Tag Archives: floral

Very tasty pin cushions

20140414-184322.jpgI’ve been making pin cushions out of damaged, vintage embroidered tablecloths.

20140414-184916.jpgThe embroidery was done in the Forties and Fifties and I only recently realised the pattern was already printed onto the linen so in that sense it was easy as they had a pattern to sew on.

20140414-185619.jpgYou can tell how good the person was at embroidery partly because sometimes they didn’t cover the lines properly so you can see bits of the printing which should have been covered.

20140414-190022.jpgThe real art though is in the colours. I’ve been collecting vintage table cloths for 20 years and so often I’ll see one which has been expertly made yet the colours aren’t very inspiring and I always think what a shame to have worked so hard and spent so many hours making it yet the result isn’t too enchanting. That’s unfortunately the case with most of them which is why when I find ones like these it’s like finding gold dust.

20140414-190842.jpgI wonder about the ladies who made them. Were they young, middle aged, elderly ? How did they even have time to embroider tablecloths when they had so much else to do, cooking from scratch, hand washing, looking after their families etc without all the mod cons we have.

20140414-191429.jpgSaying that though, they didn’t have televisions and if I didn’t watch so much TV I could probably embroider at least a couple of large table cloths every week 🙂 I’m glad they did it though so I don’t have to.

20140414-192300.jpgSo here they are all together. I’ve also added some vintage fabric flowers to make them even more colourful and scrumptious.

20140414-192538.jpgAnd here they are all dressed for Easter.
I think a pin cushion should be beautiful because it’ll be next to you while you sew  year after year. Mine is one of the very first things I made and I still love it.

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Filed under Vintage 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 🙂

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

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Filed under Miscellaneous, My Old Victorian Garden, Vintage Fabric

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.

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The lovely embroidered hoop is by Vicky Trainor

The lovely embroidered hoop is by Vicky Trainor

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Selina's bike

Selina’s bike

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

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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.

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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 🙂

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.

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Filed under Easter, My Etsy Shop, Vintage Fabric

Encouraging comments on Face Book

flower cards 001

I’m just realizing that the amount of people that see my posts on Face Book

directly correlates to the amount of people who leave a comment.

flower cards 005 I get a few likes sometimes which is always nice and shows that people have seen the posts but it’s the interaction that counts, which means commenting about the post. The more comments the more people get to see it. I don’t know how Face Book works but comments seem to generate action.  I’m not very good at explaining things I don’t understand !

I’m a culprit myself. I’ll see something nice on someone’s page and press the ‘like’ button but not often comment because I can’t think what to say and whatever I do say sounds phoney or cheesy and it’s a bit cringe….. I don’t always want to comment anyway, I just want to ‘like’ and go. But now I realize that it’s the comments that make the Face Book world go round I shall make much more effort to do so.

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I’ve also noticed and been told by  social media expert Lindsay that if you don’t comment on people’s posts or they don’t comment on yours that Face Book now don’t show you those posts any more and not only is that a real shame but when you have a business (fan) page it’s  also detrimental. FB now want people to pay for posts  to reach more people which does work as I’ve tried it but I’d much rather deal in comments than £££.

To encourage such comments I’ll do little competitions sometimes on my page which is what I made these cards for. That was all a bit long winded wasn’t it. Never been good at explaining myself, sorry xx Press this !

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Filed under My Etsy Shop, Vintage Fabric

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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)….

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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.

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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

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

My very first sale in my new Etsy shop ! So exiting

pin cushion

vintage fabric pin cushion

What a lovely surprise to wake up to. My little vintage fabric pin cushion with pink bobbles is going to America. I wish I could take it there myself.

Nicky Grace Etsy Shop

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Filed under My Etsy Shop

Fabric workshops for children at my Open House Sale on Sat 27th & Sun 28th October 2012

My living room will be transformed into a lovely fabric workshop with a long table and chairs.  About eight children will be able to sit round at a time. I and a friend or two will be on hand all the time to help them make pictures, mini bunting, or a lavender bag.

Below are a few photos of pictures that I made years ago.  Since then I’ve made lots of other things but I’ve always wanted to go back to making pictures as I love it so much.

sun, sky, flowers

beautiful serene flowers under a blue sky on a sunny day

I will pre cut some of the shapes from all sorts of fabric,  some of it vintage.  I’ve been collecting fabric for a very long time so have lots to choose from. Children will have a piece of card and I’ll help them choose what they want to do and they can do the gluing if they like or I can do it if they prefer.

hearts and flowers

If they like, instead of making a picture they can make 2 meters of bunting. I’ll help them to choose the fabric they like and I or a friend will  sew it on the sewing machine. I’ll have two friends there who are both professional  machinists.

pretty gingham hearts

Children can come anytime between 11am and 5 pm can stay for up to an hour. biscuits will be provided and hopefully they’ll have great fun. They can bring friends or siblings and if they come on their own we shall do our best to ensure that they feel welcome and at home.  We are all   mothers and being with children comes very naturally.

Lovely ducky

Lovely orange duck

Another option available will be custom made sleeping bags. Your child should bring his or her doll or teddy (or ducky, monkey ….) and we will help choose the fabrics of choice to make a lovely little sleeping bag for it.

Your child could make a lovely dolphin picture to take home

blue grey smiley dolphin

little pigs and mini bunting

I’ll be making mini fabric bunting with children too which they can take home with them.

I’ll have lots of fabric to choose from including bits of vintage.

Little crabby.

Your child can make a picture to take home

Parents can stay in the room if they like or wander around and see the array of amazing and unique things on offer including handmade ceramics, vintage fabric lavender bags, floral jugs, cushions, cards, bunting and more.  There will be home made cake and you can wander round the garden if you like.

Cost per child will be £6 each.

I have public liability insurance and am CRB checked.

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Filed under Childrens Workshops, Vintage Pop Up Sales

Hoopy Picture

Vintage embroidery brought back to life

vintage embroidery brought back to life

Here’s another hoopy picture made from an old and damaged embroidered tablecloth which I’ve sewn a colourful variety of vintage fabric flowers on to.

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Filed under Handmade, Vintage Embrodiery