Busy Sewing Bee!



Padded laptop sleeve




1950s original pattern dress




Peter Pan blouse

 Since finishing my sewing room I've spent many hours in there like a sewing hermit, making pretty things!

The laptop sleeve was made out of neccessity - I don't want it getting damaged on my frequent trips down to Plymouth. I used scraps of fabric I had saved and an old duvet inner (partially destroyed by Bronwyn!) makes up the padding.

The checked dress is made from an original 1950s sewing pattern I got on ebay, and the fabric was kindly given to me by a friend. I love it, it's perfect for work, and I can layer up a jumper underneath when it's cold or a shirt when it's warmer. I feel very 'Peggy from Mad Men' in it!

The Peter Pan blouse is from a modern Simplicity pattern. The fabric was from the Shepton Craft Fair a year ago - I'd been hanging on to it, not knowing what to make, and just occasionally stroking it because it feels so soft....!

Gypsy Caravan

Last year we were lucky enough to stay in a gypsy caravan in Cornwall - it was our celebration for Ash finishing his degree. 

I found the caravan on a wonderful website - www.canopyandstars.co.uk
Warning: once you start looking at their places to stay you will lose many hours!

The view from the caravan

The fire pit

Pretty fairy lights & the fabric lining the caravan ceiling 

Tea lights in jam jars were strung in the trees

Ash cooking breakfast on the tiny gas cooker

We had a wonderful time, it was so peaceful & the perfect country getaway. It felt like staying in a doll's house as everything was so tiny & custom made for the small space. There was even a fire pit outside with cooking tripod over it. Sitting beside that looking at the view with a cold cider in had was pure bliss!

Bath Vintage & Flea Market

 Last weekend I headed out in the cold, windy & wet weather to brave the elements at Bath Racecourse, all in the name of vintage!

My good friend Rachel & I went to the Bath Vintage & Flea market (with our other halves & Bronwyn in tow!). there were nearly 250 stalls selling thousands of antique & vintage items both indoors & out - heaven! If only the weather had been kinder... But then as Rachel wisely pointed out, the rain does drive prices down for the outdoor stalls!

I could easily have spent a small fortune, particularly on blue & white china for the sunroom and several pieces of furniture that I fell in love with but had neither the money or space at home for! But I came away successful having brought a new coffee table for the living room to replace the previous one that Bronwyn had chewed!

My lovely 'new' coffee table

The next vintage flea market at Bath Racecourse will be June 2nd from 9am
http://www.bathfleamarket.co.uk/

Vinyl Groove

I've wanted to own a record player for ages - my parents had one when I was little & I have such lovely memories of twirling around the living room aged 5 while Kate Bush Wuthering Heights was spinning away!

I've been keeping an eye out at vintage fairs & on ebay for a record player ever since I finished doing up the sunroom, as I'm convinced this is the perfect finishing touch for the room, and it will be lovely in summer with the doors to the garden open & a record playing away. Having been outbid on everything I set my heart on & then becoming worried about the potential extra costs of buying a vintage model I finally decided it would be best/ sensible to get a new one but in a repro vintage style.

I fell in love with these online and I love the suitcase design (it's a portable record player so we'll be able to have it out in the garden if the fancy takes us). They come in the most beautiful colours and I've gone for the vibrant blue.

I'm thrilled with my little record player, and have well & truly started my vinyl collection having purchased my favourite album ever, Carole King's Tapestry at Bath Vintage Fair. Bring on summer evenings with an old time record playing in the background!

1950s Dress

This is definately my favourite thing I have sewn so far! The pattern for this dress came free with Sew magazine. It was so easy to follow and allows for several variations, so I'm already planning my next dress!

This one has a cape collar and is sleeveless, with pockets in the full skirt. I made it with cotton fabric I bought on ebay with a lovely bird & bows design. It has a zip in the back, and I managed to construct the whole thing in 4 and a half hours one evening!

Here Comes The Sun...

" Here comes the sun...It feels like years since it's been here!"

It seems that the weather has finally started to warm up ever so slightly & sunshine is trying it's best to stay. I usually get my garden sorted much earlier in the year than this, but it's been far too cold so far for any veg plants to survive.

This weekend I took my cue from the sunshine & finally planted out all the delicate little plug plants I'd been keeping alive in the sunroom. All my veg grows in my front garden as there's not enough room in the back, and despite my mum being concerned about neighbours stealing my tomatoes I've not had a problem so far! I have a greenhouse and a veg bed out the front, and these are nicely full now with tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, parsnips, mangetout & pak choi. Plus at the side of the house I have a 3 tier planter system with salads, herbs, spinach & beetroot all growing from seed.

It feels so nice to have finally got things organised outside, and I'm now looking forward to eating it all!

Sunroom

I've wanted to share more photos of my home on my blog for a while, but never seem to be able to keep it tidy for long enough to take decent photos! I'm finally feeling like my house is nearly how I want it now, so the first room I'm sharing with you is the Sunroom - this is my dining room/craft room/sewing room, and my favourite room in the house, especially in the summer.

This weekend was spent building my new sideboard and dresser unit, and they really finish the room off. It's so nice to have all my fabric & threads & sewing machine all stored away neatly in one room, ready for me to use without having to pull everything out to find what I need! Lets just hope it stays that way....!

The farmhouse table and chest are both antiques, the table I bought myself from a reclamation yard in Glastonbury, the chest my mum bought in Portobello Market when she was in her 20s.

The four chairs were also my mum's - they used to be a hideous tan stain, very similar to Dale Winton's fake tan! I sanded them down & pained them different colours as I don't like things to match too much.

The bench seat also came from a reclamation yard. I've had it for years but recently painted it white & it feels like it has a new lease of life now!

The pottery is a mixture of charity shop finds, proper antiques and gifts from friends.

I hope you enjoyed having a peek around my home!