Not such a relaxing weekend!

Well it's been a long weekend here in the UK and today is the last day, but I've had more time off that most, but I haven't been relaxing, far from it!!!!

I had transformed the tip and junk room that was my dining room into exactly what I want a beautiful, fully useful dining room and even though I swore and injured myself, and ached like hell, I wallpapered for the first time, hated every minute of that, I sawed and mitred corners for the edge of the floor, I painted, and did I mention I ached?

Here's the big reveal, just like on all those DIY shows....

See a previous post for what this room looked like before it's quite a transformation!

As you can see it's red and grey to fit in with my dinette set, but I was so nervous about the grey, which actually I picked up from the curtains cos the curtains matched the dinette and it's hard to take a dinette into the DIY shop to colour match ;o) However I'm really really happy with the grey I think it really works but I was aware it could have gone horribly wrong, it's a funny old colour grey....

Here are some of the close up details, below is my sideboard, with some of my favourite bits on, a coffee set which we were given for our wedding (20 years ago this year eeek!), a painting by my lovely husband, and a lamp given to us by friends in San Diego.

I had been looking for curtains to go in this room for ages, something that matched the colours and design of our dinette and I was super lucky some months ago when I found these, I think they match pretty much perfectly!

The only thing which isn't done yet is the light fitting, see below, given to us by some lovely friends, sadly it needs rewiring so that will have to wait for another day, but it's going to look amazing once that is up and it's all finished!

As if that's not enough I had another super lucky find this week! I have been looking for a cabinet to put my record player on and stereo in FOREVER, well ok maybe a year or so, I just couldn't find something that would fit in with our other stuff but be just right for what I need and be small enough to fit in the corner, but big enough to do the job, you can see why it's been a problem, oh and affordable too!!!!

Well I went out to lunch on Tuesday, and spotted a second hand furniture store down a side street not far from my work which I have never seen before but apparently has been there for about 5 months. I thought oh well I'll have a look, and there it was the ideal bit of furniture, it's not terribly exciting as a piece of furniture but I can't tell you how excited I was! So last night, I set it all up and after all the work I've done, I got drunk and danced around the living room for most of the evening!!

The first picture is of it is next to my record cabinet, fab eh?

And there she is, I need to tidy the cables, but I was slightly intoxicated when I set it all up and though it best to do that when sober ha ha!

I could now do with a loooooong weekend to recover, instead today I will rest, relax, sleep, eat, not get dressed and generally recover, who needs a gym, just decorate!!!

Hope you like it and hope you all has a fabulous break over Easter

I love shoes!

If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you know that I love shoes! I would say what girls doesn't but I'm sure there are some who don't. I however am addicted to shoes, my budget means I can't buy like I used to but I still look a lot. I am lucky to have small feet so have always been able to buy vintage shoes pretty easily, however I know many of you struggle to find vintage shoes, but don't fear there are some amazing repro brands out there, one of them is Miss L Fire. I LOVE Miss L Fire.

They have just launched there Spring/Summer 13 collection and oh my there are some fabulous shoes in there, I think I need to do some big time saving!! You can find Miss L Fire's online store here in the meantime here are some of my personal favourites.

I think if I get anything from this collection this may be the pair for me, just stunning!

Tijuana in Red - £114.99

Now these are stunning!! Now only are they an amazing design but the very talented Miss L Fire has incorporated a vintage technology that you never seem to see any more in mule shoes, despite it being the cleverest piece of shoe design, the springolator!!! Yay well done Miss L Fire, so nice to see someone finally re-using this marvellous bit of shoe technology

Lola in Brown - £99.99

 I LOVE turquoise, I love a raffia style wedge and I love a tropical flower, there really isn't anything to not love about these, ok maybe I NEED these too ha ha!

Aloha in Turquoise - £89.99

I'm not normally a fan of polka dots but only because they seem to have been hijacked by current trend for 'vintage' without knowing what vintage is *climbing off my soapbox* but I do love these, they are fabulous, happy, cheerful and summery!

Casablanca in Red - £104.99

Despite loving wedges and heels, in reality what I wear most are flats, I have flat feet and heels hurt me for any length of time, plus I have a disabled husband who I need to be steady on my feet for in case he needs help with walking, sooooo I love and wear flats a lot. These are just fabulous and probably are the most likely pair I will buy even though I want most of the range. These are not only stylish and pretty but fabulously flat and practical, my favourite combination, flat is certainly not ugly!

Mexicali - £56.99

 All pretty shoes eh? And they have so many more to drool over, now I need to start counting my pennies!!

Sneaking back in.....

