Tuesday 29 September 2015

Hand dyeing your own skeins of embroidery thread.....






Red and yellow and pink and green, orange
and purple and blue .... I can sing a rainbow, sing
a rainbow too!





As you all know I buy my hand dyed threads from America and they are the shaker one that I love.  Having said that you can always dye your own.  If you buy white embroidery thread what is to stop you dyeing your own colour ways yourself, it could be really exciting.

I have a few tips for you on this subject.  Firstly when you make your dye from say woad or
blackberries or what ever you decide to use subject to the colour you require then my advice is make a batch and only dye one skein ( do not however throw away the dye batch that you have made)  dry your skein that you have dyed and make sure you are really pleased with the results then you can dye more for your collection of the same batch.  If you are not happy you can adjust the colour.

Last summer I did a series on hand dyeing fabrics with natural ingredients and you can look at that for your instructions and it will work just as well on embroidery cottons.

The Shaker ones that I buy have wonderful names such as blueberry pie and crows feet, brick path and the celery and pumpkin patch!  You can name your own for your colour ways that you invent.

I am going to have a go at this in January when it is quiet here.  I am going to try and dye some for myself and name them.  Then I will use them in an embroidery project.

This summer I have frozen raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries so I am going to have a go
with some of those.  You can buy natural dyes from the internet as well if you do not want to have a go at making your own ( always wearing gloves especially with beetroot!!) I buy woad for blues as it is hard to find unless you grow your own dyeing garden ( which I am going to do when we move)

I love the way hand dyed comes out slightly variegated and unique and it brings a depth to your embroidery as well with its natural shading on a leaf or a petal.

If any of you have a go before me please let me know how it went and what the beautiful results have been.

Well I am away to my stitchery and packing today so I hope you all have a wonderful day and as always Happy Stitching!











Monday 28 September 2015

Vintage mother of pearl buckles....... project designing.




I become like a magpie when it comes
to mother of pearl.  I just can not help myself
and collect and store all and everything that is shiny!







Nacre  also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it also makes up the outer coating of pearls. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent.  It is also stunning, I think personally.  I adore mother of pearl be it buttons, buckles or carved brooches.  I also have a 1920's mother of pearl mirror compact and this is one of my favourite personal vintage treasures.

I recently bought some beauties at the Cotswold's vintage fair with not really a firm idea as to what to do with them.  Some are now for use in my work and some will be for sale at the Vintage Bazaar in October.

I had a project in mind and had the buckles and I recently bought the perfect fabric my Jenny of Tilly-D fame at the Christchurch vintage and collectables market the other Sunday.  I am sorting through project baskets and my stitching room to have things to work on when I get back and I am going to take some little hand stitching projects with me on the plane as I told you so it is that kind of day.

I love the fabric that I bought with its cream background and pale biscuit colour, blues, reds and green colours in between it is perfect and it is French which in this case was a must.....

It is a good size piece and will do perfectly for this project with quiet a lot left over.

I was able to position the pattern that I drew over certain areas of this fabric and it all looks different as if it is different fabrics used in a way.  I am so thrilled with the results.  I am searching later for the right colour embroidery threads as there will some additional embroidery patterns stitched on it.  This will be raised obviously from the printed pattern and will work really well I believe.

Vintage mother of pearl buttons will be the cherry on top.  I am excited about this one and hope it turns out as I hope it will.

The excitement is building in this house for our holiday and I have to try and keep focused on the day to day things that I must complete before the off!

I have to report I still have not cut my dads shirt yet ..... sigh.  I must because it is better use of this pieces of precious fabric history than just on a hanger unseen.  I think it is because I do not know how to use it yet.  I must sit tonight and doodle a patchwork square that it will work in and the words I would like to use as well as his name and date of birth .. this is what I think is stopping me.  Cutting it, but how and what.

My ear is feeling lots better thank you all for your well wishes .....   I will be fine to fly and it has cleared up well.  I am still putting T Tree in my ear every night ( which is my belief not so much the doctors) and have taken all my tablets.  I do not feel dizzy and sick now so I am mended.

Well I am off now to continue with my day.  I hope you all have a good one and Happy Stitching!





Saturday 26 September 2015

Covering a lampshade tutorial......







