What a weekend

                                                Sharon's stall


The Foxtail Lilly vintage sale was a great success yesterday. The sun shone, the crowds came, and I think everyone did pretty well. Really, the setting could not have been better. Tracey's lovely garden and little barn shop, with a large area out front where six sellers set out their wares. People sat and had tea and cakes in amongst the stalls.

                                                 Jane's stall

                                           My stall

                                    Tracey's outside stall, staffed by Poppy


So many wonderful things, all with a slightly different style. For me, it was the linens which were really popular. I didn't sell many larger items, but tablecloths, runners, lace and fabric remnants were flying out (totally different to my sale last week, where it was the big pieces of furniture which sold). My vintage toys did well, too. And once I'd made a few sales, I did treat myself to a couple of things, too. This pretty cakestand:

Some fabric:

And a lovely embroidered hanging, but that will have to wait for another day, as I'm still considering how and where to put it up. Today, my muscles are screaming after lots of lugging and standing yesterday, but I felt really wired after the sale, and didn't sleep well. So, as we were both bobbing about the house at about 6.30am,  youngest son and I decided we'd pop out to our local car boot. I am very glad we did, too. The fine weather had brought out the sellers today. 

 A cute tin, coloured wooden bricks, a vintage pinny, buttons, books, lace trimmed pillow cases, lots of lovely cheap plants and this little bag:

What has happened to my 'no more china' rule?? This tiny Copeland cup was the first thing I bought....


My best buy of the day had to be a lovely step ladder for £3. It's going to get a coat of paint and a new home in our garden. 

Youngest was a great help this morning, carrying and nipping back and forwards to the car. We were all done by 8.45 and headed to McDonalds where I treated him to his favourite breakfast. Now I just have finish planting my new plants, and find homes for all my old (and new) stock....

Mini bunting

I started making this mini bunting last night. I found the idea in Prima Summer Makes, which comes free with the main magazine this month (June issue). It's a very pretty magazine, with some very nice makes.

Prima often uses the stylist Selena Lake, author of the brilliant Homespun Style, and sure enough, she had styled the feature with the mini bunting. I love this shot:

Of course I've seen bunting patterns many times before, but this was the feature which made me want to make it (probably because it's so easy, no hemming required, just a quick whizz with the sewing machine).

A great chance to use up some of those tiny scraps of fabric that I've been hoarding.

And just in time for my own vintage garden sale, too....

Trolley good

This chap will be coming with me to the Foxtail Lilly vintage sale on Saturday. I've had him for a while but the time has come for us to part. I've had a very indulgent day as it's my birthday. The weather is pants again, so I had to forgo my usual celebratory walk to see the lilac and bluebells. Instead, I had elevensies, takeaway cappuccino and cherry and almond cake from the Wansford Cakery (a tiny bakery in a nearby village). Then I did a bit of work, before husband and I walked down to the village pub for lunch. Now I am home and messing about with my stock for Saturday.
I have a new accessory, an absolutely stonking great hostess trolley which I found in Age UK yesterday. It was only a fiver, and it really is vast. 

It is a bit brown, so it might get repainted at some stage, but I foresee many uses for this.

Lots of smaller bits and pieces for Saturday, which require a still, sunny day with absolutely no rain or any elements of any kind. Do you think that might be possible in our crazy climate? I have lots of old toys, nursery things and a very cute old Triang desk and chair.

Now I'm off to listen to my new Richard Hawley cd (thank you to my brother for that) and to make some mini bunting :)

May Day Sale

We set up in sunshine at the sale today, but on the dot of 1pm, as the gates opened, so did the heavens! It was a bit of a torrent, to put it mildly. Fortunately, as I'd been obsessed with the weather over the last few days, I knew that's what was going to happen, so I'd stashed all of my linens and textiles in the trusty family tent. It's not as nice as having them outside, but needs must...
And despite the rain, the people came. Considering the conditions, I did pretty well. It's always fascinating to see what sells. This year, my plant stands were gone before they touched the ground, and pictures were another popular seller. I sold the big brown trunk, too, which frees up some space in our shed.