Hello all, I'm sneaking back in, I want to start blogging again but it has been sooooo long I'm slightly ashamed to be sneaking in like this!

I'm off to read all your blogs soon too, though clearly can't catch up, it's been months and months but I have been thinking of you all and missing you all.

So what have I been up to, well lots of interesting and lots of not very interesting.

Recently I went to the Rockin Race Jamboree in Spain, it was an absolute ball and so fantastic to catch some winter sun, as you can see from the picture above, my husband caught it a lot than day and damn him, if he didn't wake up the next morning with a fabulous tan!

I had fun with friends, met some news ones, soaked up the sun, wore lovely clothes - all of which I had to take in (yes the weight loss battle continues to be won!) and generally had a lovely restful and partying time.

Yes this is early February in Southern Spain, sooo lovely and warm! However when we arrived back at Gatwick it was a horrible shock to arrive to temperatures of -1 and snow eeek!

Ok I'm going to leave my sneaking back in at that and hope to see you all much more in the next couple of weeks. Of to catch up on your news xx

I'm back!

Hello, I'm back and I've missed being here so much!

I would like to say I've been to exotic destinations and so busy I haven't been able to post but in reality I've been watching the Olympics and Paralympics. I love it and it's so blumming inspirational but I'm glad today is the last day as I want to get my life back!

How are you all? What have you been up to?

I've been up to some other things but not much. We haven't had a lot of summer in the UK this year, in fact it's been pretty dire but a few weeks ago just before I went back to work after my knee op was a beautiful day and off we went to a local antique centre for a browse and a coffee out in the sunshine. Nice but even nicer I got to wear a blouse I've never worn and LOVE! When I made it originally I messed up and made it too big, then I gained a bunch of weight and haven't been able to wear it, now it fits beautifully - well actually now since that photo it's a little loose but hey that's all good!

I know it looks like a car park but it's not, it's very beautiful, the building the antique centre is in a 17th Century Mill Building, so it's an amazing setting!

During the summer I also scored this fantastic coffee table.

I've been after another 50s coffee table for a long time, we used to have a gorgeous one but it sadly met a sticky end. This one is ideal though, it matches our living room curtains beautifully, it's always worth waiting for that piece you're looking for, I also got it very cheap too at £15!!

Well I think that's enough for now, I'm back and hopefully posting much more again and reading and commenting on your blogs again.

I have my sewing mojo back so more on that and I have lots of decorating to do too!

oh and sadly I'm having to get password put back on my comments, apologies but I've had sooooo much spam comments lately :o(

Proud and extra proud!

Well I'd like to say I've been busy whilst I've been off after my knee op but it's taken until the end of last week to feel normal again, I was awfully tired most of the week. My knee is really getting better amazingly quick, it was a keyhole op so I know it would be fairly quick but it's been a lot quicker than I thought, it's still swollen so I'm not back to normal and I'm certainly not as flexible as normal but I'm getting there. Back to work Tuesday, shame, just as the weather in the UK is set to get gorgeous!!

Anyway I had an idea what I wanted to sew but actually only got one thing done, however I'm super proud of it.

Do you remember this fabric I bought from a vintage fair? It's a beautiful vintage polish cotton, I couldn't have worked with a nicer fabric!

I've been wanting to make this pattern for a while, it's so summery and versatile as I knew with this fabric it would look like a dress when worn together but I can wear it apart with different blouse or trousers/skirt. Obviously I didn't want to add the ric rac as it's too patterned and I also didn't add the pockets for the same reason, although I'm so happy with the outcome I may buy some solid colour cotton and do another set with ric rac and pockets!

And the final result! I'm really happy with it. It's so summery, just in time for our week of summer in the UK!!

I would definitely make this pattern again although as with any sewing I learnt a few lessons as I went along which I'll share as I always think it's useful for other people who sew. I'm short and really I need to alter all patterns accordingly, this means altering the length of the blouse and the skirt, I didn't do this as I cut the pattern out and I wish I had as this would have been an even better fit than it is if I had! 

What I did do this time that I rarely do is I did everything properly. I have sewn for more years than I care to remember but I'm a sloppy, I sew for me, I have never cared about technique or the finish, but I have decided I want to improve as people are starting to ask me to make for them, however I'm not happy with my finish yet, so I'm improving my finish on all my garments, then perhaps I'll start making for others. 

Anyway things I did for this that I don't normally. 

1. The pattern didn't have facings for the collar and armholes and I thought it needed them so I added them and I'm glad I did

2. I've always struggled with hemming fuller skirt so I found this tutorial 

on Gerties Blog for Better Sewing and followed it, it was great and I'm so happy with the result, so much so I'm determined to make more full skirts.

