P is for Pink and Patchy

As the three of us wandered up and down at the car boot today we knew what we were looking for. My list of wants was quite long, but the Buns was good and short. They wanted a large plastic car to take their dolls on journeys around the garden. Only two cars spotted today and both were too small. That means they're actually looking forward to coming next week in case they find one then.

I didn't get much of my mental lists wants, but I was thrilled to find more icecream pink Meakin Rosa and Johnson Bros. Rosedawn all in perfect condition.

Everything else I wanted like some 1930's incredibly filthy curtains was too much money and no one was bargaining. The knocker boys never play ball with the prices and always charge too much in my opinion. At the end of the day they're only selling in a field.

Now we're back home and I'm busy stitching some cushions together for next Sundays Vintage Market.

As usual I got distracted an ended up also doing some quick alterations to a Vintage Frock I bought at Christmas. After I'd finished sewing it was still a bit too big at the sides so I added a citrus velvet belt from Noa Noa.

This is probably my first Challenge of the Utmost Kind outfit. Not bad for three months in.

High Days & Holidays

Another school year is done and dusted and now the Bun's have got six lovely long weeks ahead of them.

On Saturday we went for an Italian lunch at a beautiful converted cinema to celebrate. Each time we're there we wish they'd kept it as a cinema and we could sit and watch some old Black & Whites while we munch.

On Sunday we stopped by a WWII USAAF airbase with the beautiful boy. He's sitting behind Mr Bun if you're wondering where he's gone.

I couldn't resist the urge to paint stuff when we got back.

Geoffrey Gnome was in a nasty hit and run with a hen while we were out. His face was all smashed up and needed a bit of glue. The sort of strong glue that nearly made Geoffrey a permanent feature on my hand

I thought I'd better get rid of the dead plants by the front door so I planted a couple of hot pink geraniums. The lobster haunted my childhood. My mum had it on the coffee rack and I hated it then. The Bun's brought it back to live here. They seem to love it. I won't let it come in.

Today I did a spot of cutting as a serious re-stocking of stuff to go to market is needed. Only one work day this week so fingers crossed I can get stitching done.

We made sure we got to the library this afternoon to register for the summer reading challenge. This time it's called Space Hop. Apart from reading six books to collect all the stickers, the children can make a spaceship. So I gave up cutting my stash while the Bun's got out the glue, paint and pens and had a great time making. Oh to have a room of my own.

I'd made sure I came home from the library with a bit of cooking and sewing inspiration for me, so I curled up for a read instead.

While we waited for the paint to dry on spaceships we took Olly for a walk round the garden. It's been so hot keeping the doors shut to keep him in and safe. He tries to escape every time he gets the chance so before tea we showed him what a big world it is when you're tiny with a too big pink sparkly collar and a bit of washing line lead.

He's an absolute devil as far as Alfie is concerned. He adores him and tries to suckle him every chance he gets. Alfie just sits and takes it, so we have to keep pulling Olly away. He's a funny, full on bundle, but I still can't help wishing he was Molly.

Tommorow is work for me and a lovely day with Grandma for the Bun's - not a bad life this holiday lark.

Fairly Short & Sweet

Time has flown along and I suddenly realised I hadn't taken a picture, let alone stopped by to say hello here for over a week. School life has pretty much taken up any spare time over the last two weeks. Two evening school play performances, drama club performance, school BBQ, Disco, Sports Day and today - leavers assembly in church. I have two shattered girls ready to enjoy six lazy weeks of summer.

As for me - well I've been busy finishing up the order for a lovely new shop that will be opening in Norwich on the 7 August. More about that very soon. I've also had orders for Cosy Round Cushions to make up so my hook has never been so busy.

This weeks Car Boot was the last one on my own for a while. Now more china horses, dogs and kittens will be coming home with us again as a bribe to keep the Buns walking just one more row - pppplleaaseeee. On Wednesday I only managed to find this wee basket, the candy striped pillowslips and this fabulous tablecloth. Outside are a couple of ugly brown garden chairs that need a bright coat of paint. Not decided yet on whether they'll be yellow, pink, or blue.

I've also rediscovered this gorgeous basket from under a pile of scarves. I bought it from Louise Loves a few years ago and now can't decide what to use it for as the French fabric inside is so lovely and I want to be able to see it, not hide it again. For the moment Olly sleeps in it.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about is the Redwings centre we visited on Saturday. It's a place that only opens twice a year and has many of the horses and donkeys that were rescued from Amersham two years ago. If you're not familiar with the story, roughly 90 horses and donkeys were found in appalling conditions on a horse dealers land. Esther the brown donkey below and her mother Martha were tethered in an enclosure which was far too small near an aggressive dog. Martha was so thin she had no milk to feed her baby, which meant Esther was so weak she had to be carried on and off the Redwings lorry when she was rescued.

Two years later Martha is having a snooze while Esther was in the middle of quite a few rolls, full of mischief. It's a fabulous place. What struck me the most was how gentle and loving the horses we met were. They can experience the worst and yet still feel able to trust humans. It shows what an amazing amount of work goes into rehabilitating these beautiful animals.

Have a lovely weekend whatever you get up to. For us I think a spot of collapsing, eating and just being is in order.

