scent of the day, whatever the weather.

*

4. I love colour. I have to have colour around me, wherever I go. 

*

5. I love being outside. I love pottering around the garden, working in the garden, sitting in the garden, and I love going for long walks.

*

6. I have a dream about owning my own tea shop/ vintage/art and craft centre/second hand bookshop all in one! - I have dreams of this great place to stop by for a coffee and homemade cake, with big old comfy armchairs around low coffee tables like in a huge living room, with magazines and books lying around and a play corner for children with toys and rugs, bookshelves full of second hand books to browse, read or buy - works of art for sale on the wall - beautiful hand made crafts and accessories by local craftspeople and artists - somewhere where you can hang out informally. Knitting and crochet mornings etc.maybe classes too. It's a dream so I can have what I want! One day maybe!

*

7. I am a qualified Accountant (although not working at the moment as one, yay!) and I hate maths!
*

8. I love cake and I love wine! But not at the same time. And I am not (I hope) a fat alcoholic!

*******

So now that my soul is bared, I shall pass on the award to another 8 bloggers.

This is so hard to do as there are so many wonderful, stylish blogs out there, but my amongst my favourites are:

http://www.cupcakes-and-biscuits.blogspot.com/

http://www.bluebirdnotes.blogspot.com/

http://www.vtcottageliving.blogspot.com/

http://www.cozymadethings.blogspot.com/

http://www.whydidntanyonetellme.blogspot.com/

http://www.cocorosetextiles.blogspot.com/

http://www.helenphilipps.blogspot.com/

http://www.dutchsister-s.blogspot.com/

Congratulations to you all!

Now I have been busy sewing again over the weekend, in between family and pet time, and have finished another cushion.

This one is made from a pair of vintage Laura Ashley curtains, and old Pierre Cardin shirt of hubbys (ssh don't tell him....) some gingham and a beautiful vintage embroidered mat.

I couldnt resist fraying some edges to reveal the lovely colours in the fabric, and added some vintage 70s ric rac along the seam line.

More photos if anyones interested under my "made" page.

Have started on the next one - here's a sneak preview of the front!

These wools keep catching my eye in my sewing room, just love the colours.

Am thinking what I can do with them.

Logan had his first walk yesterday just before it rained - we've had to hold off until a week after his final injection. It was very muddy, which he wasnt too thrilled about, and even though we've practiced in the garden with the lead, there's a bit of training to be done there!

But in the meantime he's had plenty of time rushing round the garden, chasing Bessie sometimes, and I'm getting him used to playing out there with me whilst I garden - we had an hour or so out there together yesterday which he loved!

Hard to get photos as he's rarely still for more than a second!

Hope you had a great weekend!!

Flowers and Cushions

Yesterday here was like spring.

It was warm and a little bit sunny, and managed to get a few photos of whats growing in the garden at the moment.

Lots of purple crocus, primulas of all different shades, snowdrops and a few daffodils out in the front garden which I haven't yet photographed.

Not sure where the iris came from, it was just kind of lying there - I suspect a bird has pecked it and then dropped it, am hoping to see more.

Was pleased to catch the dew in the centre of some of the flowers.

My daughter has gone up to London today, and its left me with a bit of time to sew. 

Yesterday I made the cushion that I posted about a few days ago. In the end I kept it very simple and plain.

For the first cushion using this pale dusky pink linen napkin, I left the front unadorned.

For the back I used that lovely 60's pinky peachy floral design that several people thought might look good. So it looks fresh and cheery on one side, and plain and simple the other so you can appreciate the woven design in the linen.

Then today I've managed to make two more - on a bit of a roll!

The first one I used more of the lovely 60s floral, a small woven napkin, and added a bit of punchiness with some turquoise floral fabric. I used a thick striped woven cotton french style ticking stripe for the bands and the back.