3. I ironed seams at EVERY stage, not just when I had to, preparation and thoroughness in sewing leads to a better garment all round!

Ok so that's what I'm proud of, what am I extra proud of??

I fit back into one of my favourite vintage dresses, a 1950s gold lurex dress, I am chuffed beyond belief, I am overflowing with joy, now I need to go somewhere to wear it again!! It's a little tight still, it could do with being a little looser but I'm in it dammit and that is HUGE for me :o)

Apologies for the slightly blurred photos of my outfit shots, I have no idea why they did that, working with a timer confuses me, I must have pressed something else too!!

Gingham, Sewing and FABULOUS fabric!

So it's been another few weeks since I posted, sorry!

Anyway I've been busy, still getting used to full time work, doing lots of stuff I wanted to get done before my knee op (which is this coming Friday eek!) and I've been sewing - as well as continuing to exercise and lose weight :o)

As you know I'm losing weight - over 1 1/2 stone right now, a scrape under 22lbs to be exact! - and my clothes are getting bigger so I needed to make a new blouse for work. I have loads of green gingham sitting around in my stash so thought I would use that. It's so nice to be wearing something that fits rather than too big, I'm also 2 vintage jeans sizes down, just got back into these jeans for the first time in years!!

I also made myself something I've been promising myself for a long while, not an essential piece of clothing but a make up coverall! I am one of those people who is forever dropping make up on myself, it drives me crazy. I know some people are great at this kind of thing, me, not so much. So I made up a 50s apron and I've had no make up down the front of my clothes for over a week now YAY!

I've also scored big time on fabric lately, at some great great prices too! All great prints, pretty much all tropical/hawaiian and I can't wait to make them up, but I'm going to wait until I get to a weight I'm happier with so it make be a little while til you see the final product!

The first 3 I bought from the same seller in the US, I think it's repro as it's in such good condition, but it arrived and it's 36 inches wide and feels vintage, I'm really not sure now. Anyway I don't care cos it's AWESOME!!

I got this really cute fabric from a US seller to for next to nothing, it does however smell a little - only of old peoples houses, like moth balls or something - so I'll be washing it before I use it, but very carefully!

This fabric I bought from a UK seller and I have lots of it, enough to make a dress. It is far better in the flesh, for some reason photographs don't do it justice, even in on ebay it didn't look as good as it is but I thought it might be, so again I got it for a song!!

Last weekend I swapped my old office and sewing room round, I put Paul and all his art and painting paraphernalia in my office and I went into his old art room which is now my sewing room. Once I've sorted it fully I'll take photos. When I was moving my stuff I found a stash of UFOs (unfinished objects for all you non-sewing types), this gorgeous blouse was amongst them. I remember starting this several years ago before a holiday but then just didn't have time to finish it, I think it went wrong and I abandoned it. Anyway I have dug it out, it's still too small right now but I will finish it up, it's stunning fabric, and I will fit it soon :o)

And last but not least, please don't be scared he he! I have a bigger bust it's no secret and every time I try to fit something to my tailors dummy it just doesn't hang right as all my measurement is at the front, not round the back. So I decided to get a bra out, fix it to my dummy and stuff it, it's not glamorous, but boy what a difference it's made! Sadly my waist isn't quite that small yet, but that's as big as this dummy goes, but it will be soon, they are however my hip measurements :o) I wanted to show you this as this is a good idea for those with a larger bust who are trying to fit clothes better!

So as you see I've been up to a lot. As I said I'm in for my op on Friday, so you'll probably hear a lot more from me during that week cos I'll be off work.

Hope you're all well, sorry I haven't been able to keep up with my blog reading but I mostly caught up today.

What to wear....

As I said in my last post a couple of months ago I started working in an office again, I've worked for myself for so long that of course my first thought is what will I wear, I know so shallow ha ha!

Of course my problem has been compounded by my weight loss and continuing change of shape. I don't really want to buy anything as in a few months time it'll be too big, I have made a couple of things, but right now I'm making do. Wearing some things that are too big, some that I'm just getting into again, some have had to go by the wayside as they are just too big, no one wants their trousers to fall down as they're walking through the office ....!!!

I'm prompted to write this post as I sat down today to make a new work blouse out of my stash of fabric, sadly I didn't measure as I went along, I made it a little snug, usually I'd take it apart and start again but as I am losing weight I'll just finish it off in a couple of weeks and it'll fit soon

So I got to thinking if I had limitless amounts of money what would I LIKE to wear to work.

I prefer smart to casual although my work is kind of casual, so not sure these would work but I sure would like them!