X

Mabel, Olly and a Thing or Two

At the moment I have a little demon helping me with everything I do. When I work on my ripple blanket at night he's there nibbling my toes and bouncing on me. He loves the pictures rolling up and down on the laptop and then jumps all over the keyboard to type in odd messages. Now Olly is getting in on the photo taking lark too.

All set up for a picture and there he is like a whirlwind of fur.


This is the what I'd meant you to see, but I bet you loved seeing him more. I picked up this Lucie Atwell Annual in the charity shop yesterday when I popped out for a break at work.

All that's left of my beloved childhood annual is the cover. Inside this 1966 version the paper is still soft and spongy as I remember it, with all the characters parading around to welcome us into their safe and magical world.

Alongside the Boo's, the children and the furry creatures are some gorgeous illustrations just as you'd expect.

Now being a Wednesday and my day off I went to the Car Boot in search of much needed embroidered linens. Instead I came home with a Pixie straight out of the pages of Enid Blyton and Mabel Lucie Atwell.

I think he'll be at home here with his other friends don't you?

I also did well finding glass today. Olly jumps straight in again before I get to show you some of my haul.

This 1930's green glass bowl was filthy when I found it, but looks lovely now all cleaned up with the stripy glasses.

The other bits of yumminess from my week so far are these stunning Larkspur and

Dahlia's that were being sold outside a house. Fantastic for 80p a bunch.

The cake I made on Sunday was so popular I baked another for tea on Monday. The fresh raspberries in the middle with the jam and buttercream make it melt in your mouth. Still can't get the measure of a light sponge mind you, never mind.

Now I'm off to glamourise a little as I'm off out with Teena to Wiveton Farm for a Private View of an artist who's name I've completely forgotten. Never mind a glass of wine, great surroundings having a chat and giggle with a friend will make up for my loss of memory.

This is the Life

Feeling hot hot hot and very dusty on Friday evening we all piled into a stuffy car for a wee drive to somewhere cool. Utter bliss when we got out of that car at Southwold, right at the estuary with Walberswick on the other side. Cool wind and icy cold sea around our legs - a heavenly start to our weekend.

Saturday morning and a parcel arrived. I knew it was coming, but didn't know just how wonderful the contents would be.

1930's and 40's feedsack in the most delicious prints from Sal's Snippets all soon to patched. I decided that being very old and as I was going make something with all this lovliness, then I was definately keeping to the challenge of the utmost kind.

Can you spot something peeking out under all that colourful beauty? My bloggy friend Nina started and finished a ripple blanket recently and when I went over to mousenotebook for a read I saw another ripple, this time inspired by the Norfolk coast. I've wanted to join in for a while now, but just lacked the oommpph. Well at last I've sorted through my oddments of soft cottony and wool cotton yarn and got going inspired by these ladies.

Everyone who's said how addictive this is is absolutely right. I don't know if it's the repetitive rise and fall of the waves or just the choosing of the next colour, but this is fun. For now - I add. Hopefully I can stay with this blanket and finish it as two young Bun's have their eyes on it.

My other addiction is this patchy cushion business at the moment. Eldest Bun ordered one so I did as I was asked for once and whipped her one up.

Large bits of our weekend were spent watching this wee furball and playing with him.


Apart from when Alfie sat on him to remind us how important he is too.

Late on Saturday afternoon we went to a favourite place of ours to pick raspberries for tea. Quite a few were tested out before we wandered back through the fields to pay and eat icecream surrounded by baby bantams scratching about.

The cake I made today filled with raspberries looked good enough for the WI, but grandparents and an aunt helped us eat that before I got to my camera, so you'll just have to believe me.

Heavenly Wednesday

If you've been reading my ramblings for a while now, you'll know how much I love to hunt for vintage treasures. Never knowing quite what I'll come home with is part of the excitement. I have an ongoing list of wants in my head, but usually I spot something that's not even on that list.

Today was an oooohh and aaaahhh kind of day as I stumbled on a new and very lovely seller at the boot. Bags and bags of fabric from a haberdashery shop all laid out to be picked through.

I'm very happy with my £2 bundle of loveliness. It turns out the seller had already heard of me as a friend had mentioned me and this here blog to her.

Coloured glass was one of the other things on my head list and I found a piece or two of that as well.

I couldn't leave this Greydawn teapot behind either.

My afternoon was meant to be a making work stuff afternoon, but I got distracted by the never finished pile of things. I'm glad I did as I really enjoyed all the patching and stitching.


When I sewed all the pieces together it just looked too plain.

So I added a few colourful rows of running stitch.

Which all patched together made yet another cushion cover. I'm really pleased with how this has turned out and will definately be making a few more. I might even make a few for my next market and try them out there. I already have an order for one, which was pretty quick indeed Eldest Bun walked in from school and asked if she can have one for her bedroom.

Despite all this treasure and stitchery I didn't forget to keep an eye on my furry friends. Just in case you were wondering how Olly is getting along - you can see he's settled in very well. Last night he tried to eat most of the ripple blanket I've started on and then collapsed in a heap beside me for a snooze once he'd worked his mischief.

Little Bun is thrilled by all your lovely comments welcoming Olly. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello.