Buttons .. Glittery Bits .. and All Thats Random ....!

Hello there ..

thought I would drop you a line ..

My pretty Hellebore's are lasting well .. still flowering their socks off ... 

but its cold and wet ... and dull and dreary here .. a day for huddling indoors ..

 so I attempted to sort the 'button mountain'

I have a heap of button tins that Hubby P has collected from house clearance and what not.

 Its my job to go through them .. nice enough job ..

 just a bit overwhelming when I let the tins stack up.

I sort through the buttons ...a fascinating insight into someones life .. bits and bobs kept from important events .. Uniform buttons .. buttons cut off baby garments .. odd earrings .. the odd wedding favour .. keys .. old brooches ... 

and of course pins .. needles and other sharp bits that I have to remove for safety's sake.

I try and sort them out into various categories .. 

the obviously vintage buttons go in one tin .. these are sought after by people making vintage inspired garments/craft work .. and people who are active in re enactment groups and have costumes .. uniforms and the like .. and they need to 'find an odd missing button' or replace the whole lot of buttons with something similar from the same era.

I also save all the little pretty pearl like buttons .. the sort that are used on Wedding dresses .. lots of people asking for these .. I do think more and more people are trying to re use vintage dresses .. and these little buttons are easily lost in the rough and tumble of life.

The more 'everyday' sort of buttons .. the ones used by the knitters for cardigans and whatnot .. are bagged up (if I can find enough of the same sort to use on a garment ) and these are put in the 50p a bag box.

Cheap and cheerful ... 

I have a lot of ladies who knit for charity so they always have a good rummage to see if there's a bag they could use ..

 How about these .. glittering away like diamonds ...

I found these in a rather grubby bag  .. gave them a good soak in a bowl of soapy water and drained them in the colander.

They are the 'dingle dangles' from an old chandelier .. very pretty .. someone somewhere will be missing a few of these ..

Or .. maybe .. someone will want a few for their craft project.

I must say .. I do meet some interesting people .. just everyday sorts of people doing all sorts of interesting .. exciting  things.

I wanted some nice outdoorsy pic's for you .. but its a bit wet and miserable for that ..

So here are some of last weeks finds .. I took the pic's for eBay.. that was yesterdays job .. listing for eBay ... think I would rather sort buttons

Pretty lot of white linen .. surprisingly I still come across this  ..

 I suppose the nice .. good quality stuff will have been treasured and cared for over the years .. its the more everyday utility items .. like aprons and whatnot .. the things that will have been used until worn out and thrown away .. that are harder to find in good order.

How about this for a pretty label ...

 I know you love a nice old label ..!

 It belongs to this nice old blanket .. so soft .. all mohair .. how unusual is that. 

I'm sure it will look just fine as a throw on the back of someones sofa .. nice to snuggle with.

I thought a Girl deserved a bit of brightness .. so I bought  myself these .. 

rather on the bright and colourful  side .. 

 I just need a respite from the drizzle to venture out and plant them up.

And Hubby P ....?

Well ... not a lot stops Hubby P .... he plays out in the rain ..!

(actually I think he is making pine benches .. tucked away in his workshop)

Been a bit of a random  post today .. but its all a bit random here ..

hope you have enjoyed the pic's and the wittering .....

Take care .. bye for now ....x

Just Peg Bags Today ...

 Hello  there ...

How has your week been ?

Bit of a quiet one here .. work .. as usual ...

 but all rather quiet.

A 'sorting out stock' kinda week ...

I've been going through boxes and suitcases  .. tidying .. and 'moving on' (into the dustbin ) stock that has had its day .. not sold .. become damaged .. 

or simple just out of favour.

Even in the world of antique and vintage there are fads and fancies .. nowadays .. often dictated by the media .. 

Kirsty on the telly .. and whatnot.

And we just have not the space to hold 'dead stock' .. 

until it becomes fashionable again .. most things we move on .. usually its just odds and sods we dispose of so its not too bad.

Anyway .... I promised you Peg Bags ..

Whilst sorting through the linen stock I found some little orphan doilies .. odds and sods .. bits and bats .. 

once part of a set that graced a lady's dressing table .. 

Someone spent many hours .. needle in hand ..

 embroidering these. 

I hate the idea of just throwing them in the dustbin... so I brought a handful home to titivate up some Peg Bags.