The green shoes were sought after! I could have sold them five times over. Vintage clothes are flying high just now, especially with teenage girls. My son tells me it is now cool to dress different in teenage girl world. Amen to that. However, I didn't take my clothes rail and dresses, as I didn't think people would want to be trying them on.

Next door was my friend Lucy with her wonderful handmade creations. I love that posse of teens at the back of her stall!

Now it's all over, the skies are clear again. Never mind, I met some great people today, including a blog reader  (lovely to meet you!), and I am looking forward to doing another sale next week at Foxtail Lilly in Oundle. 11am-3pm, 41 South Rd, Oundle, with some slightly different stock. I'm tottering off to Pilates now to unkink my back :)
Hope you all had a great holiday Monday....

Vintage interlude

Up too late for the car boot sale today, but I was in time to pop into Oundle for a Vintage and Handmade fair that had been advertised heavily in our area. I was very intrigued to see what was going on.

Lots of people in the hall, and vintage was flying off the stalls. The craft sellers weren't doing so well, but if you had a stand with clothes, books, china or linens on it, I think you would have been pretty happy.

Kangaroo with a baby in its pocket was very tempting, but I resisted.

I did make a purchase. Quite excited about this really, although I can't imagine it ever being warm enough to wear it....

Then home to spend a few hours in the garden, where the sun even made a hazy appearance. Husband and my Dad have put up some willow fence panels, which are just lovely. So, a very good day indeed.

Almost ready

Just making the final preparations for my sale (and refusing to read the weather forecast for Monday, although I know a deluge is likely). I will be there, in my tent if necc. Here are a few goodies for sale....

I had a stroke of luck on Friday. I'd driven deep into the Fens to do an interview with a lovely artist (she works from a Nissan hut which was full of amazing found objects and vintagey things). On my way home, I saw there was an outdoor auction at the Buttercross in a market town. Of course I stopped the car, and investigated. There was a lot of car bootish kind of stuff, but I did get a nice old watering can and if I'd had time to stay longer I'd have bid for more, but I was on school collection duty so I had to dash. I shall go again, as it was fun, and is apparently breathing new life into quite a run down town centre. I'll remember my camera next time, too :(

We've just been to see my father in law in Norfolk, but there was no time to call at the antiques centre today, as there is something called a Cup Final on TV, or so I'm told...my house has certainly gone very, very quiet.

Vintage experiments

Today we were photographing the front cover for the June issue of Nene Valley Living. I wanted a Jubilee theme, and as I like to make my possessions work for their living, I decided that I would use my green Duchess cycle as the main model. So, there we were in photographer Lesley Anne's garden, in a very high wind (no rain, thankfully) with flags flapping wildly and union jack whirly things whizzing off into orbit. It is never as easy as you think it will be! Should  less be more, or more be less? I am still never sure when it comes to covers, and we have done quite a few now. 

Then we had a bit of a play around.

I can never resist packing a few extra props, 'just incase.' So it seemed a shame not to give them an airing, too. I quite like the toffee tin planter with its viola crown. That will probably make an appearance on my stall next week.

Thank you Lesley Anne, and baby Freddie, who kept a calm eye on the proceedings today....

Electronic May Day

Well, it is so wet and cold out there that it really doesn't feel like May Day at all, so I am just posting a few photos of last year's sunnier spring to cheer myself up. I've also been to Zumba this morning, as I try to do every Tuesday, and it struck me, as I was prancing around (quite often in the wrong direction) that a lot of the basic steps we use are very similar to the ones that we learned in country dancing at my small village primary school all those May Days ago. The thought wouldn't go away and it amused me (we certainly didn't dance to Pitbull or Ricky Martin way back when!).

 We used to make up posies of flowers and go around the village giving them out to residents, dancing at street corners and on the green. The smell of certain flowers still takes me right back, lilac especially. I remember that I had a red cotton dirndl skirt with white ric rac braid and white knee socks.

Strangely enough, I don't remember any rainy May Days, my memories are bathed in sunshine and nostalgia. Hopefully soon I can go out with my camera and capture some shots of 2012 blossom. Can't wait!