Tag Archives: 1930s fabric

Flowers, hearts and a pigeon in June 2013

Photo 10-06-2013 16 42 10Vintage fabric mini garland in my shop. I love making these so much as every piece is different and beautiful. There is old embroidery of hyacinths and patchwork in this one and I’ve cut out some flowers too.

Photo 12-04-2013 18 59 12Patchwork vintage fabric cushion covers with old Disney characters, embroidery and florals.

Photo 27-03-2013 11 41 00One of my cut flower collages which I make using vintage floral fabric.

Photo 15-04-2013 12 38 12Vintage fabric patchwork throw. Lovely over a settee or bed.

Photo 07-05-2013 12 57 29Flowers from my garden a couple of weeks ago. Tulips, wall flowers, bluebells and forget me nots in a tiny little glass.

Photo 08-05-2013 12 26 04One of my vintage fabric lavender hearts. This floral fabric was made in the thirties.

Photo 10-05-2013 19 08 31A small selection from my little on line shop.

Photo 08-05-2013 12 55 52Little patchwork pin cushion. The blue fabric is from 1940’s America and is so precious. I  treasure every tiny piece đŸ™‚

Photo 16-05-2013 19 54 16The bluebells in my garden were extra blue and lasted a long time this year due to the cool damp May/June.

Photo 21-05-2013 13 44 38Flowers from the garden. Lilac, bluebells, wall flowers. I LOVE this picture………

Photo 27-05-2013 15 51 11Lilac, borage, ceanothus, forget me nots, fairy washing up liquid, my lovely pigeon card and cut out vintage fabric flowers.

Photo 27-05-2013 15 15 12More lovely blue and purple flowers. xxx

10 Comments

Filed under Miscellaneous, My Old Victorian Garden, Vintage Fabric

Muswell Hill Saturday Market, June 2013

2013-06-08 12.26.13This lovely market is on the second Saturday of every month in “The Village” pub 258,  Muswell Hill Broadway N10 3SH. It’s large, and airy and free to enter, 12-5pm.

These are some of the stalls which caught my eye last Saturday.

Above is the most amazing cross stitch by Emma Congdon   http://etsy.me/194kKdp  This photo doesn’t do it justice at all. Emma sells the kits for people to do themselves and this Muswell Hill one is brilliant.

2013-06-08 12.29.39Marcia Knight makes the most beautiful children’s clothes and sells wool too in scrumptious colours.

2013-06-08 12.29.45

2013-06-08 12.31.34Look at these beautiful dresses !!!  https://twitter.com/Yarnsulike

2013-06-08 12.57.57There was a stall run by a mother and daughter from Margate who sell postcards and little mirrors etc of photos they’ve taken. I bought some of the ice cream and flake cards which are absolutely adorable.  http://www.curlabouttown.com/

2013-06-08 12.37.37Frances Cronin makes these sweet and lovely little rabbits !! There were lots of them but I like the ones in dresses best. I love taking pictures of people’s things for my blog because I like chatting to the lovely people who make things. It’s something they do because they (and me) love  making things. It’s for love, not money. https://twitter.com/franwen

2013-06-08 12.59.02Annemarie Fearley had a stall outside and makes bright colourful owls and other animals with vintage fabric. Lovely for a child’s room or anywhere in the house. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shes-Got-it-Made/158449937537923

2013-06-08 12.48.47On the way out I bought a box of mixed cakes to take home. I’ve bought from this stall before so I knew they’d be good.

2013-06-08 12.49.14They were all made freshly that morning and the little cheese cakes were out of this world.

There were lots more stalls and it’s a lovely atmosphere but it’s never as busy as it should/could be.  It’s quite a new market so hopefully word will soon spread http://muswellhillmarket.com/

2 Comments

Filed under Muswell Hill, London, UK

OMG I’m in the book !! “Pretty Pastel Style” by Selina Lake

I received my copy of Selina’s brand new book a couple of weeks ago and was completely overwhelmed  to find so many pics of my house in it. I’ve taken photos of the pages and I’m not going to write anything with them because that would make me feel silly, like when an estate agent shows you round a house saying “this is the kitchen, this is the lounge” and you just want to ask him to please go away so you can look round in peace.  The photographer is Catherine Gratwicke and the words are by Joanna Simmons.

