~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

~Giveaway Results!~

What a busy weekend! I made a another version of this dress  to wear at my friend's 40th birthday party yesterday - sewing the zip in and hemming it about 2 hours before the party! 
It's also time for Giveaway results...Many thanks to all the new followers and lovely comments; I've enjoyed a bit of blog-hopping to visit you this week too!
I numbered comments 1-31, then added 32- 44 for those who had made an additional bloggy link. then I used a Random Number Generator.

The winner of the Giveaway is...

Number 9 - Amanda from Crafty in the Med blog.

Well done!

Please email me your address and I will post the goodies to you in sunny Spain

Thanks again x 

Sally

~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!

~Stall Photos from Rivers Meet Market~

Stacy @Sostacysews and Lexie @secretthimble and I have had a lovely day at Rivers Meet Market in May. We were pretty quick at setting up our 3-in-1 pop-up shop - all ready with 30 minutes to spare for our flasks of coffee and jubilee chocolate brownies...
I aimed for a red, white and blue theme including some jubilee union jack bunting on the gazebo.

Best-sellers of the day for me were candles, vintage fabric, brooches, vintage knitting patterns and bric-a-brac. Unfortunately my tea cosy, mug warmers, pincushion and bunny didn't sell...

Below - some of Lexie's cushions made from repurposed coffee sacks and embroidery hoops - available on www.etsy.com/shop/secretthimble

Some of Stacy's lovely bags (right of photo) and she had lots of cross-stitched badges and cards that will shortly be for sale at Vintage Rose in Selby, North Yorkshire       http://www.vintageroseselby.co.uk/

It's a shame the warm sun didn't show it's face but thankfully it didn't rain!

~The Caravan~

Well, after a hectic weekend, Chateau H is parked on the drive! As novice caravan-towers, the way back from Bridlington was a white-knuckle ride to say the least, following (very) basic skills gleaned via YouTube and Caravan Club leaflets.  The caravan is actually very light as caravans go so it shouldn't be too difficult...
I spent yesterday afternoon blitzing it clean inside.  It's already a WIP - can you spot a bit of bunting in the back window?

My brain is now filled with thoughts of jockey wheels, leisure batteries, motor movers and how to empty the Thetford cassette toilet. Lots of exciting stuff to learn, hehe...
Son J and I slept out in it last night on the driveway. The ultimate staycation or what?

This is the bunting I've made a start on - lots of favourite vintage fabric scraps, including a 1970s pillowcase and some embroidered doilies...

Here's a peek of the dress I bought at the Festival of Vintage in York last week.  I'm still in the process of carefully mending some of the seams as it's quite worn in places. It's a stiff pure cotton fabric and I love the colours, the roses and the French newspaper and music design...

It wasn't a thrifty purchase I have to say, but I will treasure it, keep it forever, and, most importantly, wear it!

~Time for Tea - Feb event~

Yesterday's afternoon tea theme was Berries, Cherries and love, in honour of Valentine's Day. 6 ladies (and one baby nephew) sat down to tea at 2pm, following a welcome drink of homemade pink lemonade.

The table theme was red, with gingham and roses cloths, matching vintage china and table gifts of mini-heart candles. Have used a photo of the table setting for my new header - I used L's swanky camera and did a bit of editing with special effects. Her camera is tons better than mine!

I was ably assisted by daughter L and best friend J in the tea-making and serving of the cakey delights...

I made some mini-bunting for the cherry and almond cake.  The double choc brownies with macadamia nuts were lovely.  My favourites were the homemade jammie dodgers, which turned out really well and were yummy. I added some custard powder to the mix, which made them a lovely yellow colour.  I sieved homemade raspberry jam for the filling.

Next event is in March, with a Spring themed menu (yet to be decided on!).
Some of my guests brought me a thoughtful gift of rhubarb from the Rhubarb Festival in Wakefield, which Anne at Marmalade and Catmint posted about yesterday. A bunch of Oldroyd's rhubarb tied with green ribbon - more attractive and delicious than flowers I think!

I'll be making a crumble with it on Monday morning. Thankfully I've got a day off on Monday to catch up with domestic stuff that has accumulated over the last busy week.

~Vintage Fair at Rivers Meet Craft Cafe~

Bbbrrr, it's been a cold weekend here in Yorkshire, the snow has lingered due to the low temperatures.  It was minus 5 on my garden thermometer yesterday morning - and I have to confess I stayed in my PJs and watched a dramatisation of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca starring Charles Dance & Emilia Fox.  I hardly ever do that, so it was a nice treat.
 I loved the feathery ice pattern on the conservatory window on Saturday morning...

Today I went along with Anne from Marmalade & Catmint, and my lovely Mum,  to a Valentine Craft & Vintage Fair here...

Rivers Meet Craft Cafe in Methley, near Leeds.   I remember this building as a pub a few years ago - it was given a new lease of life as a craft and foodie haven when it was reopened by Joanne and Richard as Rivers Meet in Autumn 2011.  It's open 7 days a week for food, and the in-house craft shop has some fantastic fabrics and beads too. There are also sewing, quilting and other craft classes, along with a book group. See other blogs here and here for foodie reviews and more lovely photos of this unique place, which, judging by today's busy cafe, is obviously a very popular hub of the community.

I caught up with Margaret again from Ready Planted  (@MaggyAnne on Twitter) whose stall looked very pretty and Spring-like.  I bought some Hellebores and Mum treated me to my first daffodils of the year at 50p a bunch.

Margaret's son paints the bespoke signs, they really are the nicest I've come across - his contact details are on the sign on the right under 'For Quotes and Orders' ...I'm looking forward to welcoming Margaret to my March afternoon tea event too.