Then I finally found a rather scrappy piece of vintage natural coloured linen cut off the back of an old cushion from the 30s or 40s that I had been searching for, and teamed it with some cheerful french vintage style reproduction fabrics to make a pieced top and bottom.

I used a brownish/mulberryish coloured thick vintage toile for the back, adding a band of red gingham.

I have managed to work out how to add extra tabs or pages to my blog at last, so if anyone is interested there are a few more pictures of these cushions under the made by me tab, and also a few more floral photos under flowers.

This is so I don't bore you with too many photos in my posts, but if you're in the mood for more they are there!!! Also means I can add stuff without necessarily doing a post, cos it seems to take me ages some times to write a post - sometimes it eats too much into my precious family/pet/sewing time!!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful half term if its that time with you, and thanks for all your lovely comments!!! I do enjoy reading them!

As a few people asked, I will post soon about the puppy party which did not really live up to its name - I suspected this would be the case as it was held at the vets!! More soon!!

Have a great weekend!!

Just a few things

The sky this morning

The eBay bedlinen now washed and ready for use in my daughters bedroom.

The soft berry colour of the duvet's background matches her walls almost perfectly.

Last weeks carnations as fresh as ever

And a little puppy looking forward to his first puppy party tonight!!!

Have a great day!!

A day of acquiring

Many Thanks to you all for your lovely and helpful comments on yesterdays post!

 Have now taken a pic of the 60s fabric with the linen napkin and it does look good - many of you liked this combination, so I shall most likely make one of these, and then see what happens with the others. The toile seemed quite popular too, they always look lovely, so again I might try that too.

Yesterday seemed to be a day of acquiring things.

It started with the postman, arms full of parcels - always an exciting sight!!!(The parcels not Paul the Postman - shame on you!)

A couple of parcels full of vintage bedlinen from ebay sellers - now drying in the tumbler, so will show those pretty linens another day.

And then one from Amazon with this little beauty inside!!!!

Now this book has been on my wish list for a while, and I finally treated myself to it, my birthday being a way off yet!

Have only had a very pleasurable dipping of my toes in it as yet, but hope to find time later this afternoon to plunge in deep!

I know I will love it, as it is full of those lovely but expensive french soft, faded antique linens that I would love to have everywhere in my home, together with a load of elegant pale painted French and Scandinavian style furniture.

And believe me, I am working towards it - but slowly.

We also acquired this yesterday.

My daughter has been looking out for a chest of drawers for her bedroom - we rarely do new furniture so she knows the game.

So we trot along to several extremely chilly and cavernous charity warehouses yesterday, and come away rather pleased with ourselves, with a rather fine Waring and Gillow 3 drawer chest, with slightly damaged flame mahogany veneer (I think) and bakelite handles, a nice solid well made piece with a good shape. Probably 1920/30s.

The legs are longer and more elegant than they appear in the photo, there is more to them than appears to be the case!

Note the crochet doily mark!!!

Now that didn't bother us in the shop as we bought it to paint.

BUT we get it home, I look at it a bit more closely and think, it is actually rather a good piece.

I don't like painting decent pieces really.

Then husband comes home and sees it and declares it too good to paint, we need to get it professionally sorted.

So

This will be another piece, like this one

Bought for not very much, originally to be painted, but still in all its brown glory.

Awaiting its fate, to either be restored or painted.

My dream of painted furniture everywhere put on hold again unless I just go for it.

We also acquired this circa 2000 rather comfy feather filled footstool/ottoman for the sitting room, which I'm actually rather pleased with, for twenty quid!

Its in perfect condition, very well made and good quality, and both the feather cushion cover and the base cover can be removed for washing.

And when I tire of the fabric i can recover it!

Ignore the gold walls (if you can!), havent yet had time to decorate this room either!

Sorry there is a lot of brown pics in this post, not a very eye candyish post I'm afraid.

I am needed for games I think, so I must go.

Have a great day!

P.S  Now edited for a bit of Brightness!