I heart counted cross stitch!

I must point out right from the start that I don’t actually DO any kind of cross stitch, I don’t even have much interest in starting (although that could easily change), I just seem to buy a lot of completed ones.

Whenever I see one in a charity shop or at a car boot sale I really have to stop myself from just buying it - I’ve started forcing myself to be critical and only buy the ones I really like because frankly I don’t have the wall space. I don’t know what it is about them, but I have a sneaking feeling it’s because they remind me of the games we played on our ZX Spectrum and Amiga 500 in the 80’s and 90’s. Especially the smaller ones.

The Perils of Rosella anyone? No? Really? Well I’ll show you:

You see? I think I must miss four pixels to the inch.

This is my most recent purchase and it’s a big one although it only cost £7. The subject appears to be The Spanish Village of Insane Perspective.

I’ve cropped in so you can just see the giant random black animal behind the teensy tiny blue and white lady under the arch. Also some of the crazy roofs. It’s amazing, I love it!

These two are modern but I couldn’t resist the Monarch of the Glen! I bought them both for £5 and they just need blocking and framing.

Finally, I found this lovely fire screen last week. It was marked down from £8 to £5 and I nearly bit her hand off for it. It makes more sense in real life, but it’s a picture of sailboats in a harbour.

Anyway, I think I’m probably a bit obsessed, but

I counted cross stitch!

Beccy xx

Santa special…

Not feeling Christmassy enough, on Saturday we went to Bolton Abbey steam railway for a special trip on a 50’s steam train with Santa.

They decorated the little Victorian one-platform station and lit all the fires.

Even the toilets!

The carriages were quite plush in the 50’s! We got on quite early so mum could take photo’s but within fifteen minutes the train was full of people. You would expect there to be a lot of kids but there were many more adults than children. I’m pretty sure most of the adults were using their kids as an excuse!

We had a wonderful nostalgic afternoon – the station is entirely staffed by volunteers and fully deserves its reputation as the friendliest steam railway.

Hee, mum met Santa!

Beccy

The Festival of Thrift

Last weekend we visited the Festival of Thrift, a brand new festival for this year, which celebrates all things thrifty, handmade, recycled and repurposed. It was free entry and luckily for us was held here in the North an hour away in Darlington at Lingfield Point, an old industrial site which itself has been repurposed into beautiful offices and studios. In fact part of it used to be Patons the yarn people.

The map has exactly the feel of the whole festival, a sort of 50’s/60’s kitschy pastel vintage vibe.

I don’t know why but it looks much smaller and less sunny than it actually was! This is the alternative village fete, which had hula hooping, a vintage hairdresser in a caravan, Oxfam vintage, a swop shop and loads of stalls selling handmade stuff and supplies.

There was also a DJ playing vinyl (you could choose from a selection of vintage greats!) and a dancefloor where they had hula-hoop dancing in the afternoon. There was also the Podium of Non-Judgementalism if you fancied a solo dance!

There were street performers roaming around – that chap at the top is wearing a suit made from growing cress and has persuaded that lady to wear a breakfast hat with real boiled egg, juice and soldier glasses. The blokes on the contraption above just travelled around squeakily. They were only wearing pants for most of the day but in the afternoon it got a bit chilly so they chose to accessorise with clear bin bags.

There were loads of food and drink stalls, this one had lots of yummy cordials.

Around the festival there were loads of jumble sale type stalls (fill a bag for a fiver!), vintage stalls, free crafts tables, cooking demos, even building with pallets! The whole feeling wasn’t preachy (recycle! If you don’t you’re killing the planet!!!) it was fun and relaxed – like a large group of people sharing ideas really.

Mum trying on a hat at the Oxfam vintage stall. She said, “if it was the 60’s, I would actually be wearing one of these!” I think she should anyway.

Sixty-three tickle me!

The huge posters and paintings on the walls are permanently at Lingfield Point where the festival was held.

As is the ‘Home’ house. I have no idea why it is the way it is but isn’t it great?

And finally not the best photo, but you can see the giant picture on the wall. It is a lamb being bottle fed in an office, and why not? I think I’d like to work at Lingfield Point, they have a sense of humour!

It was a great day out and we will definitely go next year. We maybe didn’t come back with as many thrifty ideas as we had hoped (although I saw some beehives, I want bees!) but to spend a relaxed day surrounded by like-minded people was wonderful.

Beccy

Easter trees…

Hey, am I the only one who’s never heard of Easter trees? We were in a charity shop and saw a little box filled with tiny Easter related ornaments, wondering why vintage cake decorations would have little hangers on them. The lady in the shop said they were Easter tree decorations, and are quite common around Europe.

Well, it turns out that it really is quite a common thing, just not in my house – check out this Google search!

This is our little bit of spring brought into the house for Easter, complete with our version of a tree. Mum grabbed some white acrylic paint, a branch and some moss and stuck it all in a cute green bucket we got from a floristry supplies shop. Finished with a red gingham ribbon and the decorations, I think it looks quite Eastery!

Here are a few lovely Easter trees I found around the web, I particularly like the top one with the birds… some ideas for next year!

http://rosalineandmore.blogspot.com

www.mabelslog.com

www.photoblog.nbcnews.com

Happy Easter everyone!

Beccy

I got a shiny new (old) toy!

What’s in the battered brown box?

A lovely, lovely 60’s Jones sewing machine!

Isn’t it pretty? I saw it in a charity shop and it was way above my flinch point (£35, more money than I had on me and the shop didn’t take cards, luckily I was with family who were willing to scour their pockets!) I haven’t had a chance to play with it properly yet, but really at the moment I’m happy just looking at it. Is that weird?

It came with the manual and loads of feet and attachments that I don’t have on my newer machine.

Including this:

I’ve googled til it hurts but I can’t find a foot that looks like this anywhere on the web so I’m turning to you guys – any ideas? Why does it have that little loop on the front? What is it for?!

Our fashion department thought it might be a freehand buttonhole foot but they weren’t sure. It’s a Singer foot if that helps?

It’s a mystery to me!

Beccy

New year’s lobster dress (or possibly crayfish…)

I’ve been making this dress for about a year. It’s one of my epic wips. It’s not as if I’ve had the pattern pieces cut and stuffed in a bag somewhere either. Nope, this thing was all put together and was on my dressform looking lovely just waiting for buttons and hemming. For a whole year.

I think I’ll have to keep it there because Mrs dressform is looking very sad without it!

First, I need to show you the fabric!

Isn’t it amazing? It’s a weird combination of food, fishing and flowers. I got it from Ikea ages ago and immediately knew what I was going to do with it.

I used a combination of Bestway D3664 (for the skirt)

and Weldons 8342, view c, for the top.

…and joined them in the middle to make a vintage-style button-through dress. The top pattern is size 16 so it needs manipulation to get it smaller. I had to move the darts and take out some fabric but I left the shoulders wide to give it a 50’s style cap sleeve.

I drafted the bright red collar myself because the dress needed a little extra something. Aside from the lobsters, I particularly like that martini glass on the left front.

The buttons are from Ribbonmoon, a wonderful online haberdashery shop. I urge you to check them out, they have loads of vintage-style buttons and other lovely things at very reasonable prices.

I’m going to wear this to my friend’s New Year party tonight and I’m pretty excited - I’ve made lots of yummy vodka jellies to take too!

Happy New Year everybody!

Beccy