Tag Archives: Handmade

21/01/2021 · 5:49 pm

Another Year and still haven’t got the hang of blogging.

But I really want to, for my tiny business so I’m going to keep persevering. I haven’t done a blog post for a long time and sometimes I’d pay a lovely local lady called Estelle to do them for me as I’m severely dyspraxic and it’s getting worse and find this soooo difficult. I’d tell her what to write and I’d give her the photos but she’s moved 700 mikes away to Orkney quite possibly to get as far away from my irritatingly special needs as possible !!

So with my nice new second hand phone I’m going to try again. I don’t know what I’m doing and all these signs, symbols and information don’t go into my brain so I’ll ignore them. I’m actually scared of them.

I’d hoped in the year I’ve been away from my blog that WordPress would have become simpler but alas not.

So I don’t know how to make the writing closer to the photos and I don’t know why this is in a box, but I’m scared to touch anything in case I lose/delete it and then it’ll be another year till I try again. This has already taken me half an hour as I get so distracted. It’s bloody ridiculous and unbelievably frustrating.

Lovely old wheel barrow in the nearby allotments. VW Beetle blue.

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Very tasty pin cushions

I’ve been making pin cushions out of damaged, vintage embroidered tablecloths.

The 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.

You 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.

The 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.

I 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.

Saying 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.

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

And 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.

7 Comments

Filed under Vintage Fabric

Tagged as Crafts, embroidery, floral, Floral pin cushions, Flowers, Gorgeous Things, Handmade, Handmade pin cushions, Muswell Hill, Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Goregous Things, Pin cushions, Sewing, Vintage, Vintage Fabric, Vintage Gifts

08/11/2013 · 5:26 pm

A few things I’m going to sell on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111205828670

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111205849140

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111205858716

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111205862824?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111205853792?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111205839799?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Andy Bridge is my favourite artist and I’m lucky to have collected his work for years. Now that I’ve given over a room to my little guest room business https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1626486 I’ve had to be a bit ruthless and de clutter slightly so I’m going to give other people a turn to have some of these beautiful pictures.

2 Comments

Filed under My Etsy Shop

Tagged as Andy Bridge, artworks., Christmas Robin, DIY, golf, golfer, Handmade, lemon meringue pie, Muswell Hill, Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Goregous Things, screwdriver, spanner, train, white goose

14/06/2013 · 1:25 pm

Flowers, hearts and a pigeon in June 2013

Vintage 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.

Patchwork vintage fabric cushion covers with old Disney characters, embroidery and florals.

One of my cut flower collages which I make using vintage floral fabric.

Vintage fabric patchwork throw. Lovely over a settee or bed.

Flowers from my garden a couple of weeks ago. Tulips, wall flowers, bluebells and forget me nots in a tiny little glass.

One of my vintage fabric lavender hearts. This floral fabric was made in the thirties.

A small selection from my little on line shop.

Little patchwork pin cushion. The blue fabric is from 1940’s America and is so precious. I treasure every tiny piece 🙂

The bluebells in my garden were extra blue and lasted a long time this year due to the cool damp May/June.

Flowers from the garden. Lilac, bluebells, wall flowers. I LOVE this picture………

Lilac, borage, ceanothus, forget me nots, fairy washing up liquid, my lovely pigeon card and cut out vintage fabric flowers.

More lovely blue and purple flowers. xxx

10 Comments

Filed under Miscellaneous, My Old Victorian Garden, Vintage Fabric

Tagged as 1930s fabric, Bunting, cushions, Disney, Donald Duck, embroidery, floral, Flowers, garden, Gorgeous Things, Handmade, hoops, Lots of Love, Muswell Hill, Nicky Grace, Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Goregous Things, patchwork, Pigeon, pin cushion, Pluto, Vintage Fabric, Wall flowers

12/06/2013 · 4:34 pm

Muswell Hill Saturday Market, June 2013

This 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.

Marcia Knight makes the most beautiful children’s clothes and sells wool too in scrumptious colours.

Look at these beautiful dresses !!! https://twitter.com/Yarnsulike

There 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/

Frances 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

Annemarie 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

On 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.

They 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

Tagged as 1930s fabric, Annemarie Fearnley, Cross stitch, Curl About Town, FrancesCronin, Gifts, Gorgeous Things, hand knitted, Handmade, home made cakes, ice cream cards, London, Marcia Knight, Muswell Hill, My Little Cake Tin, She's got it made, Stitchrovia, Stuffed owles, toy rabbits, UK, Vintage

20/02/2013 · 7:24 pm

Encouraging comments on Face Book

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.

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.

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 !

6 Comments

Filed under My Etsy Shop, Vintage Fabric

Tagged as Etsy, Face Book, Face Book comments, Face Book fan page, floral, flower cards, Flowers, Good Luck, Gorgeous Things, Handmade, handmade cards, Happy Birthday, Happy Mother's Day, London, Muswell Hill, Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Goregous Things, UK, Vintage Fabric, vintage fabric cards, Vintage fabric cut flowers, Vintage Gifts

02/02/2013 · 2:10 pm

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

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)….

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.

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

9 Comments

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

Tagged as 1930s fabric, Costa coffee, embroidery, floral, Flowers, Gifts, Gorgeous Things, Handmade, handmade vintage gifts, Muswell Hill, Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Goregous Things, patchwork, Patchwork cushions, Prima Magazine, Selina Lake, Sussie Bell, Tesco, Vintage, Vintage Fabric, Vintage fabric quilt, Vintage Gifts, vintage patchwork cushion, vintage patchwork quilt

28/01/2013 · 5:14 pm

Colourful bowls of vintage flowers.

I’ve been making some flower collages which I absolutely love doing.

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.

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.

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.

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

5 Comments

Filed under Vintage Fabric

Tagged as 1930s fabric, Autumn fabric decorations, coreopsis, daisies, Flowers, garden, geraniums, Gorgeous Things, Handmade, Muswell Hill Pop Up Shop, nasturtiums, Nicky Grace Vintage Fabric & Goregous Things, pink, sweat peas, Vintage Gifts

20/01/2013 · 8:57 pm

Pitfield Cafe London

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

We had the most delicious lunch in the lovely cafe

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

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

Blury pic of a bit of the food counter.

Lovely old watering cans

Nice isn’t it.

They also sell gorgeous tea towels by Barbara Chandler

Cabinets full of vintage glass

Beautiful huge old prints

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

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).