Good Morning All

Well I thought this might be a great tutorial.  I have never done this myself and I am interested in doing so for me personally.  Its a great little tutorial and I have this book on my wish list for Christmas as it comes highly recommended.  The tutorial uses hot glue gun to keep panels in place for stitching which is a great idea to keep them taught.  Nothing worse than a baggy panel!

I would like to cover some lampshades with vintage fabrics including vintage embroidered table clothes but as in the tutorial have different pieces to cover with so it is not too busy!  So for me a piece of vintage embroidered cloth and then a piece of vintage plain linen ......

Have a look and see what you think and maybe you will have some ideas of your own once you get to grips with the basics of covering a frame.  Have a wonderful weekend and as always Happy Stitching!



ENJOY!











Friday 25 September 2015

Scrap quilting with some hand embroidery too.... with memories of my late Dad.





My father.  He was the rock, the guy you went to with every problem.
Gwyneth Paltrow



I am slowing working on a quilt for myself with vintage fabrics and linens.  Included in this though will be some fabric cut from things that I have sentimentally kept over the years.  I think it will be lovely to put some things in this quilt that mean an awful lot to me.

Now comes the dilemma for me.  One thing I have kept is a shirt that was my Dads, he died in 1999.  I wish I had taken more but in the state of mind I was in, there was not a rational thought in my head.  My Aunt was helping my mum and thought it was wise to bag all of my Dads things up before the funeral and get it sorted so my mum did not have to do this after.  I did not make a noise about it because I was grieving myself but I had the fore thought to grab a shirt.  I think it was just me not letting all my Dad go but I wish I had grabbed more!

So I have this shirt which is hung in my wardrobe and never been washed and when I have been sad or missed him terribly in the first few years I would slip it on and bring my knees up inside it like he was hugging me...... It is now time to do something with this said shirt I think.  Cut it up and stitch it into my quilt project, do you think I can put scissors to it!!!  I know it is the right thing to do.  This will be my quilt and not for sale and not a huge one so I can easily wrap it around me..... I think use all the shirt in patches and also hand stitch his name and birth date on one of the patches.  This way it is used and not just shut in a wardrobe doing nothing.

My father would agree if he could tell me so my first step is to wash and iron it.  Yes it may not seem a lot to those of you reading this but it is to me...  His shirt is white and blue striped and is only short sleeved.  I thought I could use some of the buttons too on it.  Is this shirt vintage well yes because even my Dad bought it in a charity shop ( got to love him) so I think it is at least 22 years old because I remember him wearing it an awful lot years before he died. So I would put it in the 1980's somewhere.  It will mingle with 1900 vintage linens and 19230/40 vintage hand embroidered table cloth pieces as well as beautiful 1930 eiderdown paisley's as well so it will be in good company!

So this morning I am going to hand wash said shirt and air dry it ready for my huge step of scissors.

I am collecting fabrics for this quilt of mine and doing different squares for it.  I am not sure how it going to turn out but it will be filled with wonderful personal memories so it will be a treasure to me.

There will be lots of hand stitching in it, I have decided so it is a labour of love and will probably take at least a year I would think.
There are these book out as well and I would like to put them on my wish list for Birthday and Christmas.  I was originally  going to do all log cabin squares but I am not sure now .... I think I may stitch different ones .. best make up my mind don't you know!

Some will be coming on the plane with me.  I am going to try and complete two squares whilst on holiday both flying to and from and during.   I would like to do two squares with some of my Dads shirt fabric ... so I must try and cut it!   I think it is better use of it than hanging at the back of my
wardrobe and letting it not be seen.  I am taking several small stitching projects with me to complete in our down time away.  Instead of taking a book I am going to stitch I think.....  I saw this quilt which I thought was stunning so it has me redesigning in my head.

I am feeling better with the ear infection although not quiet 100% but I am getting there, I would like to say that is the reason of  making me indecisive but people who know me, well would just laugh!!

Have a great day today, I am having an hour out today to attend a McMillan coffee afternoon which is dear to my heart so what ever you are doing today have a great day.  I managed yesterday to make some heart shaped scones to take as a contribution.....

Happy Stitching!










Thursday 24 September 2015

The first sewing pattern ~ Ebeneezer Butterick






Have you ever wondered about the first pattern that was ever invented for clothes making?  Indeed I now make my own patterns for applique and things that I stitch now but who had the idea first.  We live by patterns now with clothing, toys, soft furnishings, cross stitch and embroidery patterns being available to all.  Well it was Ebenezer and his wife Ellen Butterick who first had the idea.

