Monday, September 13, 2010

Its not all glamour you know...;-))

Here is a collection of 1950's fabrics that I found yesterday. The huge pile on the left is actually 6 curtains and a single bedspread. These were all piled in a heap on the floor at a recent sale I attended. Initially I was a little unsure about buying them...lets just say that there was an odour about them that suggested they had been hidden away for many years...

The dealer told me that they had come from a large manor house in Bath. Now I make it a rule to not always believe what I am told when it comes to some of the stories that go along with vintage and antique items...
But it was clear that the curtains were beautifully made and would have been very expensive in their day.
Each one was stitched by hand and had been heavily interlined and also cotton lined. Sadly these linings were stained and in shreds...

But this did reveal the Paris label printed on the selvedge of the fabric. So I decided to take a risk that the fabric would be a wise investment and I bought the lot. I had to strip out all of the old linings - a bit grim, with lots of dust flying about, but I was able to do it outside yesterday as the sun was shining.

I was then left with a large pile of French 50's fabric. These all went into the washing machine on a high heat and then had a good blow on the washing line to dry.

Just the acres of ironing to do now, but it was worth all the dust and effort. There will be a few sections that I won't be able to re-use, as they haven't aged well, but generally it will have been well worth the investment of time and money.

Other finds yesterday were a lot less work...
Pretty china and some of the brooches that I collect...
And I always love to find old wedding photographs.
It doesn't take much to make my happy...I thank you for your kind emails that were sent to me after yesterdays post - I usually make it a rule not to post on down-days, so thanks for putting up with it!
Have a great week,
Niki x
PS: Have you seen this? - you NEED to scroll through all the photos - Truly inspirational! An enchanting fairytale cabin was created by Sandra Foster in the Catskills - you can read more on her blog here.
Photo by Trevor Tondro for the New York Times.

9 comments:

  1. Glad you're feeling better, Niki! Fabulous finds!
    Monicax.

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  2. OOOH GORGEOUS GORGEOUS FABRIC XX WORTH THE SLOG!!!

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  3. Looks like you've worked hard getting that fabric ready - it looks lovely. Will you be able to part with it now, though (that's usually my problem!).
    Just caught up on your shop shuffle - it's looking great!
    Gorgeous
    x

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  4. Hi Niki
    the fabric is completely lovely and what a lot of effort you've put into it too - I bet you wanted a nice bath yourself after all that dust flying around!
    I'm pleased that you like Sandra's studio too, I've been following her blog for some time now and it is always a treat to rest my eyes on her beautiful, dreamy cottage.
    sorry to hear about your watch being lost and other issues last week - sometimes it all comes at once, doesn't it? I really hope you can find the watch again - there are a great many good citizens out there, and somebody may hand it in.
    Thanks for the link to the advert, I've not seen it for similar reasons to you: rarely watch TV. Isn't it sweet? And I love that neither of the actors in it are conventionally good looking.
    I hope you have a much happier and more successful week ahead. I'm decorating the 'children's room' ... no news, but I just fancied opening the white paint!!
    Happy days,
    Denise x

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  5. Such beautiful fabric, Niki! You'll have a wonderful time sewing with them, I'm sure. ;)

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  6. hmmm, just re-read my comment - what I meant was it is good that the actors are quite ordinary looking - too many dating websites use Adonis and Venus to advertise!!
    D x

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  7. isn't it great when you remove a lining and find a lovely bit of lettering......
    T x

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  8. Hi Niki, I have quite a few pairs of those curtains, and I know what you mean about the dust...I have yet to do anything with them, I havent the heart to cut them up, they are gorgeous!
    Good find, and love the brooches.

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  9. I love your brooches.
    Gillx

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx