It’s a Wrap….70sStyle!

There I was in my local independent stationers buying some swing tags for my next fair,and as I turned to leave my heart leapt as I spied this pile of gift wrap lurking, literally in a bucket,like some naughty kid everyone tries to ignore.

Can you believe the utter kitsch beauty of this? I think it’s from the 70s and the signature seems to be Reni…..so if anyone out there has any info I would love to hear from you!……and the best part of this find? The price?….40p for a pack of 25 sheets of this gorgeous paper.

Yes,I bought it all…7 packs in total. What will I do with it I hear you cry? That’s easy. I am going to wallpaper the loo with it as a tribute to all those brides whose marriage went down the toilet!!!

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Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!

This is a must see if you have even a passing interest in fashion. It’s one of the best I have seen…..and I have seen a lot of fashion exhibitions over the years. I first took The Sunday Times in 1997 and have been a devotee of the Style magazine since then. As a Fashion And Textile student I devoured the fashion shoots weekly and marvelled at the fashion editors unique style, who at the time was Isabella Blow. Much has been written about her since she tragically took her own life in 2007. This exhibition features her wardrobe of clothes from the designers she loved and nurtured and it’s wonderful to see the garments up close and witness the wear and tear…..cigarette burns,trace of lippy and scuffed heels! It’s so easy to imagine Issy in all her fashion fabulousness!
I took a couple of sneaky pics…

….and the obligatory selfie!

….brought this beautiful image by Nick Knight of McQueen kimono and Philip Treacy eye mask and devoured every piece of this fabulous show. I also felt an overwhelming sadness because of course the show features much of Alexander McQueens stunning archive and of that there will be no more either.
On returning home I dug deep into my magazine stash and found some images I have had since student days. Issy was fashion editor on these….Enjoy!

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Much was penned as tributes to this unique lady and again I have the evidence….

Isabella’s coffin was adorned with one of her favourite hats ( by Treacy of course)
I loved this exhibition as I have said but I also felt a profound sadness at the loss of this fabulous ballsy lady and her all consuming passion for the crazy world of fashion!

C’est Magnifique

Oo la la! What a find I had yesterday on my first rummage in the charity shops this year. I set myself the challenge of visiting them less frequently as my “padded cell” of a studio soon won’t have room for me. However, when I find something as joyful as these it’s hard to resist just popping in.

Delightful non?….oh how my brain went into overdrive, but first to translation….from the top….
He loves me
Passionately,fervently
Literally to madness
A little bit
Not at all.

Two of the napkins have an embroidered letter in one corner. I think its a V but could possibly be an N…..

The rest of the set have a very faint trace of the same letter that has been left unstitched. So,what’s the story,who is,or probably was V and he? Did he fall out of love with her during an eight course meal perhaps? Did she embroider them as a look back at how his feelings changed? Or does each napkin represent a different relationship? I guess I will never know but oh the joy of picturing the many possible scenarios.
Script on fabric is a current trend and something I have been thinking about this week to ease back into creative mode…..

But whatever I create it’s not going to have the romance and wonder of the napkins I suspect. What’s your thoughts on them?…..

Happy New Year!

Just to wish all of you who have read,liked or commented on my blog this year a very happy and fruitful 2014. The feedback I have received has been very encouraging and I have made new friends which is always joyful. Thank you!

…….Here’s to new horizons…..( took this photo last weekend)…..yes…December!

It’s Christmas!

How I love London! It’s always inspiring….has many hidden gems and never fails to excite me. However, there are some areas that have just become tacky with a glut of souvenir tat and it breaks my heart to think there must be some tourists who only see these areas on their visit to our great city. Imagine my surprise then when I turned the corner at the end of Regent St last Friday afternoon to see how Xmas has landed in Piccadilly Circus.

The statue of Eros has become a snow globe! I particularly loved the reflections of the neon signs and the way the buildings have become distorted. What fun!…..and then on to Leicester Sq and wow!!!

My jaw dropped! How did they get a full size Ferris wheel in there? I have never seen this space look so beautiful. Anyway….the photos say it better than I can. Enjoy….and go see if you get the chance.

…….even Shakespeare looks lost for words, don’t you think?