Ebenezer Butterick and  his wife Ellen Augusta Pollard Butterick, invented the tissue paper dress pattern in 1863.
Butterick founded the E. Butterick & Company (now the Butterick Publishing Company), in New York in 1867.

The History of Butterick and patterns.


In 1863, Ebeneezer Butterick improved home sewing by inventing the first graded sewing pattern. Ebeneezer Butterick was a tailor, however, it was his wife Ellen Butterick that did all the sewing at home for their son.
At that time, people who sewed would lay out their fabrics and then hand draw the fabric cuts they wanted to make.

Ellen Butterick remarked to her husband how handy it would be if she had some sort of pattern to guide her in making her fabric cuts, a pattern that was the correct size for their son.

Graded Pattern Sizes

Ebeneezer Butterick came up with the concept of the graded pattern, which simply meant he created the first standardized clothing size chart. Before Ebeneezer Butterick, clothing patterns came in one size which took the skill of an experienced seamstress or tailor to size up or down (a process called grading). Butterick also established using tissue paper as the perfect material for sewing patterns rather than the cardboard that most of the one-size patterns were made of.

A family business was made out of the manufacturing and selling of the new sized/graded sewing patterns. Within five years, Ebeneezer Butterick was able to offer sewing patterns for adults' and children's clothing in over a dozen different sizes.

Later on there was of course the McCall patterns as well, which are as well known still today as the Butterick ones.

All antique patterns have become very sort after and
collectible today.  I have a few patterns from the 1940 era so that I can one day have a dress made from the period with original 1940 fabric ... when I get enough of a fabric that I like ( probably paisley...)


Well I hope you have enjoyed a little bit of stitchery history I have only dipped my toes into this subject which is fascinating to say the least.

I would like to thank those of you who have sent best wishes about my ear infection ... I am feeling a bit better today and it is getting there..

Well I am off now to do some stitching  and get some more things ready for the Vintage Bazaar in October.  Have a great day and as always Happy Stitching!







Tuesday 22 September 2015

Vintage threads ..... The joy of collecting and using!





Hand stitching and embroidery is such
a gentle art ......





As most of you know who read this blog on a regular basis I am an avid collector of vintage threads, be it cottons or embroidery ones.  I do love to use them as well, they are not just in a drawer or box to be looked at occasionally.  What I do however is never use all of the cotton on a spool, I do keep a little for prosperity.

I am particularly partial to any cotton spool that has the sticker on the end 'Coates' because of my lovely late friend and neighbour who used to work for them and because we used to talk about threads of all sorts made by this Company.  He said they were the best and I believe him.

Coates PLC is a British multi-national company. It is the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of sewing threads and supplies, and the second-largest manufacturer of zips and fasteners to this day so it actually speaks for its self and is not just an ex employee being loyal and bias.

J P Coates for the hundreds of years that they have been in business used to do some wonderful advertising and I also collect some of the advertising cards that they used.  I have about 5 now and when I come across them I do like to try and buy them.  Not only are they beautiful in their own right but I suppose it is the loyal person in me that likes to keep my friends memory alive.  I like to think he smiles every time I make a J P Coates purchase of any sort.

At vintage fairs that I attend I am always found rummaging in jars and boxes of spools to see if there are any Coates ones to come home with me for my collection.

Embroidery threads too, I enjoy when I find them and then if it is possible to use some original thread on one of embroidered pieces that I am working on the more happy I become.  Of course it is not always possible so I do use the hand dyed shaker threads as well.  However I picked up some beautiful grey and pale green colour embroidery threads last month so I am in the middle of incorporating those into some work I am currently in the middle of.

When I go to America next month I will be on the look out for any of the Coates products that were particularly made for the American market and of course whatever I find I will share with you on here.  I have been very busy trying to get things sorted but I am battling with an ear infection so I feel slightly out of balance and it has slowed me up.   It must be sorted before I fly!

I am taking it a little easy today and not going to worry so much, I will get done what I can. Tomorrow when I do not write a blog I am going to go to my stitching room and slowly and quietly sort through some things so that I can continue with writing my list to take to America.

