~Encore de Wristwarmers~

This trusted and loved pattern from   Churchmouse Yarns and Teas has made a reappearance, this time to make a birthday present for my best friend's birthday.  Modelled here by daughter L, with her glorious nails - I couldn't subject you to my hands which are those of a scullery maid from Downton Abbey...

Knitted in the round with wooden heart buttons from eBay

Small dog was desperately trying to get in on the action...

"Look how photogenic I am!"

Excuse my bedding flapping on the washing line behind...

Vintage Vicki blogged about the emotional guidance scale earlier this week. It made me realise, apart from 'appreciation' (for life, family and health) on the positive upward spiral, all my current feelings and thoughts are on the downward spiral. Including some not very attractive attributes I have to say.   I hope this accounts for my bloggy absence without too much explanation, but as I keep being told (if I had a pound for each time I would be rich!)...."You will get there..."   

~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!

~Seaside Trip~

We've just come back from 6 days in Chateau H (our caravan) and we have survived intact!
Our first 2 nights we were parked on our friends drive in Filey - a fantastic bungalow holiday home in which the fittings are the late 70s, early 80's intact, for example a brilliant formica kitchen with sliding doors and rose-patterned carpets...I love these glass doors and the display of pottery...

Filey beach - Lovely weather...a few showers but gloriously warm...

I love Swing Boats...

Beach chalets at Filey... I like the colours...available for hire right on
the beach - Baker's Beach Chalets on the Coble Landing. Another nostalgic
 moment, they remind me so much of East Coast holidays with my Nana and Grandad...

The fantastic view of the Vale of Pickering and the Wolds from Lebberston Touring Park...

Then we moved on to Lebberston Touring Park,
a couple of miles outside Filey on the way to
Scarborough - an immaculately run 5* site- highly recommended...

J enjoying a hot chocolate in a melamine mug whilst wearing Dad's essential caravanning hat...

Tired Small Dog gets cosy under blankets in Chateau H...

Imposing 12 foot tall iron Fisherman statue on Filey seafront by artist Ray Lonsdale read about it here

We thought Sterchi's had closed down, but- hurrah!- thay'd just moved round the corner!

Long live Sterchi's and their enormous chocolate drops and Rose and Violet creams!

Beautiful boats at the Coble landing, Filey...

Cocoa in Scarboro' - a retro sweet shop with a fab collection of vintage confectionery ephemera in the window...

My first Wonka Bar (It's my all-time favourite film...)

"I got a Golden Ticket!" (Don't tell me that they're in every bar...)

Love this Fudge Shop display with shelves groaning under the weight of goodies, and the pom-pom shelf trim


Sorry for the sweetie and chocolate emphasis in this post - we did do lots more, I promise...

~Dress reveal & Birthdays~

Thanks to Magie at Teacups & Bunting blog for asking to have a peek at my Dress #2 that I mentioned in my previous post...I'm too shy and dissatisfied with photos of myself actually wearing the dress, but here it is without me in it...

I used some black cotton dress fabric with ditsy pink and grey roses, bought from Boyes for £3.99 a metre, but I actually used the reverse of the fabric for a more faded vintage look.

You can see the brighter fabric inside better here...

...I prefer the faded colours. I wore it with this pretty rose necklace and a thin black belt and patent shoes.  It did look nice I have to say, thanks in no small part to some good solid foundation garments!

It's also Small Dog's 2nd Birthday today...

Bless his little cotton socks.

He is so funny and good company.

Happy Birthday!

~50s Night Prep and spring cleaning~

I've done a bit of Spring cleaning in the kitchen, rejigging the contents of my wall shelves, and the china cabinet as it had all got a bit busy, as it does at times, when you have a bric-a-brac habit. The china cabinet was a Sue Ryder charity shop find last year at £30.  It's quite plain with a bow front and has 2 keys, and glass shelves in good condition.  I painted the fabric back panel in F&B Hardwick White. It houses my teensy glass animals including Bambi at the front, who a friend bought for me as he looks like Small Dog!

Sentimental cup and saucer trios and old glassware...

