Magpie Monday: Sanderson Wallpaper for £1

My local dump is a place of wonder and delight. It's true. Apart from having lots of different areas to help you seperate and recycle all your most random junk, they get all the decent stuff people have thrown away and allow you to buy it back from them. From one corrugated iron hut, it's a magnificent source of furniture that only needs a little upcycling, and all kinds of other great items. This time, I met a girl who had found a bunch of old board games like cluedo, incomplete, that she was going to use to do her wedding invitations and centrepieces (a cluedo wedding - how cool), and I got a big armful of stuff myself. So happy. 

For £3 total, I have got two rolls of Sanderson William Morris Wallpaper, so pretty (I know what I'm doing with it too - I will use it to line the inside of my new wardrobes which we have our bedroom redecorated in a few months time). Also a (new! unread?!) box set of Secret Seven books and a drawing instruction book for my daughter, two interesting old books from the 60s (one on vernacular architecture and one on anatomical drawing) which are in bad shape but I will probably use them for scrapbook or collage materials, a virtually untouched paper dolly book, and a very sweet glass bonbon dish with wheat ears on it.

Haul!

Keen on this sort of thing?

If you like thrifting and second hand lovliness you can find more over at Me & My Shadow Magpie Monday Link Up

Magazine Rack Makeover

This week I have been trying to catch up on a lot of projects that I have had hanging around, some for literally years! I like the fresh energy of the New Year, it always encourages me to try and tie up loose ends and get rid of those half finished bits.

I decided to finally finish upcycling a magazine rack that I received, broken, over two years ago. Last year I found the most perfect MidCentury style fabric that was also a great colour match for some of the furniture I already have in my lounge. Luckily I decided to keep it with the broken rack, so it was all ready to whip out at the opportune moment. Which finally came!

While I was doing it I kept uploading my progress to Twitter, because I was feeling lonely (or attention seeking, whichever). So there are more pictures if you are interested, on the hashtag #magazinerackmakeover.

The plastic covering of the original is a pretty cool pattern, so in the spirit of recycling I will be keeping that for some unspecified project.....

I love it! Now I am feeling the upcycling bug I will roam the house looking for new victims/candidates.

Watch this space!

Holiday Make and Mend

What do you do with uncomfortably short jogging bottoms?.... Snip snip. Mmmmm, comfy play shorts.

What do you do with attractive dress that PING only has one viable strap. Mmmm schmexy new halterneck. Only I can't show you a picture of that because my camera has died a bit today.

Thrifty, non?

Maybe I'll get a nice picture of the dress after my holiday........... You lucky people.

English Patchwork: Hand-pieced Teacosy WIP

I am trying out a few new things at the moment, trying to concentrate on creating a range of items for my shop that do have the eclectic handmade aesthetic that I like, whilst being, um, *cough* (whispers) commercial. Also it was part of my stated aim this year that I would develop and nurture the skills that I do have. 

So here I present for you a WIP - I have sold lots of simple tea cosies but I thought I would try doing my fave hexagonal hand stitched patchwork as a tea cosy. I am using scraps for this one as it's my prototype and also will go into my kitchen so I can see all those tiny pieces of favourite fabrics past.

Hand Piecing is such a time consuming but theraputic thing to do. And a great take along lap project (before you get to the major construction stage!). Here are a few shots where you can clearly see the basting I have used to keep the fabric attached to the paper. I am nearly finished constructing the fabric sections. Then I will post some more pics of how I complete this project. Bet you can't wait ;-). 

Loving the Dump!

No, I am not referring to my house this time. Went down to the dump and found the glorious 'dump shop' where they sell on all the bits of furniture and what-not that is halfway sound. I may have found my next obsession. Managed to disgust my husband by rummaging for ages in a large vat of stained and ripped textile items ('Anything 50p') but my tenacity paid off and I found a large hand embroidered tablecloth. It is ripped and cut in several places but as soon as I saw the embroidery my sad little mind was thinking 'Christmas'. I already have a range of Swiss inspired decorations in mind, mainly due to the fact that I was given some adorable swiss ribbon recently. The little black and red hearts here will look very sweet on hanging heart tree decorations, methinks. But I will probably wait a few months to do this. Panic not, I'm pretty sure that it is still too early for Christmas making. Or is it?

This post is part of Magpie Mondays over at Me and My Shadow - click on the bird!

Magpie Monday - An introduction

As rummaging in the locale and picking up interesting things is something I love, I thought that I would start taking part in the Magpie Monday blog hop hosted by Me And My Shadow. At least then I can show off things I've found rather than simply hoarding them!

This week I have got a bit of a gem, but sadly can't find my camera so I have had to scan it instead -  I was at my local Thrifty Finds shop looking for some vintage textiles to give me some inspiration for what I am going to make next, when I saw a lovely tray cloth embroidered on both ends with a romantic lady. Such a sweet thing, but, as a tray cloth, pretty unlikely to get used. If I can bear to cut it, I will make it into a sweet make-up purse. If not, it will live in my sewing room looking dainty!!

Finally I would like  to ask any fellow magpies what they would use these for - I bought this incomplete french  game from the 1960s because I completely fell in love with the wonky printing and slightly worn look to the whole thing - I am sure I can put the little cards to good use but what? Shall I scan them in and have them printed up as fabric? Or sell them to a scrapbooker? Or just keep them to goad my children into learning French?