So for today I am going to sit in a cosy chair with a warm drink to sip and continue with my hand stitching.

Whatever you are up to have a great day and as always Happy Stitching!






Monday 21 September 2015

A peek at what is coming to the Vintage Bazaar with me in October!











I have been so busy recently and it really has been manic.  As you all know I do work for publication as well as getting ready for my first vintage fair at the Vintage Bazaar in Frome on Saturday 31st October, having just flown back from America the day before! .. never let it be said I do things by half.

I have been busy doing a stitching cupboard to bring to sell, vintage fabric packs and a little of my stitchery.  I have not had time to do lots of stitching for it but some will be there.  I will have vintage mother of pearl buttons, some china, some furniture, vintage Welsh blankets, vintage hand embroidered cloths and some more surprises......

All of which has to be ready by the end of the first week of October so that I can just load the car to be at Frome on time ( with bags under the eyes!) but I would not miss it for the world ....

So a little peek day .. here it is the beautiful stitching cupboard ( well I think so and had thoughts of keeping it after all the work that has gone into this)  It is painted, distressed and waxed with new handles and stitching stencils.  You wait until you see the inside!  I hope that some of you will be able to attend the VB and take a look.  In one of the drawers at the top there is a cotton spool store and there are two shelves inside. You could put baskets inside to keep things tidy or just fold your fabric and pile it high!

I will be bringing some very old kilner jars that have a pin cushion top to them now and then you have storage inside for buttons or embroidery threads or maybe packets of needles.

I have made up some really lovely fabric packs with good size pieces of fabrics inside.  Some bit of the fabrics are paisley ( yes I have let some go!)  The prices are reasonable for what you get inside.

Then I have made this ... I made some of these for publication  nearly two years ago and thought I would make at least one to take to the VB ( well it will be practically November so Christmas will be coming along soon enough and I will not be doing the Christmas VB)  It is stitched on C1900 slubby linen and is hand embroidered.  All on a very large Wool Mill Spool with the most unusual and beautiful carved antique mother of pearl button on the top ( as it is a star)  with a vintage mother of pearl buckle and another mother of pearl button on the back with a very very old yo yo ( I think it is Victorian because of the fabric... it could of course be Victorian fabric made later but it has been made up a very long time I know that)

So as you can see there will be some great bits and bobs.  I have designed (in my head) my layout for
the stall and I hope all this works on the day.....

In addition I am hoping to bring back some gorgeous American antiques as well so watch the space on Vintage Bazaar facebook, website and here.  I will be sending photos to the VB in the first week of my trip (if I have some finds that is .. )

I will taking some of these antique suitcases as well on the day, which I have up cycled..... and an old picnic basket.  Well that is it for today .. less talk and more action!

I will show you some more in a week or so just to wet your appetite.  Have a great day and as always Happy Stitching!


Saturday 19 September 2015

Sizzix: How to Create the Sewing Kit by French General











Good Morning all and Happy Saturday!

Well I have found this great tutorial from Maari Meng of French General and another one of her Sizzex die cutter designs ... I think these are wonderful and so great to display things in to sell of just
be organised yourself.  I will be on the look out for one of these when I go to the States next month.  If I find one I may well sell some of these pre cut on my die cutter so that people can buy them as a kit to make up themselves and put in them what they would like.

Anyway enjoy this great little tutorial and enjoy your weekend.

Happy Stitching!




Friday 18 September 2015

Show and tell time .... from Sarah Moore & Friends barn sale and Tilly-D






Well it is time to show you what I purchased over last weekend.  I had a great time.  Firstly on the Saturday as you know I attended the Sarah Moore & Friends barn sale and it was amazing full of wonderful wonderful vintage fabrics and goodies.

My husband bought me a vintage preserves cupboard which is original wood that has never been painted or dipped and it is stunning, unfortunately we have taken it to be stored until we move as it will not go in our kitchen at present and I forgot to take a photo of it to show you but rest assured when we move and it is in it rightful place I will post a picture for you.

Never fear I bought some great goodies though.  Have a look at this beautiful purse that Sarah Moore made, I bought it to take to America with me on my holidays and I am very pleased with it.  I leave my normal purse at home with all the Boots, Sainsbury's etc  points cards in and just take two purses.  I have a fabric purse with a union jack stitched on it ( this is for my English money) and then I have bought this purse as it will hold my American dollars and my credit and debit card in it.  This is then easy to see what is what in my handbag! The outside is a beautiful cranberry colour with floral's and inside is an orange velvet and it is just the right size.