I've put utility china and 1950s Midwinter pottery on my shelves, including my Nana's dish/ash tray from the Coronation, as we are taking part in a 1950s themed 'Safari Supper' tomorrow night.  This annual Spring event has 16 local couples donning fancy dress and traipsing round the village for themed canapes, starter, mains and dessert at different houses. It's a cheap meal out as you just host one food course -past themes have included Pop Stars and the 1970s, but being a 50s housewife tomorrow night will suit me down to the ground! I'm doing a main course and have got the Brandy & Babycham, Port & Lemon and Crabbies (and some food of course) all ready. I'll take plenty of photos and hopefully post about it on Sunday if I'm up to it!

Again, apologies for not posting much, still feel like a Hamster on a wheel, though I am enjoying reading all your lovely posts the last couple of days.

Just off to finish sewing a petticoat now...  They were too dear to buy online, £40 or £50- so I bought 3 metres of black organza locally for £6. What a nightmare though!

Have a lovely weekend - hopefully the weather will be good for gardening!

~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!

~Log Cabin Panel~

After the last 2 and a half days spent in flannelette pyjamas on the sofa with some virus, I have felt much better this afternoon. Managed to walk the stir crazy Small Dog round the block (I did manage to get dressed first), albeit felt sweaty and tired afterwards though. Have just had an urge to sew, (that feeling that you've lost a couple of days and need to catch up) and have done a first quick attempt at log cabin patchwork.   I knew how to, but have never had a go before. I used a central 7cm square, and 6cm wide strips of ripped fabric strips, following the method in 'Quilting in No Time' by Emma Hardy.

You'll see some favourite fabrics here from my stash, a vintage paisley eiderdown fabric, some Cath Kidston, Ikea Rosali Spots and  Laura Ashley. I'm still sticking to my 2012 intention of using what I already have. This literally took half an hour - how fantastically quick compared to paper piecing hexagons and hand stitching. Not sure I got the repeat right - should it be random or ordered? -  I couldn't decide...

~Onwards and Forwards~

The wind is howling and it's raining sidewards - weather my Nana would have described as 'filthy' - so J and I have not ventured out at all.  Yesterday was a different day completely - winter sun, cold, but not too chilly for a nice walk.  We went to nearby Temple Newsam - a Capability Brown-designed 18th century estate now owned by Leeds City Council. All four of us and Small Dog had a lovely walk through the muddy grounds and then on up to the house...

This photo spurs me on to lose some weight and get back cycling as my bum is beginning to slide down the back of my legs!

We took the tree and decorations down yesterday too as I'm back at work on Wednesday.
OH returned to work this morning, and daughter L went back to 6th Form college.  I did get up with them but then couldn't resist sneaking back to bed with a mug of tea and my February Country Life, which arrived this morning.  I was soon joined by J for a chat and a snuggle under the duvet. J's Primary School are not back until next Monday...
Sorry for the late post as my PC screen is playing up and other blogs haven't been loading properly, so I'm only just getting going and catching up with everyone else's news. Happy New Year to you all, and I do hope we all have a happy and healthy 2012. Blogging has been a therapeutic process for me so far and I hope it will continue to keep me cheery through my usual miserable months of January and February...
I am determined to keep the mantra 'onwards and forwards' in my head for the coming weeks. 

~York Shopping & Cath Kidston treat~

Gosh it's cold this weekend. No snow here yet though; just a keen frost. Small Dog has needed his cosy jumper, even in the house...

I've treated myself to some new fleece welly liners from Seasalt - my favourite shop when I'm in Cornwall.

They were half price in the pre-Christmas sale - £7.50, free P&P and I got a free jute bag too. Free P&P is on until midday tomorrow (Monday 19th December) which is last chance to order for Christmas. My Festival Hunters are now 4 years old and have scrubbed up well for another year.  They've withstood allotment digging and are so comfy, even on long walks.

Yesterday we ventured into a twinkly and Christmassy York at 4pm - daughter L was at work and son J was at a party/sleepover - so it was just us two which is rare! We had some hot fruit punch from a street stall and wandered round the pretty streets ...



Minster Yard/Low Petergate,  York

...managing a decent stop-off in Cath Kidston in Stonegate, where OH treated me to this beauty...



Cath Kidston Carryall Bag - Stone Country Rose

It's a shopper, but big enough to use as an overnight bag. I love their pretty Christmas paper bags too.

Off now to do a bit of wrapping!