~Half-term catch-up~

It's half-term, which means time off work for me to catch up on stuff at home. 'Stuff' being household jobs like dripping taps, leaking radiators, overgrown garden needing putting to bed and an ironing pile the size of York Minster - you know the score. Plus household appliances going *kaput* all at the same time.

I am now also on a mission to make as many gifts as possible for Christmas, in the name of much-needed thrift, but also in the name of being grateful for all that we do have. We do not need big and unnecessary material spending - just time and a smidgin of love.
So, do you remember this pile of wool bought at a local car boot sale?...

Well, I taught myself to knit in the round using 2 sets of flexible needles in the Summer.  It was fiddly at first, but just remember  to use 1 set at a time - one is your working set and one is your sleeping set.  Detailed and excellent instruction to be found in this book by Loani Pryor...
Once again I am knitting wristwarmers; but these little beauties require no sewing up.

1 working set, 1 sleeping set - half the stitches on each set

A finished pair of these lovely wristwarmers finished

off with some vintage buttons...

The pattern for these wristwarmers is a lovely one found via Julie at Little Cotton Rabbits here
See you soon, keep warm x

~Shopping Event~

Tonight I'm selling my wares at an open house shopping event in York hosted by my friend Jo,
of Hello Lola

As well as a range of seasonal frangranced  St Eval Candles ...

Image from
www.stevalcandlecompany.co.uk

Lubylu rainbow candles ...

Image from www.lubylu.com

and handmade Zesty Soap...

 I'm taking a bit of vintage and handmade stuff too.  Including these cushions I've made this week...

I used the Vintage Caravan fabric with a 1970s vintage floral pillowcase, and a wool tweed fabric and wooden buttons on the reverse...

Also this little bunting cushion...

I'm hoping in the coming weeks that I will open a proper online shop on my blog too.
Have a lovely weekend! x

~Seaside Tea Towel Cushion~

In this month's Coast magazine there was a crafty tutorial about using souvenir tea towels to make cushions, bags and aprons, see here for more about it.

Photo reproduced from
http://fabricnationadventures.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/coast.html

I had a vintage teatowel from Cornwall (bought in a Falmouth charity shop last year) so have had a couple of hours sewing this afternoon, after finding some suitable ticking fabric and pom-pom trim in my cupboard.

Cushion front

Cushion back

Hope you've all had a good weekend x

~Vintage Caravan fabric~

I'm so excited that my Spoonflower fabric has arrived! It's so cheery to come home from work to an unexpected parcel, even more so when Small Dog has resisted the urge to eat it as he does most letters.
Sally from Poppycock & Other Creative Nonsense wrote about her Vintage Caravan fabric samples from Spoonflower here and I popped straight over for a look.  I hadn't heard of Spoonflower before but highly recommend the service I received. I paid $18 for a yard of 42 inch wide fabric, plus $7 postage from the USA, and thankfully I didn't get stung with any additional customs charges. Yay! Here's my fabric prettily wrapped in tissue...

...and here is the fabric close-up.  I chose the brown background as I'm imagining using it as cushion front panels with natural linen/wool/tweed and mother of pearl button fastening on the reverse...

I see something different each time I look at it; fabulous ditsy prints, 1970s floral patterns and even more fabulous vintage caravan shapes that make me smile. Caravan ♥ Love is a beautiful thing!

~Charity Shop Find and Tea!~

I know all us thrifty types have had a moan about charity shops that have had a retail make-over (usually involves installation of laminate flooring and a dubious 'vintage' rail) with their bizarre pricing structure and lack of real bargains.  However, in my usual *glass half full* way, I don't believe they're all the same; I have discovered the best finds are found in independent, local charity shops.  My latest thrifty find was from one such place, which I will share so long as you keep it quiet!
'It's Donated' is an independent charity shop that is absolutely packed full of treasures and well worth a visit if you're in York.  It's in 'The Groves' a residential area near St. John's Uni and the Hospital.  I think it's closed on Wednesdays.

Image from www.192.com

It's Donated, Lowther Street, York, North Yorkshire YO31 7NB

  01904 689689 

 I bought a book, a vintage piece of children's fabric and this  Bodum Assam Tea Press, in great condition, £2...I'm so pleased as new ones cost £24.

At my Macmillan event my friend S bought me this loose leaf tea from a gorgeous shop in London...
So tonight I'll try my  lovely Earl Grey Blue Flower tea from Camellia Sinensis www.camelliasteahouse.com which is a tea room and retail shop off Carnaby Street.
S is a very accomplished lace-maker, crocheter (is that a word?) and knitter.  Here is one of two tea cosies she donated to my Macmillan raffle...

Tea cosy expertly knitted by friend S. which was a raffle prize at my
Macmillan coffee morning - sadly I didn't win *sob*

(Oooh and another couple of good charity shops in York are the RSPCA one in Gillygate and the Salvation Army one on the corner of Gillygate, opposite Lord Mayor's walk...)
Back soon hopefully, as life is a bit manic,
Take care x