Vintage Details

I'm just sitting here waiting for my mother and father-in-law to arrive...
All is clean, tidy, dust-free (well, as dust-free as it will ever be around here ;-))
and all is calm and quiet...
Just time to take five minutes to enjoy the details on this November day...

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Niki x

Sweet Sixteen

I bought a small selection of old photographs the other day...all a little tatty around the edges...just the way I like them, but also ideal for using in some quick creative makes...

I love this serious little chap in his sailor suit, which reminded me that I had a cabinet photo of a more grown up young man in his sailor uniform in my stash. They seemed ideal placed together and I'm enjoying how they now seem to tell a story within the collage...

An old military cap badge was secured through the card, which reinforces the tale and I also stamped the words 'Our Boy' down the side.

A pretty Sunday School card with a simple motto completes the piece.

I'm working on the other two portraits at the moment, using lots of antique lace and a touch of sparkle...but creative time is a little lacking around here at the moment...

Because today is my baby's Birthday! She's sixteen today...I can hardly believe it - 16 sounds so grown up.

She made her Birthday cake herself, as she loves baking and is also a great animal lover...

Even the scary varieties!

She's taken the cake to school today to share with her teacher and friends. Her form tutor has been with her since year seven, but leaves today to have her baby soon. I know my daughter will miss her.

'Happy Birthday Gorgeous Girl!'

I have my in-laws arriving tomorrow to stay with us for a while, but I'll try to check into my blog when I can.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Niki x

Waist Not, Want Not!

Another busy but non-eventful week...I've been dispatching my on-line shop orders over the last couple of days, so your parcels should be with you soon.

I've also briefly been in conversation with my solicitor again, but it looks like another week has past without any more news on the physical shop...frustrating...but I'll get there in the end...I hope...

I have started to think about some of the items that will be moving in there, once I have the key...

I recently bought this vintage mannequin quite reasonably, because she has a rather large watermark across her hips. This doesn't actually bother me; it shows she's lived a life and has a story or two to tell, but some visitors to my shop may not see her in such a favourable light.

I want to use her to display vintage costume brooches that I will have for sale, which I shall pin across her chest, as well as necklaces, feathers etc - just like Tallulah in my bedroom...

A rather gorgeous vintage corset hides her imperfections and adds another point of interest to my display. I thought I'd try to find another corset or girdle to fit my newest lady, so as to create a similar looking arrangement...

I bought this beauty on-line. It came all the way from France and is completely unused. Unfortunately is is just too large and won't stay on my mannequin. I thought if I really pulled the lacing tight that it would do the job, but it really was designed for a more ample figure!

I love how it is constructed, and to think most women wore these, once upon a time...

This smaller white corset came from Sue at the V&H Fair. I thought it might be borderline size-wise, so chanced it....sadly no matter how hard I pull at the hooks and eyes, its not going to go around my girl's hips...

and the more I look at her, the more I think she wouldn't actually suit a tight, restrictive undergarment. She's a more straight-up and down kind of a girl, probably from around the 1920's/30's, well after the 1800's when women we expected to do awful damage to their internal organs in the name of fashion.

Perhaps I shouldn't inflict this on my poor girl!

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As much as I find the old advertisements of the late 1880's fascinating, there is no way I would ever wish to go back to a time when women put their health at such risk.

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Having said that, I was rather surprised to find some images on Google which show a few women who practice corset training. A corset is worn virtually around the clock to slowly alter the figure over years. Of course the back muscles become weakened, so the corset can never be removed for any length of time, once this tiny size has been reached.

This is Cathie Jung, who has her place in the Guinness book of records for being the woman with the smallest waist with a measurement of just 15".

Yes, moving on...

I've decided to call my new mannequin Clara, after the stunningly beautiful Clara Bow.

I've tried several options today to dress her up a little, but have decided to go for a simple idea. I'm going to tie a wide pastel coloured velvet ribbon around her waist and hips and I shall tuck lengths of lace, handkerchiefs or vintage head scarves that I have for sale at any one time into it. This should create almost a flapper, handkerchief point hemline, which I think will suit her far more than any corset would!