Pretty pastel style fair 025

The lovely embroidered hoop is by Vicky Trainor

The lovely embroidered hoop is by Vicky Trainor

Frans birthday 006

Frans birthday 007

Frans birthday 009

Frans birthday 013

Frans birthday 010

Frans birthday 014

Frans birthday 008

Frans birthday 012

Frans birthday 015

Frans birthday 016

Frans birthday 017

Frans birthday 018

Frans birthday 019

Frans birthday 020

Selina's bike

Selina’s bike

Thank you SO much Selina Lake, Catherine Gratwicke, Joanna Simmons and publishers http://www.rylandpeters.com

8 Comments

Filed under My home featured in Selina Lake's new book !!!, Vintage Fabric

Three of my things on the front cover of Prima Spring Makes magazine April 2013 !!

Frans birthday 003It’s a beautiful magazine and the front page and the styling was done by Selina Lake. The floral heart (top left) and the moustache cushion  are by Thimble & Bobbin, the Aunty card is by Abigail Warner, the little floral note books are by Emma Wilson, the LOVE postcard is by Cassia Beck, the lavender card and vintage lavender pillows are by Sesame and Lilly  and the vintage embroidered hoop, lavender bag and yellow floral lavender heart are by me !!

Blimey that took ages, I’m not a natural at all this copy/paste/link business but I wanted to acknowledge all the other artists on the front cover with me.

Frans birthday 004Amongst all the beautiful pages is a six page spread about stylist/maker Torie Jayne who’s well known for her amazing blog.

Birdhouse Key rack

Birdhouse Key rack

Torie's workroom

Torie’s workroom. I love that pink chair !!

Some of her lovely things

Some of her lovely things

Her business card

Her business card.

I met Torie at Selina’s book launch a few weeks ago when she came to my stand and introduced herself. I was quite taken aback because I didn’t know she’d be there. She gave me her card and I’ve kept it safely because it’s SO lovely. One of the nicest business cards I’ve ever seen.

5 Comments

Filed under Magazine Features, Vintage Fabric

Happy Kitsch and colourful Easter

Easter rabbits 001Poor mummy chick forgot to change the clocks forward and she overslept so she’s an hour behind and no time to do her hair.

Easter rabbits 002My kids think I’ve totally lost the plot ! Do I care ? No I don’t đŸ™‚

Easter rabbits 003In fact one of my boys is sitting in the front room with his football shirt on watching a game shouting at the top of his lungs every time the ball goes near the net. God knows what the neighbours think.

Easter rabbits 004The other son has just this second phoned me to say he’s on the train and can I fetch him in ten minutes…. errr no I can’t. He seems to think that I sit here with my car keys in my hand all day and night happily waiting for his call. I don’t. He’s 21 !!!!!!!!!!!!

My pictures, Book launch, Easter 013I was having a happy little Easter blog,

My pictures, Book launch, Easter 007and now I feel like this     Ahhhhhhhh. Happy Easter everyone. Off I go to the station.

4 Comments

Filed under Easter, My Etsy Shop, Vintage Fabric

Anemones and an article in Prima Magazine.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 010I’ve always loved flowers but I remember being a small child and thinking that anemones  

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 006were fuddy duddy, musty,  dusty old lady flowers. I’ve sort of grown into them now. Oh dear.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 007They are amazing actually aren’t they.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 014There’s an article about me in Prima magazine, the April edition which came out about 3 weeks ago. Mags are always weeks ahead of themselves it seems.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 018It’s quite odd seeing what you’ve said written in print. A bit surreal. It was an article with three women, me being one of them, who had shops in their houses.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 017Gosh it’s tidy. I wish it was always like that. I’m a very untidy person.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 013Here’s a stork on the pond in the park where I take the dog. I think it’s a stork. I know that  to people who live in the countryside it’s no big deal but for me it really is something special. It was absolutely freezing on that day last week and it just stood there completely still. I see it quite often.

birthday cake, stork, anenomies 004Lets have cake…….lemon drizzle anyone ?

10 Comments

Filed under Magazine Features, My Old Victorian Garden, Vintage Pop Up Sales

A lovely Selina Lake feature with a few of my things included.

prima and quilt 001

Prima Magazine (March) came out a couple of days ago and I thumbed manically through the pages as the stylist Selina Lake  had borrowed a vintage fabric patchwork throw and three cushions from me.

prima and quilt 002

Page 81-83 they’re on  !! I was quite exited standing in the magazine section of Tesco at 9pm, my new shopping time which is quite relaxing as it’s not busy and the crying  babies and fed up toddlers are all at home. I think that after about 9pm they should put out a few comfy chairs so that those so inclined could read the mags in comfort instead of leaning heavily on our trolley.