I do love a good suit and used to wear them a lot when I was younger, however as I said it's a pretty casual office so I'm veering more towards this look.

Although without the bullet bra!

It's is a poorly ventilated office, it's local government they have no money, so when it's hot it's really hot, so sometimes I've had to resort to cropped trousers & blouses, but I am running out of ideas and as I said I don't want to spend money for no reason.

I have been relying on a few older blouse I have and these two that I made before I started losing weight, although they are getting far too big now.

I really want more variety, but I'm in limbo with losing weight, it's a great limbo but it is limbo.

In the meantime I guess I just need to search my stash for plainer material to run up a few blouses and skirts to keep me going. I already had to take apart the trousers I made just before I started losing weight, they were enormous.

So like I say a nice predicament but a predicament nonetheless!!

Oh and I have good news. I got the date through for my knee operation, Friday 13th July, just as well I'm not superstitious isn't it?!

No doubt you'll hear from me much more that week as I have to take some time off for rest after it.

Farnham Maltings Vintage Fair

Well I have a lot to catch up on because I haven't blogged for so long and one thing I wanted to let you know about is Farnham Maltings Vintage Fair which was on Sunday 6th May, I know over a month ago!

I normally go to the monthly antique and collectors market there and occasionally find a little gem, I'd heard about the Vintage Fair that was on last year and so I thought as it was local it would be rude not to go!

I feared it would be hideously overpriced and full of faux vintage but to my surprise there were some real gems there. I also knew a few of the stall holders so that was nice too. Homes and Antiques did a nice little review here. I'm crediting them as I'm stealing a photo from them later!!

So what did I find?

Well the very lovely Acorn & Will had a stall and I've been promising myself a lovely brooch from them for a while. I couldn't choose and as they were doing 3 for £10 I bought myself this trio of lovelies!

Are they lovely?

The next 2 things are rather predictable for me..... fabric!

I spotted this lovely slightly glazed cotton fabric almost stuffed under a table for the princely sum of £10 with enough to make a dress, so a total bargain and just my colour too.

I can't wait to make this up, but as the weather has turned decidedly wet and windy this last week the urge to make a lovely summer dress has left me for now.

Last but not least I got the most unbelievable amount of fabulous barkcloth at an amazingly bargainous price - I know bargainous isn't a word but I like it :o) There are yards and yard and yards of this stuff in fact there is so much I haven't measured it yet I just snatched it right up as it's our kind of colours and our kind of print.

It's in absolutely pristine order, the colours are bright, just gorgeous. I don't have plans for it yet but I could not pass this up as it was just too good. Interestingly it seems to have a story behind it too. It's in one enormous sewn together panel, I couldn't imagine what it was used for and then saw something sewn in the top of the panel. As far as I can make out it says Redhill Hospital, Merton R*dland 3/63, was this really in a hospital as a cubicle curtain? Could that be? It's just lovely and perfect with no fading. Anyway I thought this was fascinating.

I mentioned I met some people I know there, Tina and Gemma were there, see picture below of Gemma from Homes and Antiques article. I saw some other friends and stall holders too, all in all it was a nice morning out, although have to say it got VERY crowded as we were about to leave so if you do go when it's next on, get there early and get out!

I would definitely recommend it for a visit though, it was fun, we saw some nice things and bought some nice things too!

A trip down memory lane....

I know from previous posts that the readers of this blog LOVE old pictures, I always get such a response from posts like this, so when I was looking through some pictures the other day for something in particular I scanned a few in for your enjoyment!

I thought I'd give you a bit of insight into what life was like being in a band and on the road. It was a long time ago, it was fun but sometimes the long hours on the road in the van with a bunch of blokes just all got a bit much, but mostly it was fun!

I love this one of me and Paul

On the road on our first ever trip abroad many many many years ago

Our second trip abroad to the rather glamorous location of Nice, however sharing a room with 6 other blokes wasn't so glam!

When you travel with a band most of your life is spend in the van, it's like another member of the band!

You do get to visit some lovely locations though, that is definitely one of the upsides!

You do spend a lot of time just passing the time though, one of my favourites was table football, bet you didn't see that coming!!

Backstage is for downtime and getting out of sweaty clothes after a show, I do love this shot, just shows how hard the guys worked that night and how hot it was!

I really love this shot, getting ready before the curtains open, people don't often see this. I also love that dress, is was an apricot silk organza but was so delicate it just starting falling to pieces :o(

And last but not least an onstage shot, this was one of my favourite dresses ever, it came to a sticky end when I tore it on the drum kit, how sad is that. This was the point I started to have dresses custom made for onstage as wrecking vintage ones saddened me so much!

I do hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane!