All so tempting!

The latest Cath Kidston catalogue dropped through my mail box on Saturday and as I thumbed through admiring all the 'new' vintage style items I came to a page where 'real' vintage items had been sourced and were being offered to readers. And would you believe it? There was my little 60s school chair priced at £45. There were 10 available to readers (first come first served) and I'm guessing they didn't hang around long.

My children were given this chair by their grandad many years ago and it's one of the sturdiest pieces of furniture we have. In its previous life it had been a classroom chair so would have been used and abused by a great many tiny tots over the years. These days Old Ted resides on it.

Its quite easy to see why the CK merchandise is so popular. If you 're a fan of all things vintage then you'll find lots in the catalogue to tempt you. I love some of the ladies fashions for Autumn but with so much emphasis on vintage I wonder why the children's clothes don't follow suit.

I don't suppose today's young girls would want to wear dresses like the 60s ones below but I guarantee they'd like to try them on and twirl around in the very full skirts! Who knows, they might be converted!

My mum couldn't resist buying pretty fabric when she saw it and as a result I've inherited remnants of dress and curtain fabric which I'm now trying to utilize. Unfortunately there isn't quite enough to make bedroom curtains. I'd love something colourful for the spare room and came across this Harlequin advert for fun fabrics and wallpaper entitled 'What a Hoot!' There are some gorgeously colourful prints to choose from so I'm very tempted.

If you like the kids style designs of the 1960s take a look at 'What a Hoot'

Linen and lace

I love vintage linen and lace and have collected quite a few pretty pieces over the years. A large crochet bedspread has been sitting at the back of my linen cupboard for some time but as it needs some minor repairs I've never used it.

A weekend of sunshine and showers is forecast (this will mean mainly showers here in England's Lake District) and so I have found my reel of linen thread and will aim to make the bedspread usable again before the weekend is over. If it doesn't look right on the bed then I suppose it could be made into a number of small items. Creating a pretty canopy for my antique crib is a very tempting idea.

But I would find it diffucult to cut into such pretty crochet and so I'm hoping the repairs will make the bedspread whole again and then it can resume its rightful place on a bed.

Have a happy weekend wherever you are.

Aqua glass

Vintage aqua glass has always been a passion of mine and I was lucky enough to find a hoard of bottles when a new water pipe was laid in our road several years ago. Presumably they had been left there by workmen when the first pipe was fitted many years before.

 

The smallest bottles make perfect vases for tiny spays of flowers. This glass was unfashionable for a long while but made a comeback in the 1970s and of course I couldn't resist buying some for the table. Using it always makes me think of long summer afternoons in the garden.

Garden companions

As we are enjoying a fine day I decided I'd show you a few of the companions that share the garden here at Flutterby Patch. Before I could photograph them I had to find them! They quickly become concealed by greenery at this time of year and are well camouflaged with moss.

This is my stone flower seller who is stepping out from under a large rhododendron bush.

An old frog sits on the edge of the pond. On a good day a spout of water leaps from his mouth but not today I'm afraid.

A pair of cute birds sit in the bird bath

This little cherub dates back many years. He stood centre stage in our very first garden. 

These cherubs once held a fountain but sadly those days are long gone and they now play quietly in a shady spot.

Two moss covered rabbits wait for a clean.

A pair of squirrels eat nuts whilst supporting the old stone seat.

At one time there were four lions guarding the sundial but wind and rain have taken their toll on them.

A little elfin fellow sits atop the wind chimes

And last, but not least, an angel sits in the bough of a tree and blows kisses to all who pass by.

Two questions for you

Once again I'm featuring some pages from my 1940s homemaking book and I have a couple of questions which I'm hoping someone can answer.

The first question is about fabric. Featured in the book is this pretty bedroom which has floral fabric used for the bedspread and dressing table frill.

Also included are instructions for making a matching compendium to hold writing paper and envelopes.

The reader is told that the fabric used in this room is 'Sparva Spun' (much sought after but in short supply during the war years).

Sadly I'm no longer able to ask my mum about these wartime items and I wondered if anyone out there knew what 'Sparva Spun' fabric looked like. It was apparently made in Manchester, England and exported overseas, especially to Australia and New Zealand.

Here are a couple of links I found on the subject. The first is a British wartime advertisement and the second a picture from the NSW State Library (Australia) showing a great photo of the sales ladies. I'm presuming they are all wearing dresses made from Sparva Spun fabric.

These pretty fabrics that mum passed on to me both date from those times. Are they 'Sparva Spun' I wonder?

Here is another bedroom featured in the book. The Art Deco dressing table is very similar to one my mum had. She kept scent bottles and talc on one side. Her jewelry box on the other and on the glass shelf  in the centre were her hairbrush, comb and matching clothes brush.

All the items stood on pretty pale blue mats that had been crocheted by my granny. Although laundered many times over the years I'm happy to say they are still in perfect condition

A set of three matching mats were typically found on dressing tables. One large round, oval or oblong one in the centre and smaller round, oval or square ones on each side. 

Granny must have loved making mats as she presented us with quite a few over the years. All now highly prized by yours truly.

My question to you dear bloggers is ...Can you tell me why a set of three mats (one large and 2 small) is often referred to as a 'Duchess Set'? I've tried Googling for the answer but, although I've found plenty of 'Duchess Set' mats for sale, I've been unable to discover why they are given this name.

I'm hoping someone out there will have the answer!