I also bought these beauties what do you think of these.  Now these were in amongst bits and bobs
and there was no way for me to know who was selling them ( they had a number system on them to tell the ladies at the till who the money was to go to)  Vintage English paper piecing hexagons and as you can see the vintage paper they are stitched to is as pretty with beautiful calligraphy writing.  I am not even sure what I will be doing with these but rest assured they will be added to something that I will design around them!

Aren't they stunning?  I am so very pleased and think this is what I shall concentrate on whilst on the plane next month.  I think I will sketch a design for them so that when I return home I can make up a project basket with them in.  I have a few ideas popping around my head as I am writing this ......

I also saw some wonderful fabric there on a table
and it has the most lovely colours with greens and reds with some light yellow/cream colours.  Again I am not sure what this will be used on at the moment but it really took my eye so I brought it home with me and it will go into my fabric drawer for now.

The picture does not do the colours justice and I took the photo several times.  It is faded and worn from wearing and washing from its original use but this just adds to its charm and beauty.




I bought a few things from Liz of Washerwoman fame and she had some fabrics that caught my eye
for a project that I have in mind.  Also there were some beautiful French hand stamps for fabrics to embroider so I choose the two that you see.  In addition to that Liz had some antique linen French smocks and I brought one home to modify as a jacket/coat to wear to vintage fairs.  She showed me what to do and I thought it was a great idea, so later on this winter I will be doing something with it for me to wear next year.  It has some hand embroidered monogram detail in the letters of HB and I wish it had been HS for Homespun Stitchworks but there it is,

I particularly love the red and grey fabric that I bought it is French and has great colours that will be something that I have in mind.....


Wandering around I saw some great vintage linen binding and thought it would be great for bunting.  I would like to make some bunting for my
stall at the Vintage Bazaar in October and hope that I have time to get round to it.  With only 4 weeks until I fly to the States I am going to have to use my time wisely to get everything done including packing and making sure the house is tidy for when I return.  There is nothing worse than coming home after a long night flight with no sleep and having to face stuff you have left, along with all the cases you just brought in with a pile of washing to do!!

I also spied a vintage French glass jar that was probably used for preserves at one time or another and
it will go in my dresser for just that, when I make marmalade in January.  I love the seville oranges to make marmalade with a drop of whiskey in it for a little taste and preservative, not as much as my husband I have to say but I thought it a great glass jar to put a big batch in... that is unless I fill it with stitching goodies in my sewing room!!

Then I spotted some vintage postcards all in a wooden container and had fun looking through those.  I found three of Beatrix Potter, one of which is a black and white one of her as an older lady.  I am extremely fond of Beatrix Potter and a great fan of her art work.  I
went to her museum once in the Lake District and I was able to get up close and personal with some of her orginal art.  It is incredible.  In the fur of some of the rabbits you can almost see every individual hair that makes up their fur!  So I brought these home to frame for me to hang up as inspiration and admiration.

So I did very well indeed I think.  I am so very happy with all my purchases that I made and can not wait for the Sarah Moore and friends Christmas vintage fair which is on Sat 5th of December and Sunday 6th of December.  I will be going to that and it is already in my work diary and calender....

So if that was not enough for a weekend of pure vintage pleasure then guess what.... Christchurch every month have a vintage and collectables market and my husband and I went there on Sunday
afternoon and who should be there with her beautiful stall of vintage fabrics and wonders but Jenny of Tilly-D and oh oh oh she had some beautiful fabrics I can tell you. I had been looking for a lovely fabric for a French inspired project and I have found it on her stall along with another 1940 piece of fabric that I can cut up and cut round the flowers to add on to things to make them look pretty.

We caught up with both of our lives and what we had been up too and Jenny will be at the Vintage Bazaar in October, not as a stall
holder but to walk around and have a look so I will see her there.  Also if you live near Christchurch in Dorset the Vintage and collectable market will be on again on Sunday 11th of October and I will try and pop there but it will only be a few day before I leave for the States so who knows.  I am thrilled with my fabric purchases from Tilly-D and they have been put into project baskets ready for use!