As you know its all very 'Make Do and Mend' .. use what you have  .. in this household.

So I cut a rough pattern .. using the brown paper from some old big brown envelopes .. a simple pattern ..

front and back.

And cut two of each (front and back) from some pretty .. again ...

odd unwanted.. unloved pillowslips..

I found some old single wooden coat hangers and Hubby P kindly worked his magic ... 

well .. nothing too magical about it really .. 

he simply sawed the ends off .. so they would fit inside the 'shoulders' of the peg bags...

(anyone with a likely looking saw could manage it ... but don't tell him .. I let him think he has a major role in the peg bag industry).

As you can see .. I used the doilies to brighten up the fronts .. simply attach the doily to a 'front' before making up the bag then tart up..

 or rather 'embelish' the design with vintage buttons .. and a ribbon-y bow.

This one seems a little too plain so I embroidered 'wash day' .. just to brighten that corner really.

I'm hoping they sell .. come the warmer weather .. 

I'm so looking forward to pegging my washing on the line to dry.

Mothering Sunday is coming up too .. 

I thought about selling them for £8 each .. 

do you think that is a fair price? .. I really get a bit lost with pricing when it comes to handcrafted things.

If nothing else they will be something different to put out on the stall .. make a show with some vintage aprons and table linen .. I find I have to keep ringing the changes .. keep the stall looking fresh .. otherwise customers think its just the same old stock and walk straight past.

Oops Sorry .. I've lapsed into work stuff again .. and I was just trying to do a crafty post ..

I did enjoy making the little bags .. it 'took me out of myself' as they say!

I really must try and make more time for crafting .. tis good for me..!

Anyway enough waffle .. do take care ..

Bye for now x

Of This Weeks Doings .. Sunshine .. Horses.. Craftiness .. And Cake..!

Hello there .. hope you are all well..

Just a little of my week .. everyday ramblings ... and Cake !

 I know you like cake ...

   

I did a mornings baking .. mostly for the 'wood lads' (the factory lads that save me their scrap wood) ...

but of course we had to try some ..' Quality Control' says Hubby P ....someone has to do it..

I just made fairly basic stuff .. using what I had in the cupboards .. Mince pies .. I know! .. 

But I wanted to use up the last half jar of mincemeat. Bakewell tart.. a coconut cake and some good old Raspberry buns (made with Damson jam .. there being not a spot of Raspberry jam in the house).

Simple and tasty .. I've found young men avidly gobble up most things cake-y!

The sun has been shining his little socks off this week..

 The horses in the field thought it was great ... it has been nice watching them playing around in the field opposite our cottage. 

As I sit in my chair by the fire this is the view I have ... I'm so lucky.

 As I went outside with the camera this one came to say Hello'

They all seemed happy .. enjoying the sunny day ... nicely wrapped up in their rugs.

The garden is slowly awakening .. here you can see the big pot filled with Tulips .. just peeking their noses out into the sunshine.

And the Daffs are on the way too.

In the absence of real fresh foliage and flowers I found these colourful sprays of leaves .. they came in .. in a 'lot' Hubby P had bought. 

 I don't know if I have shown you this .. 

but I have a metal 'shabby' iron work gate .. hung from the ceiling .. I know .. don't ask .. 

it was just 'the right thing' for the ceiling .. 

to dangle things off.

Anyway .. over Christmas I had spruce/greenery and stuff ... stuffed in and around/suspended from the gate .. 

and very nice it looked too.

But of course that dried up and had to come down .. 

so I thought the artificial leaves would give a dash of colour for a while.

I do like purple so this makes me happy.

It will be okay .. until I get bored .. then maybe summer time I can gather some seed heads to decorate over the winter.

On the crafty front .. I made a bit of time to make something for myself.

I found this wonderful piece of old fabric ..

 actually it was an old knitting bag .. rather grubby and missing its handles.

 I unpicked it carefully.

 And I gave it a good old boil wash in the big old pan.

 I found this old feather cushion inner at the back of a cupboard .. a bit stained .. but its only for us .. 

and I don't mind it will be inside the cover.

 There was just enough to make it into a nice squishy cushion.

 I made time this afternoon to run it up int a cushion .. 

I just love the colours .. its so cheerful.

And it was nice to make something .. 

to do a bit of sewing for me.

I do find sewing .. crafting of any kind so therapeutic ..

 don't you agree?