Hanky Panky

I try very hard not to get seduced by vintage listings on eBay as they are often not as described in my experience. However, I saw these and they had to be mine……all mine! Silk,vintage,hankies! How could I go wrong. They arrived,lovingly wrapped,individually in tissue,so as to heighten the anticipation. I was not disappointed…..a joyful bundle indeed. For a while I just looked and stroked as they sat in my studio and then d day arrived. Decision made….cushions it shall be…..

These 3 had a distinct Scottish flavour so I used the same 70s print on all…..hopefully to encourage multiple sales,although they work well alone. I love the Scottie dogs and of course “cock of the north”brings a few smiles!

These two worked beautifully with the hand embroidered table cloth and the colours in the edging pulled it all together. Perfect cushion for lovers of Kent or The Queen I feel.

And the last two were made using t towels.

Dogs are always popular and this little “revolutionary”was no exception. I added some vintage buttons and he was ready for his public…..and went to a new home almost immediately! The Australia one was made by appliquéing onto a 70s print t towel. I cut the map and all the wildlife motifs from a cloth that was too soiled to use complete and I was very happy with the end result. Looks as though it’s part of the design originally I think.

I put them all on display at the vintage fair I did last week and the last two were snapped up……which is always a nice feeling. And the rest are off to church……so here’s praying. Aaachoo!!!

Dr Who

As any true fan will know,Saturday 23rd November was a big day for The Doctor. It was the 50th anniversary since he first appeared on our screens and begun to force many a child, myself included,to view the tv from the behind the sofa. My daughter became a fan with the arrival of David Tennant and subsequently Matt Smith so when we found a set of Dr Who curtains in a charity shop the Who Dress idea was born.

Even my cat Willow thought she could become The Doctors new companion!

And here is Ami in what she calls…..my gorgeous slightly geeky dress”

The blue and white cotton print is from 1960s. It was in a huge bag of fabric given to me which belonged to a lady who had been a seamstress her whole life and sadly passed away recently. I do hope she would agree how well her fabric complemented the curtain fabric.
And yes, Ami wore her dress to watch Saturdays special episode…….let’s hope The Doctor approved!

Vintage Attitude Has A New Home ( praise the lord)

I am delighted to announce that Vintage Attitude now has a permanent home in this lovely old church in Colchester,my home town.

The building has been leased by GO4 Enterprises who offer work and training to young people who would otherwise be unemployed. The cafe they run encourages many visitors who enjoy coffee and cake ….

….and then spend time viewing, and hopefully buying,from the wide variety of stalls dotted around the church. Here’s a few of my market neighbours.

Like many of my fellow designer/makers I am constantly torn between the need to make and also finding time for selling opportunities. Now I have a permanent space for my wares to be seen,and bought,I can use my time to make more stock…..which I love doing. So here’s my little corner,right next to the kids play area of the cafe. Good placement for kids clothes…… “Mummy Mummy, I love this…..oh please Mummy…..can I?”

Some stalls are permanent,others pop up randomly,so there is always something new to see and most weekends live music to add to the vibrant atmosphere. But failing that there’s always the piano…

So if you are ever in the area…..come join me in church…..never thought I’d be saying that!!

Welcome party peeps

It’s party time again…..yay! Come on in kick off your killer heels, sink your feet in the shag pile and let’s get this thing started. Enjoy your stay and feel free to come visit anytime you are passing……

Feathery Fabulousness

Just had to share this. Anthropologie does it again!

This fabulous feathery display is on show in the Regent St store….well it was a couple of weeks ago. In my former life I used to make feather fascinators and these guinea fowl feathers were always my favourite to work with. They take dye very well with the colour filling the white spots.

…anyway…I digress…. Here is the feathery installation in all its glory!

On close inspection it seems that each feather has been pierced with a needle thru the center spine and threaded by hand onto nylon thread. That’s a lot of hours work! I hope you get a chance to see it. And of course while I was in the store I took a few more images from around this palace of joy and inspiration. Enjoy!

A bath full of succulents?….why not!

….come rest a while….

….Covet a bag…..mmmm!

Plates far too delicious to eat off….

And when you’re exhausted take a wash and brush up here! But before you go home walk down to Trafalgar Sq and take a peek at this fine specimen!….

Feathery Fabulousness indeed!