prima and quilt 006

I could quite happily  spend a whole day in Tescos. I usually spend about half an hour in the magazine section anyway and sometimes meet a friend upstairs at Costa for a nice uninterrupted hour or two of quality catch up time.

prima and quilt 008

Then back downstairs to meander round shopping leisurely, reading labels, peering at calorie contents, noticing how it’s all so expensive these days and wondering if my kids will notice that I’ve bought Tescos own brand of Special K. (They did and declared it inedible so I gave it to the birds)

prima and quilt 003

Then I’d go and buy a couple of news papers, go back up in the lift to Costa and  have a nice cake or two which I didn’t have with my friend as we’re fiendishly slimming (not)….

prima and quilt 004

Then I’d go back down and maybe browse through the ‘colds and flue’ isle wondering if it’s actually worth buying vitamins and then maybe saunter (wearilly, after those two cakes) around the electronic isle looking at phones and ipads.

prima and quilt 007

By this time I would hope that at least one of my children would have bothered  to phone me to enquire as to my whereabouts….but probably not.

If my local Tesco had a bed and breakfast area for tired shoppers, like a little rest stop with own brand sheets, cheap slippers and mini tubes of toothpaste for those of us who couldn’t face the inevitable job ahead of unpacking the shopping and putting it away then I’d book ahead. As long as I got tipple club card points.

My throw featured here was £140 but to celebrate it being in Prima it’s now the amazingly good value of £95. The cushion was £45 and is now £38.

Stylist Selina Lake  is launching her lovely new book ‘Pretty Pastel Style’ with a wonderful fair with fantastic designer maker stall holders. I went to her last one nearly a year ago and it was so beautiful and quite exiting. It’s in Kingston West London on Friday the 22nd March 2013 and everyone is welcome. There will I’m sure be lots of cake.

The photo here are by Sussie Bell

prima and quilt 005

9 Comments

Filed under Handmade, Magazine Features, My Etsy Shop, My home featured in Selina Lake's new book !!!, Vintage Fabric

Colourful bowls of vintage flowers.

bowl of flowers 009

I’ve been making some flower collages which I absolutely love doing. bowl of flowers 007

I was a florist for about 10 years during the eighties  in our family business which was a Dutch/continental flower shop in London so I’m no stranger to flower arranging.

bowl of flowers 038

I’ve always loved hot, strong clashing colours and where as most of our customers preferred the safety of  elegant white bouquets  and arrangements, when they saw the wonderful, vibrant clashes of carefully selected orange, pink and red flowers flown in straight from the growers in Holland, they  gradually loved  those colour combinations too.

bowl of flowers 004

This fabric is from the thirties and forties and I cut out the flowers by hand. It’s much warmer than working in a busy flower shop and I don’t get rose thorns in my hands.

bowl of flowers 031

These pictures can be found in my on line shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/NickyGrace

bowl of flowers 032

5 Comments

Filed under Vintage Fabric

Pitfield Cafe London

Day in Hoxton 024

Last weekend I went with a friend to Pitfield Cafe and shop in Shoreditch.

Day in Hoxton 011

We had the most delicious lunch in the lovely cafe

Day in Hoxton 014

I didn’t take any pics of the cafe because it was full and it didn’t feel right pointing my camera at strangers.

Day in Hoxton 013

It’s a very large space and about three quarters  is the shop.

Day in Hoxton 018

Blury pic of a bit of the food counter.

Day in Hoxton 021

Lovely old watering cans

Day in Hoxton 015

Day in Hoxton 016

Day in Hoxton 017

Nice isn’t it.

Day in Hoxton 010

They also sell gorgeous tea towels by Barbara Chandler

Day in Hoxton 008

Cabinets full of vintage glass

Day in Hoxton 020

Beautiful huge old prints

Day in Hoxton 012

Cosy corner and lots of fifties crockery exactly the same as my grandma used to have.

Day in Hoxton 022

The waitresses were very friendly and actually wiped the crumbs from the tables into their hands and not onto the floor like some places (drives me insane).

Day in Hoxton 023

What I loved most of all though was the wonderful frontage which I think is outstandingly amazingly beautiful. Just Ahhhhhh

Old Street Tube London.

3 Comments

Filed under London, UK

Birthday, Bambi, bunting and bobbles.

3 candles 004

cushion 2 009

bambi print 001

cushions & patchtwork mats 022

shapes & big bunting 020

A few things that I’ve just added to my shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/NickyGrace

Leave a comment

Filed under Bunting, Vintage Fabric