And just to share .. here is a little bit of cake for you .. 

can you smell the sweetness .. mm mm

And the best bit ... don't worry .. its all calorie free...!

Bye for now xx

Of Cute Horse-y Things... and Rag Rugs ..

Hello there ...

Just a few of this weeks doings to share with you.

 I thought this fabric was just fab ... its a reclaimed piece of Vintage French cotton .. I just love the old trains and the pretty ladies... not to mention the Cowboys and Indians!

 It depicts the models of trains and the fashions throughout the 1800's ..

quite an unusual piece .. I thought it would be nice to frame a section of it... or cushions .. something that would show off the detail of the cloth.

There are more photo's of it on eBay if you want to have a bit more of a peek at it ..

And something for me ..

 We did a bit of a clearance yesterday .. and this was amongst the findings ...

do you like my stripy handmade rug. 

It needs a bit of a wash .. I'm hoping it will wash okay .. and comes up bright and funky... someone has spent a long time pegging this.

Today saw us packing the van for trading tomorrow.

 What a job .. 

I think we had it all .. rain ..hail .. and strong gusty.. bitterly cold wind .. sometimes I think we are mad!

An a flask of coffee didn't really cut it!

Still ... we have to make a living ...

and we have some nice bits and bobs this week ..

 How do you like my little horse .. 

he's only small and showing his age a little .. but he's done well to survive the traumas of toddlers for such a long time.

If you look closely this one has pedals on the front wheel so the little passenger can scoot around under their own steam (or pedal power) .. how clever.

I know I am always saying it .. 

but its amazing what Hubby P finds tucked away in dusty attics.

 How do you like my lady .. she's rather exotic isn't she?

The lady selling her said she thought the original owner had her made to his specifications ..an old flame perhaps?

She use to reside in a corner of his conservatory with a plant on her head..!

Hopefully she will find a new home .. in a warm conservatory .. 

bit nippy for the old bikini top at the moment.

Anyway .. enough waffle from me .. I'm off to make my egg butties ready for tomorrow ..

 Oh the classy life we lead..!

Bye for now x

A No Snow Day .. Playing With Fabric...

Hello there ..

Well a few flurries .. but otherwise a No Snow day here..

 I imagine a lot of you have been stuck indoors .. tis a bit grim this weather !

I haven't ventured far .. Hubby P has gone to look at some work stuff .. 

he's a sucker for the chance to root about in someones attic.

I stayed by the fire and sorted some fabric .. we cleared a lady's house the other week .. she is downsizing ..

a bit like some of us .. she liked fabric.

I now have boxes of the stuff stacked around .. I need to sort them .. price them and move them on .. before I become swamped by them.

So .. seeing we are all a bit bored and looking for diversions .. here are some pretty fabric pic's..

Oh .. and a nice blanket .. tucked amongst the fabric..

  Look ... pretty label ..

The blanket was made in Holland .. I thought that was unusual .. not had one from Holland before.

 This is a nice new .. unused length .. I thought it had a bit of a Jacobean look to it.

 And this is so pretty .. its a really fine soft cotton  .. make a lovely summery blouse.

Remember summer ?

I've got a yen to make some pretty peg bags for summer .. 

they seem to sell well .. but I darn't start sewing until I've reduced the fabric mountain ..

but its all a bit boring .. ironing fabric..

I've been good and bunged a few bits on eBay .. 

if we are not out actively selling we have to do a little something that is kinda work based .. and I sold something today .. 

so all is well.

 I will go back to the fabric mountain now .. 'dashing away with the smoothing iron'

xx

Of Dentists .. And Thrifty Cheese ...

Hello there ... 

I hope you have had a pleasant day ...

We have done very little today .. its too cold to move much out of the house.

But what we did have to do today .. was visit the dentist for a check up.

I cannot praise our dentist enough .. I have rubbish teeth .. 

they are weak .. crumbly and altogether quite .. 

well .. rubbish.

I have always tried to do my best by my teeth and visited the dentist regularly .. 

Thankfully .. Oh Thankfully !

 I have a NHS dentist .. he is excellent and he does his best by my rubbish teeth.

As you may know NHS dentists are like gold dust .. and I cling on to mine for dear life .. 

I never miss appointments and attend regularly .. 

I do not want to be struck off his list .. I have a horror of having toothache and no where to go with it.

