button jewellery swap

I have just taken part in incy wincy stitches wonderful button jewellery swap (incywincytogs.blogspot.com). I strung together a necklace in leafy greens with a dash of raspberry pink, from vintage 30s glass, 50s plastic, and 80s resin and metal designer buttons, and sent it to my swap partner Alix with a spare button, a reel of old rayon thread (for her buttonmaking), a copy of my book (Pretty Little Things to Make), and a bag of jellybeans.

Alix (www.bigbluebed.blogpsot.com) sent me some lovely button jewellery (a brooch, hairclip and bracelet) that showcase her amazing skill at creating traditional Dorset buttons.

Also in the glamorous parcel was some scrumptious chocolate and caramels, and everything was wrapped in beautiful vintage silk scarves.

My necklace didn’t take long to do – certainly not as these guys button crafting must have done (the Pearly Kings were parading to the annual Costermonger’s festival in Cheapside, London, last Sunday).

I had been avoiding swaps up till now, just hanging on the sidelines observing them and feeling a bit jealous of braver, more generous and more organized souls. I was worried about the pressure and the potential for disappointment. However, I really enjoyed my first swap and loved the great parcel I received, and I feel lucky and grateful I was matched with clever Alix. I’m hooked now and vow to try one a month for the next year. Apologies for the fuzzy quality for the pix, by the way – they are all from my iphone as my proper camera needs fixing.

clerkenwell vintage fashion fair

I took a stall at this fine event last Sunday. There were some wonderful confections on other stalls; if I had had money and space I would have come home with twice what I took out. However, I stuck fast to selling. I do pine for the things that flew out of the door, but of course they were all too small for me to wear so they were hidden away; I hope they get out and about with their new owners. Some lucky little girl is wearing the 60s Miami beach outfit this summer.

As well as the book and vintage kid’s clothes, I had a vintage lucky dip filled with goodies – vintage hankies (unused old stock), costume jewellery, an old Tiddlywinks game, and suchlike at the bargain price of 2 pounds a go.

Vintage fashion fair stall

vintage yarn photos

I promised to upload some shots, so here is the pick of the haul. The Flexette is a terry cotton with stretch – 6 oz in red and 2 in blue. Pity there is no white for patriotic striped beachwear….not sure yet what I will use it for. I have lots of the Crisp Crepe in different woodland hues; I am thinking socks and gloves and will scour my vintage pattern library for some lacy little numbers. The Fuzzy Wuzzy came complete with a vintage pattern for a sweet short cardi, so no decisions to make there.

vintage yarn haul

I haven’t unearthed any vintage treasure in London for a good while, but this week, on the way to a sample sale, I stumbled on a large charity store with 3 huge tubs full of prime vintage yarn, mostly 100% wool. I got a good bagful, though the hunt was mildly hampered by a fellow truffle hound who spotted my digging and joined in. It turned out she didn’t knit but was buying the stuff for her sister – I hope her lucky sister appreciates the old-fashioned quality. I came back the next day and scored another whole bag full (how greedy am I). There was still plenty left after that though, and they had topped up between my 2 visits, so you might find a fresh choice if you hurry down to the Seven Sisters Road just south of Finsbury Park tube and look for a large scruffy storefront with lots of old furniture outside. There’s lots of 50s Lavenda Crisp Crepe and Robin Casino in wet English spring colours (mushroom, moss green, primrose yellow), plus quite a bit more. Also in my haul is some sharp 60s Lee Target Aran in black (there was more of this still on sale), and 11 balls of 50s vintage gold dust: Paton’s Fuzzy Wuzzy in tangerine with the cutest cardi pattern to knit it up (will post this later). I got around 50 Kg in total, so my stash is now seriously bloated. I found a few lengths of vintage fabric, some knitting needles, a charming vintage kid’s straw boater and a couple of vintage silk designer ties, too. All for just under 50 quid!

Pretty Little Things to Make

My book PRETTY LITTLE THINGS TO MAKE has been published in the UK this month. Many thanks to the talented team that helped me create it. There are 20 heirloom designs (15 sewing and 5 knitting) to make for babies and toddlers, inspired by my vintage collection.

To buy a copy follow this link:
www.anovabooks.com/products/product.asp?catId=8&subcatId=26&id=1222

snowmen

I know the snowmen are not vintage, but the setting is – the Barbican in London, a listed 20th century architectural icon – so they can drift into my blog. Elton: Love the feet with their very own shoelaces. Cute hat! And someone has taken the time to knit him a scarf. Best of all, the Selfridges bag is being waved defiantly in the face of the credit crunch: very brave, though the bag is VERY small. Glob: Guess the sculptural influences: Marvel comix, Ron Mueck or Wallace and Gromit?

happy old christmas!

merry snowman teacosy

I have been busy making presents and managed to adapt several vintage patterns in time for Christmas. Here is one of my gift projects: a vintage snowman teacosy pattern reworked in eyelash yarn and cotton (knitted together) for the body, with a sparkly red scarf and a black wool hat. I will post the original pattern shortly. I have gathered almost a hundred vintage teacosy patterns, including a koala bear, a forget-me-knot posy and a country cottage.

OLD STUFF

I’m playing catch-up by finally getting around to setting up a blog to show off my vintage finds and share some patterns, so I feel I need to explain that my vintage credentials are not so Johnny come lately. My passion for vintage started young. My mother volunteered in a charity shop in the late 1960s and I holed up in the storeroom in school holidays, trying on 50s tulle-layered evening frocks and 20s cloche hats; it was just the best dressing-up box. Wind on a few years to the mid 70s and my obsession reached the local papers, when an Oxford journalist chose me to interview about the new craze for old clothes. Somewhere I have the faded cutting of a 13-year-old me vamping it up in ratty fur and crepe as proof of my unfaded obsession with faded threads and when I find it I will share.