Saturday 25 September 2010

Here's some I made earlier....

As this blog is supposedly about a "mishmash of crafting" (see header), I thought I'd show you some stuff that I made earlier this year just before I started blogging.

No sniggering at the back if you please.

My knitting exploits began with two coffee pot cosies. The one on the left is entitled "Double pom pom delight" and the other one is "A posie of pompoms". Yes, I gave them names... does anyone else do that?



A toilet roll cosy complete with pompom:




I would have liked to have made one of those poodle toilet roll cosies (yes, really) but I don't think my knitting skills quite stretch to one of those. Take a look at these three little beauties which I found on the internet. Stunning (if a little odd) aren't they?

And good grief, get a load of these, a veritable feast of knitted toilet roll cosies (they're nothing to do with me, I hasten to add, all from the internet):

Anyway, I've gone off on a little tangent. Here's another knitted fancy from moi: a not to be sneezed at tissue box cosy also complete with pompoms (Mr J and P made me say that - sorry):



I tried my hand at felting - you know bunging woollen clothes in a washing machine on high and bob's yer uncle - boiled wool or felt. Here is a felt wreath that I made:



There are lots of tutorials on how to make these wreaths on the internet. I cut small squares and threaded them on a wire coat hanger which I fashioned into a circle and voila!

I also made cushion covers from felted jumpers - one from an old moth-eaten aran jumper of mine and a beige ribbed affair. The two large cushion covers were made from vintage silk scarves and the little one at the front - the flocked pink ensemble - was made from a small piece of material that I got for pennies at a jumble sale. I know what you're thinking - that there really aren't enough cushions on that sofa. You're right, I need to make lots more.



More of that flocked pink material which I used to cover the lid of a sewing stool, one of Mr J and P's family heirlooms:


Have you nodded off? We're nearly done.

I made this snake draught excluder from a pair of old curtains that I picked up from a jumble:



From the same material this is a pear door stop, filled with a bag of rice and topped with a felted stalk and leaf!



Phew.... that's it, you'll be relieved to hear. Blimey, I was quite the busy little bee once.
TTFN.

Monday 20 September 2010

I was right - Godammit!

Disaster has struck in my cosy little charity shopping world. I refer back to a previous rant here about my favourite charity shop (which I visit EVERY day) where I heard whisperings about a "new manager" and "changes". Well, there is a new manager and changes have occurred - big time. Gone are the boxes of scarves, fabric, pillow slips, knitting needles, wool, sewing patterns etc which I used to love rummaging through and in their place are racks and racks of clothes (horrid and overpriced) and a diminished in size bric-a-brac section which is dominated by (horrid) glassware. Some of the clothes are "new" with tags on. If I wanted to buy new clothes I'd go to a shop which sells new clothes for God's sake. In fact our local Bernardos, it seems to me, sells nothing but "new" clothes- very unsatisfactory.

OK, I'm working myself up into a frenzy here - I'll stop moaning now, promise. Take a look instead at this little lot that I got recently on a chazzing trip:





Mmmmmm, don't they all look gorgeous on my Rosali duvet cover courtesy of IKEA? The lovely burnt orange Witney blanket was £1.99.

Large amount of fabric which I thought could be the backing for the patchwork picnic blanket I'm planning to make - 49p.


Two Baret Ware tins. The small tin was 80p. The biscuit barrel was £1.50 and is currently being used to store food for our two new guinea pigs Sooty and Squeak - they're so cute!


The piece de resistance has to be a metal detector for £2.99!!


Oh no, I fear that this may become a new obsession. Here's to unearthing lots more treasures, huzzah! Mr J and P says that I was born to be a gold-digger! And on that cheeky note, I'll love you and leave you.

Sunday 12 September 2010

Jumble Jamboree

Well, I hit the jackpot at Saturday's jumble sale. Want to see what I got? Come on then......

Enamel roasting dishes complete with lids. Love the orange but also loving the cream one with its gorgeous green trimming. 30p each.




More enamel and some JAJ Pyrex. Very excited about the Pyrex - my FIRST EVER Pyrex buy (I know, I'm very late on the Pyrex scene). JAJ stands for James A Jobling of Sunderland who started to make Pyrex under licence in the UK in the 20s (it was first marketed in the US in 1915). Older Pyrex is often referred to as JAJ Pyrex by those in the know. These bowls are the "Chelsea" design from the 60s. I'm sure you Pyrex fans are familiar with the website Pyrex Love but if you fancy drooling over more Pyrex specimens then check out The Pyrex Collective
blog with lovely Erin from Yardsale Snoop and Angela the fabulous Bounty Huntress as just two of the many contributors. Anyway, this little lot was 30p.


A Meakin coffee pot (not the prettiest) and a Hornsea coffee jar for 30p each. I know I've said this before, but I must show you my collection of jars one day soon - they're taking over the kitchen.



A box complete with handle and handy compartments. Not a clue what it might have been used for (anyone - any ideas?). I thought it would be perfect for Little Miss J and P's many knick knacks but she refuses to have anything to do with it prefering some IKEA box thing which she expects me to construct grrrr. Does she not appreciate the lovely patina of the wood, its warm tones, the work that some artisan of yesteryear has put into this piece? No chance. £1 it cost me.





A mystery grinding (?) object. Anyone know what it might be used for? 30p.





Mr J and P was very pleased with his glassware. A decanter for £1. Feels like good quality glass (what do I know?). Mr J and P agreed that it should go in the bathroom filled with bubble bath. Classy eh?


A set of six desert dishes with flowers etched on them (they really are much prettier than the photo). £1.


Two large Kilner jars (more bleeding jars). 50p.


Star buy is this never used fireproof china saucepan. The make is Pilivite and it's French no less. Get a load of those lovely colours. 50p.


That's all folks. May your bargain hunting be as fruitful as mine was. Au revoir.

Friday 3 September 2010

I went all the way to California and all I got was this lousy sweatshirt!



Yes, I know, I'm a BIG disappointment aren't I? And I only bought the sweatshirt for an extra layer as somebody had told us that it got cold camping in the Yosemite National Park at night (and they were right - down to about 10C in places).

Problem was I was too busy:

cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge (hidden below by sea mist!) in San Francisco:



Seeing the tallest trees in the world:



Visiting the oldest living things in the world (more trees) - some as old as 4000 years:





Camping in the hottest place on earth - Death Valley:



Scuba diving:



Rafting:



Surfing (just look at Mr J and P go - the theme to Hawaii 5-0 just springs to mind doesn't it?):



Whale watching (or rather feeling immensely sea sick in my case) - we glimpsed the largest living thing - a blue whale (no photos, those darn blue whales move rather too quickly).

Now if you're still with me and haven't switched off in disgust at my measly efforts at thrift shopping, I have to admit I'm exaggerating slightly when I say that the UCLA sweatshirt was the ONLY thing I bought from the magnificent thrift stores that I did visit. On our second to last day in California, I visited the Thrift Centre in Santa Cruz (yes I did say CENTRE) yes, not some piddling shop or even store but a CENTRE. Two floors of....STUFF (actually two floors is not unusual in thrift stores). Plus EVERYTHING was HALF PRICE that day (that's not unusual either). So I did manage to find..... (don't get too excited everyone...):



a large piece of fabulous crimplene (50 cents; about 30p) which I hope to incorporate into some patchwork ensemble (well, it was going to be a patchwork picnic blanket but by the time I get round to doing it, it will probably be deepest winter). And......



some barkcloth cafe style curtains complete with cheery yellow curtain rings ($4; about £2something).

Hope you all had a lovely summer. Can't wait to catch up with all my favourite bloggers. Ta-ra dear readers.