IM NOT ALL CAR BOOTS AND COLLECTIBLES.....

Though if you have read my posts just lately you would think that I was...

No my first love and the one I return to again and again is sewing...and not just cushions and bunting and needlecases but what I really love........dressmaking.

It all started many years ago, no doubt encouraged by a mother who made just about all my clothes, by hand, and I mean by hand as she never owned a sewing machine. But at the time like most kids I didn't appreciate it and especially as I reached my teenage years in the '60s'.

Twiggy, mods and rockers, (I was a mod..DH a rocker !!) Mary Quant, and so needless to say, to a trendy teenager, mum's best 'homemade' didn't really cut it.  It's funny to read though years later how Twiggy herself with all her fame made many of her own clothes and still does!

Well I was fortunate enough to meet a girl just as we started High school who also had an interest in fashion and like me no cash to splash....and her mum had a sewing machine!  And no that wasn't why I became her friend...and still am to this day, meeting every Wednesday evening for our own version of 'stitch and bitch'. Usually one of us sews and the other bitches about the rubbish on the tele.

Anyway we started by making simple skirts and gradually copied all the latest trends by either starting from scratch or remaking something we already had.

Oh we weren't brilliant by any means and I dread to think now what the finishing was like, but it worked, we enjoyed it and the seed was sown.

So many years on I still feel the need to sew. Sometimes because I just can't find anything that fits properly, sometimes because what I see in the shops is so shoddy for the price they're asking and sometimes just because I've found the perfect fabric.

Well the urge is upon me again. Having spent a few months doing swaps and giveaways I wanted a complete change so out came the patterns.

Well it is almost summer...and we have had some sun!

Over the years I have bought many patterns, but because I nearly always have to adjust them, I find I buy ones now with more than one option so that I can use it several times without appearing to always wear the same thing.  I am the classic English pear shape.....if you turn me on my head!! 

I found this natural and white spotted fabric in my stash and thought it would be perfect for the straighter style..

Just doing the final fitting and minor adjustments

...Zip gone in Ok (not pressed yet so don't look too closely) and waist seam nicely aligned...

All it needs now is the bodice lining attaching and the hem to be finished and I will show you a picture of the completed article.....and then of course there are the other styles

Fancy this one with a white band round the top, very 50s..

And this one for my holiday in France in September...now I wonder what fabric I should use...

Can you spot a bit of a theme here........ perhaps I'd better look through my stash again........perhaps ditsy roses ....or stripes..Oh no! imagine the problems matching that over my womanly curves!!

Too late to do any more now and so before I really do get spots before my eyes I will have to pack up. I will be back though to show you the result.

Hope you have all had a good weekend

TTFN

Jenny xx

HOW DID IT GET TO BE FRIDAY?.......

Well last time I checked it was Tuesday, which I thought was Monday...and now it's Friday and I just don't know where that week has gone!!

I said last time I posted that I would show my plunder from an intensive 3 days of scouring CBs....

Well.... to start with and apologies to the people of Wetherby who organised it Saturday was an Antique and Collectibles show!!...And as usual, since a good proportion of it was outside ..it rained all day!

We arrived in Wetherby itself about 11.30 and having refreshed ourselves with the obligatory bacon sarnie and cuppa we headed for the town hall where a small collectors fair was being held.

I did get this...

I do love advertising ephemera

Not much else appealed and despite the rain I did get these from the racecourse show

Golden dawn plates by Johnsons..If you're new here I collect the 'dawn' pottery and have just decided to collect all four icecream colours . Will have to get rid of some of the pale blue (called greydawn) to make room.

On Sunday it was the local CB...and the sun shone! But no bargains this time except for a couple of things that are to be surprise pressies so no piccies yet. However on Monday.........A veritable treasure chest..

A pretty box marked 4/- (4 shillings about 40p)

Holding these lovely hand embroidered tray cloths

Some Masons vista...only started collecting this to put red and white pottery on my white dresser. It does look good ........ and I only collect pieces I haven't got now!

A cute little water jug or maybe coffee pot, but a bit small I think!

A lovely rose patterned bottle for my bathroom...even the stopper is decorated..

And finally 2 Sylvac square dishes...such a pretty shade of pink..may not keep these but were too good a bargain to pass by

I did try to but this but I don't think the owner was very keen!

My SIL and I are now debating doing a stall at Lincoln showground at the monthly collectible fair, to have a bit of a clear out, ( only to make room for more of course...!), so if we do I'll let you know in case anyone lives hereabouts and would like to come and say hello.