And I can still pin the brooches and hang necklaces across her front.

Fingers crossed that I'll soon be able to try it out when she moves to her new home on the Market Square.

Have a lovely weekend,

Niki x

Rag Dolls for Sale!

I have updated my on-line shop this morning - I hope that you will enjoy taking a look when you have a moment...

It includes several rag dolls, some fairy folk and the last of my 'Nostalgia' calendars for 2010.

Happy Shopping!

Niki x

PS: On another note - I am sorry if I owe some of you an email - I have had a few computer problems and have lost some of my recent correspondence.

Friends from Far and Near...

The Friday weather forecast was spreading doom and gloom, with talk of heavy, prolonged rain, gale force winds, with severe weather warnings advising people not to travel during the night and early hours of Saturday morning, unless absolutely necessary...very well timed! - Because, of course, that very next morning was the much anticipated 'Vintage & Handmade Fair'.
As I lay in my bed on Friday night I could hear the high winds whipping around our house on the top of the hill. I kept telling myself that I must get to sleep, as the alarm was set for 6am.
That alarm bell came around quick enough, but straining hard, I could no longer hear the whistling winds...quite a relief, I can tell you.
By 7am hubby and I headed off for Chipping, half expecting to come across fallen trees, or at the very least, debris in the roads...but no, all seemed clear. We arrived early at the Town Hall car park and thankfully were not unloading in the pouring rain as we had also expected to, the evening before.
As was anticipated though, was my usual arranging of my stall, finished with just minutes to spare before the visitors were due to come in. (In my defence though, I do have a double pitch...well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! ;-))

I was just able to climb up onto the stage and snap this quick shot of the main hall before the lovely people piled in (as can be seen through the double doors at the top.)
I love how most of the stall holders had chosen white table coverings for their stands...it gave a look of continuity, but was a complete happy accident - a refined festive look, for a classy event!

The weather warnings did seem to put some people off travelling - I have since had a few emails from people I know who were due to come, but unfortunately changed their minds at the last minute.
But one person who was not put off was this lovely lady below...let me introduce you to Maria, and I ask you the question, 'was she the furthest travelled visitor to the V&H Fair on Saturday?'
I met Maria and her husband for the first time at the last V&H fair in May, where we struggled to have a conversation because Maria is from Italy!
She emailed me a couple of times this month to say that she had decided to visit the fair again in November, as she had enjoyed herself so much at the last one.
So we met again, this time with a kiss on each cheek, and another for luck, the Italian way I am told ;-)), and a little parcel was pressed into my hand.

Maria makes these adorable buttons and decorated pins herself. I was so touched by her generous gesture and wished dearly that my Italian was not non-existent, so that I could have expressed my gratitude to her more clearly.

Maria had picked up a little more English from her now regular visits, and so was able to say to me that she thought the whole fair was 'beautiful', said with her very infectious smile.
If you read this Maria, thank you for letting me take your lovely photograph, for the pretty gift that you gave me, and for the purchases that you made on my stall. I hope that you had a safe journey back to Italy.

I am of course very grateful to all who came to say hello and who bought from my stand. Hubby had a wonderful time chatting to all the lovely ladies too! ;-))

Here are a few shots that I was able to capture of my display before it got too busy.

I found this time that most shoppers were looking for smaller gift items. China was popular, along with my brooch pillows, pin cushions, calendars and Christmas tree crystals.

Consequently, some of my larger items, such as a few rag dolls, have come back home with me. I am going to try to list some of these items for my on-line shop this week, as I have had requests for some of the goods in my previous preview post. As long as things don't move all of a sudden on the physical shop front, I should just about have time to do this, so thank you for your interest. I am always humbled when someone wishes to buy something I have made myself.

I had masses of stock - two tables is quite a large area to fill, so next time (if I am allowed to have a stand next time) I think I shall just book one. Having said that, I do possibly over-fill my stand and could easily leave half of it at home! What can I say, I like to offer choice! ;-))

There is a Christmas tree somewhere under that gaggle of fairies!...

