~Recent projects~

This piece of vintage dress fabric from the local village charity shop for £1...

(A decent piece, about 3 yards long and gorgeous quality)
...Has been turned into this...

A vintage- inspired pretty dress! It fits really well, so I'll be making it in a few different fabrics.  I'd forgotten how much I loved dressmaking - I had my first sewing machine and made my own clothes from about age 14.  (How I remember the black cotton floor-length trenchcoat I made myself in 6th Form!) Anyway, I'm back on track, and have finally mastered a neat, covered and shaped side zip - yay!
I used this New Look Pattern which is really really easy.

As well as selling my homewares and vintage treasures locally, I have decided to have some items available via my blog.  This recently completed Rose tea cosy is for sale if you click on the 'Shop' tab in my menu bar.  I'll add selected items on a regular basis, some vintage treasures and some handmade items.

I used Louisa Harding Fleuris wool for the body, with oddments of cashmerino and double knitting for the roses and petals. Hope you like it!

~Keep Calm and have a Giveaway~

It's anything but calm at the minute in my daily life and I'm sorry to say regular blogging has been a casualty. I have got a few finished projects and ones in the pipeline to share later this week,  but firstly I'd intended to have a 1st Bloggiversary back in early June, so here it is now...

♥ A canvas bag from the famous Yorkshire Betty's tearooms
♥ St Eval Orange & Cinnamon tealights
♥Keep Calm and Carry On magnet
♥Lavender Attic bunting made from Cath Kidston fabrics

I'm happy to post anywhere in the world so as many people as possible can enter..
 In order to join in please become a follower and leave me a comment below before midday on 1st July.
 For an extra entry, please cut and paste the giveaway photo as a linky on your blog, and let me know you've done this.
Good luck everyone!

~York Minster Trip~

As part of her A level Textiles, daughter L is currently looking at the 800 celebrations in York (1212 - 2012) and has chosen to explore stained glass patterns, so on a (very) rainy Saturday morning we tootled off into York. Not living more than 45 minutes from York for all of my 42 years,  I am ashamed to admit I have never been in the Minster before, so I was quite excited...
  An entry fee has been payable for the last few years (although free to York residents).  This caused a bit of a hoo-ha when it was introduced as previously it was free to look around.  After visiting you do realise the enormous amount of renovation and upkeep that is ongoing (currently the Great East Window is removed for years of releading and cleaning) and I think £9 to visit the Minster and Chapter House was more than worth it.  We took advantage of one of the free guided tours, in a small group of 6, with one of the knowlegeable volunteer Minster guides.  This was brilliant for L, with lots of history, facts, figures and explanations about the stained glass windows...

                                           

                                                     The Great West Window known as 'Heart of Yorkshire'
                                       with the Semaphore Saints below

The Rose Window above the South Door
commemorating the union of York and Lancaster
and the start of the Tudor dynasty

Our 2 hour visit was also accompanied by the beautiful rehearsal of a choir and concert orchestra as there was  a Jubilee concert on Saturday night.

What a fantastic experience and very calming and uplifting it was too!

When we were soaked and in need of a hot chocolate we visited a little cafe behind the Minster on College Street; The Vanilla Cafe, where you can sit outside in Summer (haha if only) The sideways rain forced us inside - it's one of those places where you walk in and think 'oooh I wish this shop was mine!'

Illy coffee and Crystal teabags, homemade food and cakes, homemade cards, bunting and gifts...

Gorgeously decorated with floral wallpapers and green paint...

Vintage china for sale...

Even the loo had my favourite Cath Kidston wallpaper!

Good prices for a City Centre cafe too- there are a couple of additional rooms upstairs too with a sofa and lovely vintage floral pictures on the walls. Very nicely done. I will be back!

The Vanilla Cafe

Open every day from 10am

12 College Street

York YO1 7JF

~Simple Pleasures of the week~

Nearly the end of the school hols - I've been busy this week running here and there, at times feeling guilty for not achieving many of the jobs on my 'to do' list, but I have had a good Spring Clean and cupboard sort out.  The last few days I've been reminding myself to be realistic and take one step at a time and reflect on what I have achieved; whilst also taking time to enjoy small things...

Simple pleasures of the week...

Red toe nails...

Polka Dot flip-flops £1.50 Primark

My feet are smart even if I have gardeners hands! 

Updating son J's bedroom to be more grown-up...

Cushion made from Ikea teatowel 2 for £1.99

There's been some sewing time...

Vintage fabric cushions on the go...

Making a cushion for my daughter's friend who is moving to Scotland in 2 weeks...

Floral front

Wool plaid back

Flowers picked from the garden...

Foxgloves in the garden...

...and quality time and laughs with friends and family over the Jubilee celebrations, involving a glass or two of this...

Thanks to everyone for their comments on my last post about the caravan trip - Carol pointed me in the direction of Lucy at Attic24 with her 'Connievan' revamp which was lovely to read -  and reassuring that there are others out there like me who love lots of crochet and chintz in their caravan! Oh, and my wrist is much better thanks - a bit *pins and needlesy* but otherwise okay. We didn't get away this weekend due to the rainy and windy miserable weather, also daughter L is out in York for a meal tonight and I didn't want to be away...

~Caravan Trip~

We've had our first caravan jaunt to try everything out - we didn't go far; just 15 minutes down the road to Cawood Park see here, a lakeside park with an indoor pool, very swanky new facilities and a clubhouse. With the benefit of hindsight we should have arrived early afternoon. We arrived later; about 6pm when all the seasoned caravanners had already set up and were sat out in the sun, drinks in hand.  So their evening cabaret entertainment was us newbies making a mess of everything and putting the awning up for the first time!
Lots of things were learned and mistakes made - including a serious painful  twang to my wrist with an elastic bungee rope when I was emptying the waste water when we were packing up. I nearly passed out it was that painful. My left wrist is black and blue...
However, the weather was fantastic all week end...
Everything in the caravan is thrifted, car boot sale finds or what I have been given...

Breakfast in the awning...
Stainless steel teapot £1 Charity Shop, melamine from car boot sale

Lots of the caravans and the vehicles towing them were top of the range - I'm not sure this site was 'for me' and that our old van with it's bunting fitted in - I think I'd like to be somewhere more laid back and less structured.
The temptation of the football in the club proved too much for husband and son - so I enjoyed some wine and a bit of knitting...

Trip number 2 is next weekend, so let's hope we've made all the schoolboy errors already and have an easier time...