.....Oh but before I go...

I received this super gift in the post today from Crystal, it was a raffle prize I won after making a donation to cancer research. I was amazed when I received the Email, as I have to admit I didn't even know there was a raffle. I was happy enough to donate anyway, as it is a cause close to my heart.  But thank you to everyone who organised it and especially to Crystal for this wonderful water bottle cover complete with water bottle.  They must have known that I am a real fan in the winter, even filling one and putting it on my lap on the coldest evenings and wrapping myself up in one of my quilts. Ooo heaven!

At least I will be very stylish this winter!!...and in case anyone organising anything for other good causes needs raffle prizes do get in touch as I would be only too happy to oblige. I have received such a mountain of wonderful gifts from so may people I have never met in these last few months that it would be a pleasure to give something back!

Hope your weekend brings you all sunshine even if the weather doesn't.....

TTFN

Jenny xx

IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS.....

'Cos the postman never calls this many times at any other time of the year!

I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and thought of  these lovely bloggers, (and I need another room to display all the lovely stuff I keep receiving)

First of all thank you to Craftysmiles. Aija did a giveaway and sent me these lovely things for being her 10th follower! How nice is that.

A real treasure chest of goodies

A sweet  little book all about pansies, the pictures are great showing how the pansy has been used both for decoration and medecine over the years. Full of interesting facts and hints of how to use them.

A  little leather purse holding this great pendant necklace ( how did she know half my wardrobe is this colour)

Pretty handmade soap

seeds...and I can eat the flowers and use the leaves for tea!

A lovely fat quarter of fabric...umm I can think of a project about to begin....

And last but not least the ever welcome CK.

Thank you thank you Aija, everything is lovely...............

.............

I then received these from Sals Snippets

I am ashamed to say that I didn't even know I had won this. So how surprised was I to receive an email asking me for my address. I do try to read as many posts as possible but sometimes it's just impossible to keep up!

The beautiful little needlecase pocket is adorned with a pretty corsage and a dainty hat pin (perfect for when I get my 40s hat made)

Tucked inside were these gorgeous fabrics..I wish I had several metres of some of them, they would make superb vintage style dresses.....I need to look at Sals site again!!

And then there was this little scented sachet with the most exquisite embroidery..

Thank you very much Sal I am very lucky to receive such pretty things.

And so to both of you I would like to send these roses, some of natures most beautiful treasures for the treasures you have sent me.

Thank you Aija x

Thank you Sal x

Well as I said in my last post I was off to several CBs this weekend, although the one at Wetherby turned out to be an Antique and collectible fair....in the pouring rain....! so I will post some piccies of my finds later in the week.

Enjoy the reast of the weekend, wherever you are

TTFN

Jenny xx

WHATS THIS DOWNSIZING.........?

Well if I keep finding all these wonderful goodies every time I go to a car boot, I am going to need to upsize!! (is that a word ?)

Last Sunday in the scorching heat we went to our regular haunt and it was heaving and for once the goods on offer were well worth checking out. I haven't seen so many stalls there for a long time, in fact there were probably more than I have ever seen. There were the usual hundreds..a slight exaggeration.....of stalls selling baby clothes and toys..I know I would have been thankful for them a few..er..many!! years ago, but this time there were a fair few bordering on vintage/antique stalls. 

Of course we avoided those that were asking antique prices but still found some terrific bargains.

First there was this little card box, not sure if its for whist or bridge! ... but the little tab revolves to show a different card suit  on each corner....in it were these..

A complete Lexicon game, definitely one for the cold winter nights in front of the fire...... umm ..after last weeks soaring temperatures this week feels like winter so perhaps it will get used quicker than I thought!

Ok its only a Readers Digest book, but the content and the pictures are great. Was thinking I might copy some onto printable fabric and make some messenger bags.. and now for the really good stuff...

A beautiful decorated jug

A dish for the tea strainer..(only when I'm being posh though, will normally only hold the used tea bag!)...

This darling little creamer which goes beautifully with the teapot I got recently too!

And finally if you have seen my earlier posts you will see I have a great love of Johnsons 'dawn' pottery from the 1940s-50s, although I believe some was still produced up to the 1970s.  I collected the greydawn, which is a beautiful pale blue, then the greendawn, because it went with my kitchen. Now though my tastes have changed just slightly and I'm  a real fan of mixing and matching, rose prints, ice cream colours. spots and stripes and so I decided to start collecting all the 'dawn' colours which are grey, green, gold and rose.  I will probably cull my greydawn a bit as I have about 200 pieces all told.