Rag dolls were sitting two abreast on a little chair!

And piles of plates were piled with pin cushions!

And these two had to sit by the side of my stand when I finally had to admit that I had run out of space!

Anyway...enough about my stand! Hubby held the fort briefly while I took a few shots of the pretty nearby stalls...
This is Jane's...her one-off pieces are truly exquisite.

Christine's, where I bought a tiny handmade French fabric bag and some adorable little Christmas cards.

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And her friend Gertie's space next door...which includes her dreamy hand stitched purses and jewellery wraps.

This is Nicky's stand, of course, with her 'stop, look at me' collection of mohair modelled characters...which to adopt?

Lucy's perfectly presented prettiness...now there is a very organised lady...and someone who shares my love for fairy folk, vintage roses and floral fabric!

Not forgetting my buddy Sue, who worked like a Trojan manning her double pitch of fabulous antique treasures, all by herself.

Sorry that I wasn't able to capture photos of all the stalls, but there are plenty of pictures to be seen on the V&H website, and some of the other stall holder's blogs. Also, images can also be enjoyed in 3D via Isabelle's blog, where her clever hubby Alan has uploaded his special pics... here, here and here - Have those cool specs at the ready! ;-))

Have a happy week,

Niki x

The Countdown is Over...

Here is just a small selection of some of the handmade items coming with me to tomorrow's Vintage & Handmade Fair at Chipping Sodbury. I don't do a mock-up of my stand like many others do...I'm not that organised and end up winging-it on the day! (Last time I was still putting items out on my stand as the doors opened for the lovely people to come in! Ooops ;-))

I have lots more smaller stocking filler items not shown, but the weather this week has been very gloomy for taking photographs, so all of these will be a surprise for the visitors. (There are however, a few other photos on my other blog here) I also have plenty of vintage goods of course, including pretty china, small cupboards and a few festive treats.

First up is my new line of 'torso cushions' ideal for sitting in a chair to display brooches and necklaces, with a lace pocket on the front for keepsakes. (All my items are made from antique or vintage fabrics, lace and trims.)

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A patriotic cushion.

Pretty brooch pillows for the dressing table.

Smaller quilted brooch pillows, each with a vintage marcasite brooch.

Display frame for more brooches and keepsakes.

A selection of my patchwork bags - this time including a real vintage postcard encased in the front.

Country cottages...

A romantic couple (includes one of the postcards that I bought back from France this summer)

and Christmasy gift bags to spoil a loved-one.

And here are the fairy folk to adorn your festive tree...

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My large one-of-a-kind rag dolls include:

Octavia,

Chloe,

Pomona,

Heather,

Elspeth,

Olive and

The patriotic girls;

Britt,

Gloria,

And Queeny!

Hope you can make it along to the fair tomorrow - Michele and Jayne have worked hard to make it bigger and better than the last one (if that's possible!) - it should be a wonderful day!

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May I also just say a BIG thank you for your kind comments, supportive emails and all the encouragement that I received to my previous post. I'm very excited about my new venture and am thrilled that you feel I am doing the right thing! Incidentally, I may have confused some of you; I have no intention to stop Blogging!! - Just I may not have quite so much time to do so.

Have a lovely weekend,

Niki x

'Nostalgia at Number 1', Market Place.

The seed was planted back in May of this year when I had my stand at the Spring Vintage & Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury. I was reminded that there are many women out there who all share my passion for vintage, or for the pleasures of owning something lovingly created by hand. It was also a reminder to me of those days when I sold on the craft fair circuit (around 20 years ago now) and also at the DMG antique fairs at Shepton Mallet a few years ago; the camaraderie amongst the stallholders that went with the good days and the bad is something that I miss. I have some wonderful friends in the antiques trade, but being just a buyer at the fairs, detaches you somewhat from the network.

So as I said, the seed was planted and I have been making decisions and plans since that wonderful day. I have been a stay-at-home Mum for 22 years now!!! Gulp! Well, that's apart from doing the odd antiques fair and always trying to fit my on-line business in when I could; my family have always had to come first. This is a long time to be at home, alone with ones thoughts, day in, day out, and it can become quite isolating. Having been a Mum for all that time (youngest will be 16 in November) I have recently had an urgent need to find ‘me’ again…whoever she may be…That’s ‘me’ the person I am inside, rather than the Mum, provider and carer.

