Dizzy Busy Bee

I have been a busy little Bee for the past couple of weeks going round and round in circles to make some crochet cushion covers for my friends at SCC ..... here are just a few ..... I can make in any size, yarn or colourway .... if anyone is interested please get in touch via the Blogshop http://auntywainwrightstreasures.blogspot.com/

This is also available via the shop .... a brightly coloured crochet Tea Cosy in Rowan Cotton which is lined with vintage cotton fabric.

Unfinished business ......

Look what I found tucked away in a pile of old magazines ....... to think that somebody started to work on this back in 1947 and didn't get very far ..... what happened to make them stop? I must admit I have a tendency to start different things and then not finish them till a later date. Perhaps this just got hidden and forgotten about. The Woman's Own Magazine it came from is dated Friday November 21st 1947 .... the day after Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten.

I am not sure what to do with it ..... to keep it, finish it or find a collector of Royal Memorabilia .... does anyone else have a suggestion - clean ones please :-)

Uptown girl

As the weather seemed to be holding out for us this morning we decided to have a wander round Harpenden in Hertfordshire ..... a rather posh and expensive town just a short drive away ...... they have a better class of charity shop and also today was preview day at the monthly auction. Nothing really caught my eye but I am regretting not leaving a bid on a couple of items ..... one was a gorgeous vintage Christening Gown in its original box and beside it was another small unassuming box ...... as with all boxes I have to open them coz you just never know what's inside. Inside this one was some tiny pieces of crochet work with some patterns cut out of newspapers which were dated 1912 (the year the Titanic went down) .... the crochet work was somewhat discoloured after all those years but it is the thought that this has been tucked away unfinished in someone's house for almost 100 years that grabs me .... may be I will pop over again tomorrow.

The charity shops didn't yield much today either but I did find this lovely Ladybird book from 1972

There was also a book sale in the Church Hall where I picked up a gorgeous book called Comfortable Country by Enrica Stabile ..... here are a couple of pages just to wet your appetite ...

Grand Designs

I have always wanted a doll's house and a couple of years ago I purchased this one at a local auction house ..... it's not an antique but I fell in love with it just the same. It's quite a big one and measures around 36" across and high. It came with some furniture and some teeny tiny pieces in the shop section and this is how it looked in the original state ..... in need of some TLC.

I am gradually re-decorating and re-furnishing and the small people can't resist a peek when they visit. Will be posting some 'after' pictures shortly.

Bored so I thought I'd do this .....

It has been an uneventful week hence a gap of a whole week since my last post .... the flipping weather has put paid to any car booting this weekend so I am just taking some time out to have a cuppa and thought I would add some music to my blog. I have started with a playlist of some of my favourites from the 50s. This was the sort of music my uncle used to play when we visited my nan's when I was little .... I love these old classics that just don't seem to age, unlike me!!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do and I have placed the jukebox at the top of the blog so you don't have to scroll down too far to turn it off if it isn't your cup of tea.

TTFN

Show off Sunday again .........

It has been a glorious day here in Bedfordshire .... perfect for my favourite pastime (I know how sad) .... there is nothing I like more than wandering round a field in the middle of open English countryside and rummaging around in other people's junk!!!!

Here are today's finds:

A set of cross stitch books, a knitting books and the Knitter's Bible

A fantastic DMC holdall complete with embroidery threads, hoops and cross stitch projects ..... a Laura Ashley light switch cover, a set of table mats & coasters with views of Cornwall, a Debbie Bliss Knitting for Children book and two books about knitting squares for throws and Afghans, a print from one of my favourite artists Jack Vettriano

Molly with her new toy ... she has been very enthusiastic about this as my shin bones will testify !!

Ellie chose this green felt bag for herself (along with several other things that she has taken home with her), a lovely set of Ice Cream Sundae spoons and a collection of red buttons

A hand embroidered table cover

A parcel from overseas .............

Today I received my lovely giveaway gift from Marianne at http://www.letempsjadis.blogspot.com/ ...... they are just perfect as I am a collector of blue & white antique china (you would never guess after looking at my header photo would you!)... some lovely coasters with blue and white Dutch houses and a pretty notebook with flower illustrations by Marjolein Bastin. Thanks so much Marianne.

Last year I had a box of cups and saucers with little blue forget-me-nots by Marjolein which I purchased at a local auction house .... I only managed to sell a few and donated the rest to our Hospice Charity Shop .... I wish I had held onto some of them now as she is so talented and they were so pretty.