So you can imagine my delight when I found these...

a goldendawn gravy boat and saucer and the rose one of these....don't they look great together...

So I'm looking forward to a bright and sunny Bank Holiday as we are off to Wetherby race course on Saturday to the CB there, then a local one here Sunday and the big one at Long Bennington near Newark on Monday...see what I mean

Now do I take bags...or that old shopping trolley or....I know the wheelbarrow!!

Back hopefully, with other treasures to share later.Hope you all have a good week and the weekend you are wishing for..

TTFN

Jenny xx 

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE...THE SEQUEL

Although I do have to admit that like the follow up to a lot of great films its a bit lacking in murder larceny or even plain bigamy, but we enjoyed ourselves just the same.

But before I begin, a great welcome to all my new friends, I do try to visit the blogs of you all but have to admit that I can't physically read all your  posts, but I do have a damn good go!.

I have now posted all my parcels to the giveaway winners and for my Apron swap so hope they arrive safely and that you like what I've sent.......

Big sis and I set off on our little trip to Kent last Tuesday and after a comfortable train journey and free bus travel!.. even in London arrived at our hotel about 3.30pm. We had been in touch with cousins on our dad's side and one of them came to fetch us, took us back to their's for a lovely and most welcome meal and then surprised us by announcing that all our cousins were coming to meet us!  I have only ever met a couple of them and it was great to get to know them a little. Our evening passed so quickly, but I'm sure the neighbours would have been glad of that 'cos the noise must have been quite something.

I do hope they don't mind my including this group picture, I won't name them but I am so thrilled to have met them.

Over the next couple of days, armed with our bus passes we visited all the sites of our mum's early childhood, although the original buildings have long since gone.

We managed to trace granny's grave (mum's mum) and take some flowers, visited our own brother's grave in Strood and obtained lots of useful information to further our search at the Strood archive office.

Lovely pic of Strood with the tide out....

Nothing amazing found so far but a fascinating and well worthwhile trip.......our journey goes on....

As a complete break, although not entirely disconnected, as both our brothers were in the navy, we visited the Chatham Dockyard, and in fact one of our brothers was actually based here.  We only had 3 hours to spare and so saw but a small fraction of the displays. Didn't even get into the museum! However even those with no connection at all would find plenty to amaze and interest them, but it would take a full day to see it all.

The entrance

The three war ships in the dry docks. We went inside the submarine, what an experience that must have been. 69 crew living in little more than cupboards with no baths or showers, for 14 weeks at a time. Talk about cosy. I cannot imagine (or want to) what it would be like!!

PS forget I ever mentioned my sister having any kind of affliction, 'cos I've never seen anyone half her age zip through narrow round hatches like she did. Talk about fearless, she makes you ashamed to ever moan about your lot!

A little interest for the train enthusiasts

A working rope factory where the rope walk is a full quarter of a mile long. They use bicycles to get up and down!

Well we certainly had the weather for our travels, and it has continued right up to today. Sunday the temperature hit 30 degrees here and we went to our local car boot to find the most stalls we have seen for ages. Found some little bargains, but more of that and some piccies later in the week.

I think I have bent your ears for long enough tonight, especially as you have had a rest from my ramblings and so are not quite up to them again.

I will therefore say good night and go and have myself a little read of your blogs, envy your bargains and gasp at your talent before I finally turn in.

TTFN

Jenny xx

AND THE WINNER IS (JUST MADE IT ON THE 17TH OOPS!!)

The draw for the giveaway was made with due ceremony by the gorgeous young Alfie.( aged 3).......and the first name out of the hat, sorry pudding bowl was...............

The lovely........TED AND BUNNY....Congratulations. There were 60 entries and some lovely comments.

And as there were so many I have decided that there should be a reserve..........and that is.....

FIONA of  tizduster

I am sorry for those that didn't win, but I will be having another one idc.

To the winners I am sorry I  won't be able to post your goodies until a week today as I am off to Kent tomorrow tracking down my ancestors again. I have left messages on both your blogs to let me have your details by the time I return at the weekend so I can get your parcels sent off.

Thank you again everyone for your enthusiasm

TTFN

back at the weekend

Jenny XX