And the icing on the cake .. it is so inexpensive!

Today we both went for a check up which entailed xrays ..

one each side of the mouth .. lots of poking about with his mirror and poke-y stick thing-y .. a polish up with his whizzy/ scrubby brush and a dab of something around my gums for good measure.

It was £13.

Hubby P had the same .. plus a couple of fillings which came under last times 'treatment' so it wasn't charged for.

Its so nice to be pleasantly surprised by the cost of something.

Just a case of doing all we can to look after the old gnashes now.

~~~~~ # ~~~~~

A bit of a Thrifty Snippet .. well sort of ... I know you like a good bit of thrifty

Nosing around the market on Sunday I noticed the butchers van had some huge blocks of cheese for sale.

He had half rounds of fancy stuff .. you know the kind of thing cranberry whatsit and herby and garlic something or other ..

 well I didn't really want that ... 

I just wanted bog standard cheddar or similar ..

 something I could either have ... on crackers .. or to cook with.

At the back of the stall I noticed these huge blocks of double Gloucester cheese a kg in weight .. made at our local creamery.

I asked the price and of course he said  .. 'to you .. £12'

Well ... I kind of pulled a face and shook my head .. too expensive ... and I said to him that really I had wanted cheddar. 

Well he said .. in a whisper ..'how about £10' .. so I brought hope a huge lump of cheese.

As you know cheese is not cheap and so I treat it like I would meat or eggs for that matter .. a major part of the meal .. a good rich source of protein.

 The trick is .. because you have huge lumps of it in your fridge .. 

not to get carried away and use it willy nilly!

(unlike some ... umm Husbands .. who get carried away with a butter knife .. trying to hack off great lumps of cheese to nibble away at like a demented mouse)

I forgot to take a pic of the whole thing .. but here it is roughly chopped into four...

I shall pop two in the freezer and keep two in the cheese box in the fridge.

  Do you like my cheese box ... well .. its an enamel tin really .. a lovely green colour...

 I have two of them .. they fit just nicely in the fridge.

One holds the cheese .. the other cold meats and the like.

So for tea ?

A portion of the cheese used in some thrifty cheese scones  (with lashings of butter) and a nice warming celery soup.

 So that's been my sort  of Thrifty buy ... I think maybe if I had shopped about I could have found it a bit cheaper .. but it is buying local .. locally made produce etc .. and all I did really was invest in cheese rather than meat .. and it will go a lot further than a few lamb chops.

How about you .. any Thrifty Snippets to share ?

Bye for now x

Brr .. Cold Grey Day .. Looking To Summer Makes... and A Cat!

Hello there ..

Brrrrr.. its been a cold grey day today ..

I think my mood has kinda matched the day ...

 It must be pie kinda weather .. and putting the oven on helps warm up the house.

I made a simple veg and meat pie .. 

mostly what veg I had (that needed using up) and a little bit of mince to give it a semblance of a meat pie.

I think any kind a pie is good .. its the pastry isn't it!

Naughty but nice...

The other ..not so glamorous .. peculiar looking thing is a bit of leftover pastry .. spread with the last of the cranberry jelly (so that I could free the fridge of another half used thing .. and wash the jar)

.. sprinkle of brown  sugar and a handful of sultanas ..

and folded over.

Usual thing .. what I had to hand.

Hubby P has bagged it for his 'snap' tomorrow at work.

Who else calls lunch/work snacks 'snap' ..

 I wonder is a northern thing?

So tea was sorted .. what else .. 

I needed to do some kind of work thing .. but wanted to be warm and cosy ..

Hubby P went outside in the workshop ..

 but blow that .. too cold.

 A big box of these dressmaking patterns came in yesterday ... so I had a sort through them .. lots of the 'easy and quick' ones too.

Ideal for the sewing novice .. and I noticed .. good realistic sizes (as in not for stick thin people). 

I sell a lot on the stall quite cheap and cheerful  .. they are so expensive to buy new from the shops

 .. I sorted out a good mixed bunch and thought I would try them on eBay.

I thought people might be looking to summer and easy sewing makes .. little tops ..

 and pretty summery skirts and dresses..

I for one am beginning to miss the warmth of the sun .... and I am wearing so many layers I feel like an onion..

 So that has been me today ...

   

Oh .... and the cat .. with that 'what you up to then' look!

Take care .. keep warm  xx