I did trial a shop for year, back in 2003, which was joined to the side of our house. My youngest was only 10 years old at the time, so it was very difficult to juggle family life with the tie of running the shop properly, particularly during the school holidays, and with weekends never being our own. Having said that I dearly missed my shop when I closed it and aimed to keep it alive by selling similar goods on-line, which is what has led to my somewhat isolated lifestyle.

So earlier this year I began considering opening a physical shop again. I decided that opening the room on the side of our house was no longer an option…besides, I’m rather partial to the kitchen being there now and the space it gives us when the girls and their friends all descend upon us.

No, for it to work for me this time I needed it to be away from our home, to give me the detachment and the ‘me’ time that I crave. I realise that I possibly could have chosen a better time to be contemplating opening a shop, given the current economic climate, but advice that I have received has been full of encouragement and has helped me to see clearer.

I began my search by looking at a vacant premise on a main ‘A’ road, a few miles from our home. The building was very appealing, but with its location with no other shops around and its need for ‘a change of use’ to be granted, it was soon struck from my list.

During the summer, the town of Wells provided me with a very successful viewing. A recently refurbished shop, which had previously had a thriving business running from it for around 20 years, was very tempting. It was a large premise with three sales rooms as well as a kitchen and loo! I ended up walking away from this shop though, mainly on the advice of a friend whose opinion I sort, who knows Wells well! The location wasn’t ideal and my friend had a feeling about Wells not having the right customer base for vintage. I respect her judgement, so decided against it.

I left my search for a while, until September when I stumbled upon this blog. It is written by Belinda who runs a beautiful antique shop called No.21 in Shepton Mallet, which she opened with her husband back in May. Shepton Mallet is a small market town, once quite affluent with its links centuries ago to the woollen trade and also by the breweries that existed there during the C19th. Over the years it has had its problems; with ‘a well known corporation’ opening a large supermarket at the top of the town, being the final straw that broke the backbone of the high street. I admit that I didn’t actually know the town of Shepton Mallet that well, despite it being only a 25 minute drive from my home, so I thought I’d pay it a visit and also call in on Belinda whilst I was there.

Photo courtesy of: http://atowninsomerset.blogspot.com/
Belinda’s shop is very easy to find in the pedestrian area of Town Street – and I have to say that it is the smartest shop in town! She has filled it with tasteful items of furniture and beautiful accessories for the home. We soon got chatting upon my visit and it was clear to me that Belinda is passionate about the rejuvenation of Shepton. She told me of the Shepton21 scheme that is running with a dedicated committee, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and many non-profit organisations, which has already made leaps forward in bringing back a vibrant and sustainable future to benefit residents, businesses and visitors to the area.

It also seemed to me that visitors to the town expect to see antique and vintage shops, with it having such a strong link with the Bath & West Showground and the antique events that are held there, just five minutes down the road - but there are actually very few of them. I decided to give Shepton a chance and had a good look up and down the high street…there were quite a few shops vacant/for lease, one of which really appealed to me.
On my return home I gave it a lot of thought and then arranged a viewing of the shop that I had seen. It is only a small premise (enough for one person to cope with on her own!), a corner position, and in a prime location on the market square – so no cars going past all day, just pedestrians, with the market stalls there on a Friday. Outside it, stands the beautiful 50 foot high Market Cross, which dates from 1500.

So, the viewing went ahead and I had a very good feeling about the visit. Sums were worked out when I got home (between you and me the financial side SCARES me!!!)

Image from Psycho (1960)Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

and I decided I wanted to give it a go…I submitted my offer to the agent and waited…let me tell you, there was no ‘Kirsty and Phil moment', where five minutes later a phone call comes through and the buyers immediately know if it’s a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’!!