So as you can tell I had a thoroughly lovely weekend of fabulous vintage fun!  We also managed to put all our wooden tables and chairs away on Sunday before the horrendous rain set in this week so that was a relief.  We got out our plastic set so that we can still have winter b b q 's with the fire pit and throws.  If is is not raining just cold we can sometimes sit outside all warm drinking mulled wine and have a pizza on the b b q ..... I just adore my seasons as each one brings a different kind of fun!!

Anyway I must away now to my stitching and ticking my huge list of things to do off as I go.

Have a wonderful weekend and do not forget to come back here tomorrow as I have a great tutorial for you all to watch.

Happy Stitching!








Thursday 17 September 2015

American feedsack quilts and fabrics.....







The imagination of stitcher's never ceases to amaze me.  The history of hundreds of years ago
with the making quilts to keep them warm and cosy and clothes and toys for children.  Thanks to those pioneers of the day we get to have wonderful quilts and things we love and value still ! Samplers to learn ABC's all these utility items to them are of great wonder and decorative value to us.  I wonder sometimes how they would feel if they could see what we all cherish and collect today. How much a quilt can cost now that to them was made with scraps and for survival of the cold.

Have many of you heard of these? feedsack quilts, clothes and rag dolls......

The feedsack  history in farming and later stitching, started 1800's, when dry goods such as food staples, grain, seed, and animal feed were packed for transportation and storage in tins, boxes, and
wooden barrels. This was not an a great method of storage as tin would rust and the hand made boxes and barrels leaked and were damaged easily. They were large, heavy and difficult to transport. Manufacturers had  to find another method, but didn’t consider the cloth bags of homespun linen used by the farmer to store goods for use in the home because the hand sewn seams would not hold in heavy use.

 This changed in 1846 with the invention of the sewing machine, which made it possible to sew double locking seams strong enough to hold the contents of a bag.
Feedsacks were initially made of heavy canvas, and were used to obtain flour, sugar, meal, grain, salt and feed from the mills. They were reusable, with the farmer bringing an empty sack stamped with his mark or brand to the mill to be filled. That did not last long because of the farmers wives who discovered other uses for them.

The clever and inventive farmers wife quickly discovered that this cotton bag was a great source of utilitarian fabric to be used for dish cloths, baby nappies, nightgowns and other household uses including quilts and dresses and clothes for children. Manufacturers decided to take advantage of this and started offering sacks in various prints and solid colour.  It took two or three sacks to make a dress for example and of course the farmers wives would make sure the farmer bought the same ones so that they could make such garments.  It worked well for the manufactures and of course for the stitching ladies too.


Magazines and pattern companies of the day started to see the feedsack popularity and took advantage of the prints on them to produce patterns for people to follow.  In addition there were ideas and instructions for using the strings from the sacks for knitting and crochet.  Interestingly by 1942 figures showed that three million women ad children were wearing a feedbag garment or children were still playing with rag dolls from them as well.  The popularity continued into the 1960's where it seems to have died out.

The manufactures of the sack started to compete with each other for business by printed more and more beautiful patterns on them including Disney prints as well such as Alice in Wonderland and Mickey Mouse for children.

Quilt making with them also became popular as well.  The Amish are now the only people who seem to use feedsacks for dry goods still today but I feel it is a real shame.

This is a fascinating history for me and I hope you have enjoyed your read today.  I would love to hear what any of you think about this and if indeed you have heard of this piece of history before.

I have enjoyed looking into the history, I love learning and getting knowledge of stitchery in any form.  Well I am off to my stitchery now.  I have to take some photos of my vintage goodies later today to do the show and tell tomorrow.  Have a great day and Happy Stitching!



Tuesday 15 September 2015

Sarah Moore pop up vintage fair!....





Vintage fabrics, buttons, threads &
all kinds of wonderful goodies to tempt!



I truly believe that you meet some of the loveliest people at these kind of fairs, us vintage lot are obsessed with what we love, make and design and we enjoy talking to other like minded people about all of the above.  We seem to all be collectors of something and enjoy seeing what each other have purchased and each others delights are our own.


Sarah and her family live in a most beautiful part of West Sussex in a beautiful old farmhouse with out buildings and a courtyard.  The barn was brimming with wonderful vintage goodies and delights. The stables had been converted into little shops and there was even a vintage scout tent brimming with such
wonderful fabrics I thought I might faint!

As always there was a pop up vintage tea room with stunning old hand embroidered clothes on the tables and table outside in the sun with little jars
of wild flowers on them.  They had pots of tea and cafetiere of coffee along with some wonderful scones, jam and cream and a choice of several other cakes to tempt all.

To my delight I found the lovely Liz and Jack who were exhibiting in the huge barn along with lots of other people who had brought along some
gorgeous goodies.  Mostly everybody had intermingled their stock so it really is a case of showing you pictures of the day and adding a list of exhibitors.

This September pop up fair was even bigger and better than the last
two in my opinion and they had extended all the exhibitors in to other outbuildings as well, which had not been done before... it was a truly fabulous and beautiful event.


I bumped into a dear friend Sally and we caught up later over a coffee and cake along with a friend that had come  with her.  We must have sat and chatted for an hour and caught up.  It was wonderful.  Sally had bought an antique paper style magazine and Oh My! it is stunning.  I was able to look through and see the most  beautiful pictures.

Sarah Moore and friends had really gone to town on this Barn Sale and it
just looked wonderful.  There were lots of people coming and going in the 4 hours that I was there.  Yes four hours.  Firstly I went around and took photos and then I went buying, had my catch up with Sally and chatted to friends... peeking into each others bags to see what each other had bought.  Bramble, Sarah's dog was there and there were other dogs there too with their owners all rubbing along together.  The sun actually shone, which had not been forecast at all.  I can not wait for the Christmas one later this year!

In each of the stables there were different goodies all displayed with great care and imagination.  Inside the big barn it was set out like a shop with furniture, dressers and tables all dressed beautifully.  There were fabrics,
linens, kitchenalia, jugs, jars, pegs, threads, buttons, quilts, antique English paper piecing, old postcards, enamel wares and so so much more!


This two day event really is one for your diary if you can make the trip.  You will not be disappointed at all and it feels like a small gathering of people, all friendly and cosy but in fact lots of people go there all through the weekend but yet it feels like friends getting together, you forget it is actually a vintage fair in a way.  The joy, however, is that you can buy what you see and it is such a friendly atmosphere as well.

All in all there were 14 exhibitors there but it seemed like more some how.  I guess because it is set out like one huge beautiful shop in the middle with 7 or 8 other shops spread around the courtyard and stables with stock mingled together to get such beautiful displays, it is pure eye candy!


The exhibitors were as follows.  Sarah Moore. Michelle Essam of Found Country Antiques, Rebecca Hadnett of Simply Country, Sarah Kingston of
Goose Home & Garden, Jill Gibbons of Rosebud Decorative, Liz & Jack Van Hasslet of The Washerwoman & La Camonnette Bleue, Antoinette O'Sullivan of Seathrift Interiors, Julia Grant of Winters Moon, Jessica Raymont, Julia Jepps of Gazehound Vintage, Jane Scott of Primrose Lane, Pauline Kelsy of Brocante and Hector and Fox.  I hope I have not left anyone out as this list, it was given to me and I am sure everyone would have been on there......

The work that goes into a vintage pop up fair like this at a family home
must be enormous and I would like to thank all involved in this great event. It was an outstanding day and I came away with two bags of goodies and a very old and beautiful free standing preserve cupboard!  I am over the moon with it.  My husband saw it and showed it to me.  I said how beautiful it was and indeed yes I would love one of those for our new house and as if by magic he had bought it and got some help loading it into our car and it came home with us! ( I am one very lucky lady!!)

I will be doing a show and tell for you later in the week of the goodies that I bought there.  I had a great day and found some wonderful bits and bobs indeed.

In fact I had a great weekend because on the Sunday there was the vintage market in Christchurch in Dorset ( about 3 miles away from where we live) and I went there and found the lovely Jenny of Tilly- D and she had two pieces of fabric that I had been searching for so they came home with me on the Sunday!!

I will add those two fabrics to my show and tell so that you can see them too.  After we left Sarah Moore & Friends Barn Sale we went to Medhurst village and found a fabulous restaurant and had a lovely meal before heading off home.

I hope you have enjoyed this little look, I am away to my stitching and painting... yes painting (more on that later in the week too)  Have a great day and as always Happy Stitching!