A Month? Really? A Month ...

... since I posted here?  I've been so busy and this computer is playing up like a spoilt child, so it's been a quick look at Facebook and my emails and that's that!

Even this is a quickie, just to say I'm still around.  I've been making lots of duvet cover tea-dresses ready for the Vintage Revolution Fair at Grimsby Minster in November.  I'll post piccies next time.

However, I just had to add my Yarndale collage.  Lots of you will either know of it or have been to it.  It was a fantastic day of woolly loveliness and great to actually see and speak to the lovely Lucy from Attic 24.  My stash has now risen considerably!

A Little Bit of England

Yesterday I had the chance to use my new (antique shop) purchase - a £10 bargain of a huge picnic basket.

 

Mr C and I went to a little village in Lincolnshire called Cuxwold for an afternoon of cricket and an evening of rounders. 

 Needless to say, my part in this event was to sit and watch, while crocheting!  Daughter 1 and Son-in-law were playing and doing the barbecue.

Mr C and I went for a walk to look at the beautiful old church.

Many of the gravestones had been removed but a few remained

There was a secluded little grove behind the church which had clearly been a pets' graveyard.

This must have been a very special friend to someone.

The old way to the church was via this beautiful rusty and lichen-covered iron gate.

There were some fine, handsome deer nearby.  Sadly I think they were lined up for the menu as they were in a paddock.

I do love a good weather vane.

Ah, here comes the sun!  I hope you all have a wonderful bank holiday xxx  

Frock Fun at Fab Fair!

The Vintage and Retro Fair at Cleethorpes was a resounding success!  Well done, you lovely ladies at Vintage Revolution!  (Do "like" them on Facebook.)

This was the day I introduced my duvet dresses to an unsuspecting world. 

I was chuffed to bits with the response.  I sold quite a few and received some lovely feedback, mainly along the lines of "very well made" and "much too cheap".  I put the ladies' dresses at £18 and the girls' dresses at £10.  Next time I'll put them up a little and see how things go.  In general, I had good sales and it seems the rest of the stalls did the same.  The atmosphere was great with a vintage tea shop, dj playing rock'n'roll and even a jive competition.

Can't wait for the next one!

Nearly Ready...

... for the Vintage and Retro Fair on Sunday.

I've been making my duvet tea dresses and pricing up things and packing them (always a bit of a bore, these last two, aren't they?)

I had a last, happy little haul too - a small picnic basket, which I'm keeping, a hat box and a diary from 1941.   

The diary is clear from the beginning of February (aren't they all!) but it begins with the thoughts of a new war-bride...

"Today I woke up a single girl and went to bed as a married woman"... 

It's really sweet, sad too as "John" goes back to the war.  It's a shame the lady hasn't put her name in it.

Bits, Bobs and a Poorly Sewing Machine

I'm sure you sewing lovelies out there will share my pain at finding my beloved sewing machine was missing stitches, failing to automatically thread the needle and generally pooping up buttonholes.

Obviously she's not as bad as this one, but she had to go the the sewing machine doctor.  To my horror, the doctor had just started his summer hols and is away for a fortnight!!!

Even worse, I have four duvet dresses to make out of this fab charity shop find before the vintage fair on 11th August!   

I've had to borrow my daughter-in-law's machine which is like a little toy one after mine but it does the job.  I've recently run these up so hopefully when the new ones are finished there will be enough for the fair.

I've finally finished my yarn stash blankie too.  When the weather breaks I'll have something bright and cosy to snuggle into. 

Meanwhile Miss Peach Pudding is enjoying the sun...

... I haven't been making toddler punch - that's a tennis ball, not a lemon, honest!

and

NOM NOM NOM... Mr C has been making his fabulous crumbles with our homegrown raspberries!

Hope it's sunny where you are xxx

My New (Completed) Project

Whew, that didn't take long!

This lovely weather allowed me to tart up my charity shop crates in the garden.

Ta-daaaaa!

Going to use them to display items on my next vintage stall.

My New Project

Two crates, £1.50 each from the local Care Shop 

and a half-price tin of Farrow and Ball's "Green Ground"

Watch this space...

Attack of the Earth Mother!

So, it's lovely, warm and sunny, the garden is growing like a jungle and I discovered an elderflower tree on a walk with Miss Peach Pudding.  Having had a moment of earth-motherliness and back-to-nature-thriftiness earlier in the week (more in a minute) I filled my bag with elderflower heads.  The tree was on no-one's property, by the way.  I do try to keep to the Country Code!

I already had the lemons and sugar so free Elderflower Cordial was the order of the day.  Having perused a number of recipes on the tinterweb it appeared to be a free for all regarding the number of flower heads to lemons ratio so I did my usual - made it up as I went along.  I couldn't get citric acid anywhere so braved it without.  I believe it's only for clarity and longevity but I was quite happy with cloudy and anyway, it's not fated to last long at our house!

Ta-daaaa....!

Delish with chilled white wine, but certainly good enough with icy water on a hot day.

Cooking our home-grown beetroot I was reminded of my natural dyeing escapades last year.  I saved the beetroot water, strained it and added alum to half and ferrous oxide to the other.  I then dyed some white craft cotton.  They both ended up a similar soft grey-green, not the prettiest shade.  To compensate I finished the craft cotton off in cranberry tea (pinkish) and rooibos tea (orange-ish).  They're not stunning shades but do have a certain natural pleasant look.

 Once dried to paler shades I had a play with them while watching a very exciting Men's Semi-finals Day at Wimbledon and drinking freshly-brewed coffee.  

Ah, this is the life!

Knitting for Victory!

Armed Forces Day dawned bright and sunny - Hurrah!

Our yarn shop, A Good Yarn, took part in a wonderful event to celebrate the day.  Sea View Street, Cleethorpes is a fantastic little shopping area with individual specialist shops and cafes and the yarn shop is just around the corner.  All the stores took part with the street decorated to the hilt, plus vintage stalls,ice cream van and music.

 

There were also wartime vehicles and lovely men in uniforms!

 The street was divided into three sectors - Britain, France and America.  The lovely ladies at Tilletts (fab clothes shop!) were Land Girls

La Flotte (shoes to die for) were Can Can Girls

and we were French ladies "Knitting for Victory"!

 

The event was packed and the weather beautiful.  Even many spectators dressed the part.  

During the afternoon there was a magnificent air show, including Tornadoes, Vulcans, the new Euro Fighter and WWII vintage bombers.  As the area is right next to the beach we saw (or mostly heard!) the whole thing.   

A great day - and yes, there will be bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover!

(Tomorrow, just you wait and see)

 

Holida-ay...Celebra-ate...

Thank you, Madonna, for this post title.  

We have just had a lovely holiday and also a special birthday to celebrate.

We didn't get a break at all last year, so made up for it with ten days in Ibiza this month.  Our favourite resort is Santa Eulalia - not quite the foam party capital of the island but lovely and restful for our old bones (I'm not past a good boogie session but we really did need a bit of peace after a bad year!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a fantastic night in Ibiza Town drinking San Miguel, listening to loud music and watching the parade of tourists, drag queens and generally wild and wonderful people wandering about.  Other than this it was chilling, swimming, making full use of the hotel spa and ...

 

  ... eating!

Not to mention lots of knitting...

... this was my packing!

The celebration, by the way, was Miss Peach Pudding's 2nd birthday.  How time flies!

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! xxx