A cup of tea and a slice of cake on pretty vintage china in the cafe ...

Now to more purchases...

Some East of India ribbon and labels from Chicken Shed Gifts who also have an online shop. 

  Some more ribbons and a handmade ditsy corsage from Twisted Vintage, who open their shop in Whitwood, Castleford, next month.

This cute wooden mini bunting from Twisted Vintage...

A couple of fat quarters of this pretty faux patchwork cotton lawn.  I might recover my piano (sewing) stool with this during half-term...Anne bought some fat quarters too, I'm sure she will post about them too - we both had cameras in-hand to take some snaps!

I may be back there for a half-term breakfast treat with the kids this week!

~Snowy Yorkshire~

There's a decent fall of snow outside so thought I would show a couple of photos as I've enjoyed snowy pics on other blogs today.  Small Dog loved the snow last night and ran excitedly in and out of the back door chasing snowballs. He's a bit more tentative today...

and has refused point blank to go for a walk, despite wearing his anorak, as the snow in the street is chest-level for him. Brrrrr! The view from my sewing room is this...

...it could almost be a Swiss mountain chalet, but it's actually in Yorkshire. This chalet-type building used to be a Farm Shop/ Greengrocers when I was a teenager. When we moved in 5 years ago, it was selling French brocante and vintage goodies, which was really lovely, but it's closed now. The snow-covered yard is used for caravan storage.  It wouldn't be everyone's favourite view, but I adore the vintage (1960s?) green static caravan. I'd love to move it into my garden and deck it out with curtains and bunting in green and pink roses fabric...
I've got some sewing finished this afternoon.  A small log cabin cushion for my nephew J, who will be 6 tomorrow.

His bedroom is CK Cowboys, so I hope it will fit in well.  I used fabric and buttons I had in already.

I also made this bunting for my cousin's baby daughter E, using the Laura Ashley trellis fabric I used in the previous log cabin panel, vintage pink wool fabric applique letters, and mini suffolk puffs in scraps of a Robyn Pandolph fabric, plus a couple of vintage buttons.

I need to post this off to Chester tomorrow, along with some other eBay parcels as I've sold a few vintage bits and bobs this week.
Now it's time for some stew with homemade bread rolls...

Hope you're warm and cosy wherever you are!

~Mini Bunting Giveaway~

Hope you're all having an enjoyable Bank Holiday. I've been pottering a lot this week, no big projects or achievements, just little ones like this mini-bunting. Ideal for a shelf or to decorate a cake stand, hostess trolley,doorway or bedhead...
Made from recycled doilies, vintage linens and Laura Ashley fabric scraps.

If you'd like it,  just leave me a comment below before 10pm tonight and I'll draw the winner out of a hat (or a teapot probably!). I'll post the winner tomorrow morning, and then pop the bunting in the first class post to you!
x Lavender Attic

~Simple pleasures - bunting~

I don't know about you but our pantry door is opened and closed so much we could do with a revolving one! I spend a lot of time in and out of it, so I thought it deserved to be prettied-up a bit, so while my cake was in the oven I made some mini-bunting from fabric scraps.

                     
 Probably should have done the ironing, but never mind! 

~Doiley and fabric scrap bunting~

Another way to upcycle holey, stained and worn doilies is to make bunting with them. I don't throw any fabric away; even teensy-tiny scraps are squirreled in my scrap bag ( a very large underbed-type zipped bag bulging at the seams). Very useful for patchwork, bunting, and daughter's textile GCSE and A level mood boards! I made 3.5 metres of bunting with a pink/red/green flowers theme today, adding a few pennants made from an old embroidered tablecloth.

My quick way for one-sided pattern bunting is;

•  use a paper template and cut neat triangles from plain linen or lining fabric
•  pin these to the patterned fabric
•  sew 1cm from the edges
•  trim it neat and close to the stitching. I like the raw edges on large bunting.
•  fold some 2cm wide tape/ribbon in half and iron it
•  machine stitch the pennants within the tape

If you stand still too long in this house you get a coat of paint or trimmed-up with bunting or fairy lights; so it's best to keep moving!

~Saturday's festival~

On Saturday I had a little stall at a local festival - I think it looked quite pretty...

nice bric-a-brac, homemade teacup candles, chutney, cake, cushions, vintage knitting patterns, textiles, handbags and scarves. Including some cake stands I made from vintage china and glasses from an idea spotted in a magazine...

...the weather was rainy to start off with; but when the sun came out it was glorious. My lovely friends from Hello Lola and Sugar Pie Lemon Drop were there too and we drank lots of Yorkshire Tea from
 Little 'Urn (and the odd glass of Pimms!)

~Birthday Weekend~

We had a family garden party at the weekend to celebrate my husband and daughter's birthday.  My little girl is 16 today, 4th July, and I'm wondering how that went by so quickly.  I am so proud of how she has grown up into such a gorgeous girl and I'm hoping she has a fantastic time at her Prom tomorrow night here at this country house hotel,which is also where my Dad was born when it was a Maternity Hospital after the war.

~Emily's Tea Party~

My Mum and I had a lovely couple of hours yesterday at a Vintage Tea Party for Emily's 21st birthday.
The homemade cakes were delicious, so many to choose from - carrot cake, blueberry and lime drizzle cake, simnel cake, cupcakes... I opted for the chocolate and beetroot cake and a generous slice of the creamiest custard tart I have ever tasted (it's on the right of the photo)

The attention to detail was lovely; beautiful vintage china and bunting and a gorgeous Cath Kidston-esque polka dot 2-tier birthday cake, decorated with strawberries.

I really like this cup and saucer in my favourite shade of green.

Thankyou Em, we had a lovely time, and Happy Birthday!