junk shop treasure

I am not a big shopper, I never have been I probably will never be. With the exception of book shops and a bit of thrifting. I never bring back very much but I have a small hoard of vintage buttons (in black, red, and white) and doilies that I use for crafting dolls.. and books for reading and tattered ones for more crafting. The last few weeks I have had some good luck with finding buttons and bits to craft with.

On a recent trip to York we went to the Banana Junk Warehouse. We dug through towering shelves filled with all manner of things. Books, suitcases, furniture, knitting needles, a fabulous old typewriter, a very old sewing machine that I coveted madly but weighed as much as two elephants. I bought a wooden box, buttons, red plastic knitting needles, and a very rusty gate key.

After that while everyone went to watch and sample fudge I scuttled to the Oxfam Books shop and scored a Neil Gaiman book I hadn't read, and five Star Wars cine-manga books 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 for Harrison (who had the 4th book at Christmas. In amongst tea at Betty's Tearooms, buying bread from the tiny bakery down the Shambles, and walking along the city walls I also went into Cath Kidston with my lovely Mother-in-Law. I don't buy much from there, most of it is a little too flowery for me and a lot expensive. In the end I walked away with two little samples of fabric which may turn into dolls like this one.

The last two weekends we happened to go into Matlock twice to visit the Antiques Centre, and a little thrift shop down the road from it. You wouldn't think an antique shop would have anything remotely thrifty but there are always doilies and buttons to be found that are quite cheaply priced. I'm look forward to visiting Tansley car boot ('car boot' roughly translates into 'flea market with lots of plastic toys and knock off DVDs') some Sunday soon when the weather is nice.

I'm linking this blog post to Selena's lovely Apron Thrift Girl : Thrift Share Monday blog post. Please go check out what inspiring treasures she has found, and the links to other great thrifting blogs.

off the cuff

fabric wrist cuff...although it would look stellar on a coffee cuff
mmmm coffee... where was I?

In my further adventures of not doing the things I should be doing, I made this little fabric wrist cuff. What exactly I should be doing I have no idea, perhaps you can tell me, because I haven't got a clue. I have seen wrists cuffs on etsy (some pretty and some very expensive) , and looked at a tutorial that was sort of triangle shaped and that seemed not quite right. Then I thought I would just have a play around with whatever scraps of fabric were currently breeding dust bunnies on my desk.

it is slightly more even than it appears..
the book kept folding up on me...honest

The fantastic alphabet fabric was sent to me by the brilliant, talented and funny (funny ha ha not funny peculiar...although come to think of it...nevermind...) Jodie (of Ric-Rac infamy), yeah that one, and if you don't know her blog, get your bum over and have a look are her creations, with or without the mad scientist laughter. Anyhoo I think I may have lost the plot...I think I best go find a new one or at least a slightly used plot to upcycle into something else.

is it just me or does the big button look like a record?

Vintage Doily Warmbag

vintage doily warm bag

Today I made this and uploaded it to my etsy shop, I think that has got to be a first, I'm never that organized. I think it looks great, anyway and maybe if it sells I can buy a new note book or journal, because a girl can never have too many notebooks, or pens!

things to do with doilies when you're dead

linen scarf with vintage doilie

well obviously not really dead because one would assume it would be very hard to sew what with the rigamortis and all....ahem..anyway...

I have had this idea bumbling around in my head for ages, since I found a vintage doily at the little junk shop at Cromford Mill, that I would make something with it. I wasn't entirely sure what it would be I thought about maybe a little tote bag, but then the idea for a scarf started forming in my wee little brain. I wasn't sure exactly how to start and dithered around before deciding today would be the day.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out, though I don't know what to do with it, keep it or give it away as a present or sell it, though I'm worried it wouldn't really sell as I'm not remotely the best seamstress. The buttons are vintage mother of pearl from Vintage Violet's Buttons, a fantastic Folksy shop run by the lovely Megan. The scarf needs photographing around someones neck (not mine) and possibly a better ironing job than I did in my hurry to get it photographed in the fading light.