Location, Location, Location presenters Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp

Oh no indeed…the agent decided he needed a holiday and I didn’t hear if my offer had been accepted for 5 days!!! Talk about stress??! It was agony! But finally, on a Tuesday afternoon the news came through…the vendor suggested a counter offer, which was basically take it, or leave it, as he now had other parties interested!! This, after the shop being vacant for a year! Unbelievable…I was really tested to question if this was what I really wanted….then the vendor went away on holiday for 2 weeks!! Aghhhh….
It’s now several weeks on from those rather stressful negotiations and I had been itching to tell you of my plans, but was worried that things might fall through along the way…

Although I've still yet to sign the contract, I am on the homeward straight and would hope to do so in the next couple of weeks...I'm sitting here with everything crossed right now though; until I have that key in my hand, it is difficult to think of anything else. Who knew commercial leases were so complex?!

I’ve always been a bit of a purist and personally dislike repro-vintage, preferring the genuine article whenever possible. It has become much harder to find pretty vintage pieces, compared to when I had my little shop back in 2003, mainly due, I think, to the current ‘fashion’ for all things vintage, but I am confident that with the contacts that I have made over the years, that I will be able to keep my new shop stocked with a good assortment of authentic pieces, as well as my hand made items. I intend to have my sewing machine in the shop and to work on making things during the quieter times. I honestly believe that this will work better for me, rather than me working from home so much. I find it a struggle to keep motivated at home sometimes, especially during school/uni holidays, and other distractions. There have also been a lot of new vintagey websites set up over the years and so competition has increased. I work alone, rather than working with my partner like many others, so it can be hard to compete when I have to do all aspects myself. Hand making the stock always seems to be way down on the list, with emailing, listing, despatching etc. taking over and becoming the main focus. Finding time to think about new lines is a struggle and so I am often left wondering if what I do makes me happy…
I do intend to keep my on-line shop, but will probably only list my rag dolls on it for a while, until I get settled in at the physical shop. This is a big step for me and I need to get it right.

I have had my on-line shop for over 7 years now and am grateful for all the cyber-friends and customers that I have met over that time and want it to be known that I am not looking to turn my back on you – I appreciate your past custom and hope that you consider I am making the right choice in this next chapter in my life. I will do my best to keep up with my blog too, but the time when I'm away from the shop will need to be family/home time which is still very important to me. (I do not intend to have a PC at the shop, as I need the hours that this should free-up for sewing etc.)

The next few weeks will involve lots of paint (the Barbie pink above will be the first thing to go! ;-)) and shifting of furniture and fittings, as well as moving stock into the shop (I have LOTS AND LOTS!) As soon as I am open for business I will let you know and hope that if ever you are passing, that you will pop in to say hello…(I’m really hoping I’ll be ready some time in December) So, although I am taking a big risk, I do feel that I am doing the right thing to make me happy. (I’m tied into quite a long lease, so am there for the long term.) It also feels good to be doing my very small part to help with the regeneration of Shepton Mallet town centre, by occupying another shop that has been empty for a year, and to hopefully bring some custom to the town. Shepton Mallet deserves better, given its ancient history which would be of interest to both locals and tourists, and its troubled recent past that it needs to emerge from. I hope it will encourage other small business owners to come and join the ranks too, as Shepton starts on its climb up out of the doldrums.

Although my new venture has been on my mind an awful lot over the last couple of months, I have not neglected my sewing machine and have lots of new items to take with me to the V&H fair on Saturday. (I’m sorry to those who have asked when my on-line shop would be updated, but I had to draw the line somewhere and so it has remained somewhat ignored. I hope you can forgive me and I will do my best to re-stock the catalogue early next year, if not before) I am very excited about all the stock that I have managed to acquire so far for my new venture, not least because I could buy everything that ‘spoke’ to me, rather than me first having to consider if it was suitable for posting. But it’s the V&H Fair first, so tomorrow I shall share with you some of the handmade items that I shall be taking with me.

Sorry for this long post, but I felt obligated to let you know what my plans were, having been a part of the Blogging community for a long time now and gaining so much support from you all over the years, for which I shall always be grateful.

Be back tomorrow,

Niki x