new stock

Even though I've been quiet on the blog front, I have been busy making new stock and hunting out vintage treasures! I had a good week in my studio-shed, printing, dyeing and sewing while Chris took time off to look after Hesper. Bliss. The result is a range of larger sized lampshades (30cm Diameter), some cushions with my "foxy" design that I had only used on kids clothes before and some dip-dyed cloud cushions. I also replenished my smaller cushions and tea towels. Most of this has been put into my space at My Little Vintage, with some left for the next fair.

Did I take any decent photos before I took them away? of course not. Have I got to rely on Facebook photos?...yep.

I have found a new fabric for my lampshades, I am now using an off-white medium-weight power loom cotton. Still organic and ethically made, it is a lighter, smoother fabric than the linen and heavier cottons I used before. It creates a better finish when rolled into a shade and lets more light through. 

I have used the last of my lovely linen for some small cushions. I printed this Foxy design and backed with a lovely woollen check - remnants from a Derbyshire mill. Sadly, this linen is no longer available, so I experimented with an organic cotton twill - I'm so-so about this. The next lot will be made with a heavier weight grainy cotton, hopefully in different colours.

I've also been accumulating lots of vintage pieces and furniture to restyle. I finally got the opportunity to photograph and list in my Etsy shop. My favourite is this Yellow Hornsea Jardiniere, which is not only stunning but apparently scarce.

  

Check out my Etsy shop here.

Thank you

x

ps: I will have a table at the My Little Vintage Fair at The Granary at Fawsley, 22nd June 11-4!

...more pom pom cushions

...a few more cushions made, getting ready for my stall at the My Little Vintage fair on 23 November in Wellingborough!

recently...

My "blossom' design screen printed as a repeat in teal and black onto organic linen. Made into a lampshade:

I've wanted to contrast bright pom pom trim with my screen printed designs for a while...and now I have! The vivid pink contrasts well with the natural linen and black design. Also looks great against this Ercol chair painted with Annie Sloan's English Yellow chalk paint:

When I saw this lamp base in a charity shop the other day, it had a big hideous shade on it and I thought it might be worth painting. Once I'd got rid of the shade, I realised how lovely it is. I think it is quite old, it has a bakelite bulb fitting and reminds me of the Arts & Crafts period. I rubbed some dark wax in to bring out the wood and dressed it in my handmade shade. The shade is actually orange, though it looks red here. I dyed some linen and printed my black cow parsley design on before rolling into a shade. Once lit, the orange is really vivid and looks good in our living room against a teal-coloured wall. It also echoes the Cole & Son Cow Parsley wallpaper on the opposite wall. Both the lamp base and shade were intended for selling...but I have been persuaded into keeping them. This is becoming a bit of a habit!

welcome oscar

A colleague of Chris had a new baby a few weeks back and so I wanted to make, rather than buy something for him. I turned to my trusted Wee Wonderfuls book by Hilary Lang and decided on the Bjorn Bjornson bear. Although made in wool in the book, I used a blue crossweave organic cotton, that I already had and an organic multi stripe in bamboo-cotton for accents. The book suggests that the limbs are sewn in place for under 3's, but I really liked the moveable limbs, so I attached them with buttons and just made sure that it was all stitched securely...and warned the parents.

I'm really pleased with how he turned out. I added a band of colour around the neck to tidy up the neck join. I also added a cloth tag and hand stitched "Oscar 2013" on his bottom!

return to etsy

Sometime last year I decided to put my Etsy shop on hold as I could not commit to it with a part-time job and a toddler. Since Hesper is getting older and has started pre-school, I have been able to gradually create items that I'm happier with, with a view to re-opening it again one day. Although I only have a few bits so far, I decided to just get my Etsy shop up and running again.  I have the kids tops that I started screen printing with, plus a couple that I have appliqued, and I have just listed a couple of screen printed tea towels. I also have cushions and lamp shades that I have been working on - using screen printing, hand dye and organic fabrics, which I will list soon.... I finally feel like its starting to take shape!