Hello Stranger

That's how I feel reader, like a stranger to my own blog.  It's been far too long, I'm shocked to see how long, since I popped in here, so without further ado, let me get on and rectify that.  Sooo much has happened recently, life always seems to get much busier at this time of year.  I hope I'm finding you tickety boo and enjoying this rare sunshine.  Hurrah.

As I just uploaded my photos to the computer and looked through them, oh so many of them, I realised I'd better group them into some sort of order so today, I'm looking back at the times we've spent in the West Country recently.  Oh wonderful Wessex.  We've enjoyed some sunny days down at our little cottage, everything looks so much better in the sun, don't you find?  I picked a pretty posy of lily of the valley, and not a lot else (come on flowers, start blooming.)  The scent was heavenly.

Back peddling a little, before arriving at our bolt hole, we stopped off via the Vintage and Handmade Fair at Chipping Sodbury.  I'd been busy in the week leading up to the fair, working on some new goodies for sale.  Decidedly pretty but damaged cloths had their good bits salvaged and turned into these vintage-style hanger covers.  I added a little felt flower, 1940's style, to each one, and some pretty lace or crochet trim.

Talking of 1940's flowers, I produced an array of posy brooches and also, some cute little hair clips.  On the day, they were housed in a lovely vintage French fabric-covered box which I had bought the week before at the Decorative Living Fair.

The stalls were customarily beautiful.  Donna Flower tempted me with the most gorgeous of vintage textiles, of course.  I re-homed the 1940's pot holders.

Organiser Michele (Cowboys and Custard) had squirrelled away the cutest children's toys specially for the day.  A young lady was later seen sporting the wonderful vintage Clarks' shoes.

Ali from Betty and Violet had a stunning display, these tiny dolls were particularly lovely.

My stall was looking rather pink, of course.  I ran up some cushions from my stash of vintage barkcloth, much like the ones in my sitting room.

I've decided to have a rest from stalling at the fair but you will find me and my goodies in my Etsy shop, of course.  I'll be adding some barkcloth cushions, hanger covers and posy brooches and clips in the next couple of days.

The next day, it was time for some thrifty retail therapy of our own and we headed off to the car boot sale which has a very civilised start time of 1pm.  Alongside the usual linens and novels, we managed to pack a pair of wing chairs into the car.  They look pretty hideous right now but it's the shape I'm interested in and not the covering.  Watch this space for a make over.

We finished our half-term trip with a visit to our beloved Bridport, but this time on a Wednesday instead of our customary Saturday.  We were lucky as the sun shone and whilst there weren't quite as many stall on the street market, it was nice and quiet so easier to look, and much easier to park.

I fell in love with this stunning hand embroidered 1930's blouse but it was badly moth damaged.  There are only so many "display" pieces I can justify.  I'm feeling wistful as I look at it, though...

This kitchen cabinet was rather fetching, too.

Bridders never disappoints!

Memories of my cosy cottage bed stay with me.   This was the first patchwork quilt I ever made and still remains a favourite despite its somewhat less-than-perfect execution.  It was good to catch up on sleep which always seems in short supply with these light mornings.

The chairs have been installed in the sitting room and temporarily covered with an assortment of quilts, blankets and cushion which, funnily enough, I have quite a hoard of.

The morning after we arrived home, I enjoyed unpacking all my thrifty and vintage goodies.  Hmm, a pretty good haul.  I've already used one of the 10p vintage zips to mend a vintage circle skirt.  Just in time for sunny weather.

Also on the mending front, I finally finished this pretty 1940's silk blouse which I bought from the Shepton Mallet flea market.  The arm holes were teeny tiny so I removed the cuffs and re-hemmed the sleeves.  I also added some pretty vintage glass buttons, the originals had been replaced with inappropriate ones.  All ready for a Summer outing.

So there it is, back home to Summer in the City.  What better way to remember our time in the West than with a traditional cream tea.  (I used for the first time, Paul Hollywood's recipe for scones on the BBC Good Food website.  Superb!  Even my mum approved and requested the recipe.)

Now I am organised and life is back to a regular routine, I'll be back soon.  Once I've restocked that Etsy shop!