Five Minutes Peace.

I've helped at the jumble sale today. I've bought a few bits but they are mainly games and books for school. Books have a little bit of a hard time in my class so I'm always looking out for replacements.  I'll do a show and tell of the item that I am particularly pleased with tomorrow.
On the way home I took a detour,  I selfishly wanted (and definitely needed) five minutes peace. I called at the cafe of a garden centre and hoped that their log burner was lit, I was not disappointed. I sat at the table nearest to the fire reading a book that I had bought at a concession on the way through.
The book was called A world of Quilts by Cassandra Ellis. It was in the bargain bucket and at the cost of a pound was way less than buying a magazine . It was such a cosy read in front of the log burner. Then I was ready to go home.

Whoops!

We almost had fish on Friday as we usually do. Although I had bought the fish for our meal this evening, when I called in Asda there were many items reduced with a whoops sticker and I was in the mood for a bargain!  I bought thirteen reduced items for £5.40 which at full price would have cost £27.93. A saving of just over 80%! I feel that I have done well. No prizes for guessing what No 4 chose - the cake! Well it is Friday.

My hexie quilt

Yesterday I blogged about the beautiful  log cabin quilt top that I bought.  I also mentioned another quilt that I had. It's actually a quilt project as once again it needs a backing. So I've bought another project! This one dates I believe from the seventies. I bought it from a lovely lady called Diane Ashman, I have taken this picture from Diane's Facebook page and the colours are quite a good likeness:

I love to visit her shop for two reasons, one because of the amazing vintage and antique clothing and other bits of interest, and two because of Diane herself. She has such interesting stories to tell that I could listen to her forever.  I do wish that I had gone into the shop more often when I lived in Welshpool.

The pictures of the hexie top are not the best quality as it was late when I took them and the lighting was poor. I'm also no photographer, like you needed telling! The colours in the photo do not appear true, but you can get the idea of it. 

This topper was about £30 I think although I have had it a couple of years so I cannot quite remember. The question for this one is how should I finish it? 

I've also shown pictures of the back of the quilt, quietly telling tales of its history. Fascinating.

A reminder that I bought this in Wales!

A clue to the decade:

Snap!

Yesterday  I mentioned the playing cards that I bought at the jumble sale. Waddington's All British Playing Cards to be exact. I've got to be honest I was attracted to the chocolate box housing on the front of the packet. The perfect cottage garden flowers that take far more maintenance than these pictures lead you to believe. I'm sure you know the type. A quick look inside showed that the cards were still wrapped. I duly paid my 20p and carried on with my business. When I got home I showed my spoils (well the ones that I had not kept hidden in my boot) to Mr Cymraeg, as soon as he saw the cards he knew that they were much older than I first thought. A Google search indicates that the cards are probably from the 20s or 30s .  That little pack of cards has remained sealed with a duty wrapper for about eighty years, which is a little bit sad really.  I can't help but wonder why they have never been played with, and probably never will.

Jumble sale

I've had a lovely time at the first jumble sale of  the year. I was not the only one who had decluttered as there was a mountain of black bin bags. I was not going to buy anything at all today. Nothing. Not one thing. That didn't last long, although I was very selective over the items I did choose.
I had an immaculate Yardley ginger jar which will now live in my bathroom holding my bath bombs. A selection of vintage lace and ribbons. It's very rare that I don't come away with an embroidered cloth or two, and today I came away with just the one. There were others but the quality of the stitchwork wasn't so good. Owing to having quite a collection I have to be choosy! I had an old glasses case, which after doing a Hen's Teeth workshop I have plans for. I couldn't resist the old tin which really does look like it's had a really hard life. My daughter saves playing cards, which she also plays with, she currently has 24 packs. I do wonder where she gets her hoarding tendencies! A mystery! Anyway, I was brought up playing patience with cards and I in turn taught my own children. The devil makes work for idle hands so a packet of playing cards slipped into my handbag always meant that there was something for them to play with wherever we were, and they were kept out of mischief. ..on the whole! You can see the cards that I picked up for her in the photo. I will take better ones tomorrow as they are too nice not to share.  My favourite purchase are my vintage glass ornaments. I was so excited when I saw them, that I did a happy dance!

Jumble 3

I also bought this - a Singer button tool. I haven't had a good look at it yet but I'm sure that there will be some instructions on the internet somewhere.

 There was also a Singer tool box

When in Lincoln I discovered another little vintage shop, well they are popping up everywhere at the moment...

Then I visited Boyes where I was tempted by their half price sewing patterns.  The dress that I particularly liked was a '60s type dress.  Now I will just have to buy some more fabric...

I took my visitors to the beautiful city of Lincoln. Sometimes it is easy to forget what is on the doorstep.  Although still cold, we were lucky as the sun shone down on us...

I took my visitors to the Strait, somewhere that I hadn't been for many years.  we found an old fashioned sweet shop and relived our sweetie history...

Although not completely like the olden days, I bought myself and husband a couple of treats...

I did buy something for my children too but there was no chance of photographing it!

Been buying!

Thank you for your lovely comments and thank you and a warm welcome too to my followers.  I feel much better after my little rant last night, although  I did think maybe I shouldn't have. Hey ho - all done now. I was quite excited about my new purchase but after reading the reviews on Amazon, it's maybe not as good as I first thought.

The instructions are not good, just six pictures without captions.  I've been onto YouTube and someone has uploaded a demonstration but as it was almost six minutes long I didn't really have the time to watch it all tonight. A job for the weekend I think.
 

 Oh and meet my new best friend...

Dinner is served!

For the love of fabric!

One of the lovely ladies that I work with went to Ally Pally at the weekend to the Knitting and Stitching Show - she brought these fantastic fat quarters back for me!

Which goes well with the bundle that I bought from CK...

Which goes with my Ikea fabric...

I feel a new project about to emerge! Because the twenty five that I have already started can just wait! ;-)

As I wandered around Ikea last week I noticed some very pretty glassware...

which is not a million miles away from this design from Cath...



Blighty Love!

As I passed the Works, they had baskets of Union flag items for sale. It would have been rude not to stop and look and maybe buy one or two (or four!) things...

a cake stand,

paperchains,

and cupcake cases and flags. And all for under £5!

Last Saturday I went along to help at my jumble and saw this corner wall unit.  I snapped it up straight away!  I've hung it and husband hasn't even noticed! I'm also rather pleased with the wooden bunting that I've bought from Sainsbury too.  I've also got some other 'tat' (as husband calls it!) to go on the shelves.  The mirror belonged to my Nan and it's many, many years old - I've probably had it sitting in a cupboard for twenty five years and goodness knows how long she'd had it for!

On a different subject, the turkeys have started to lay.  So I'll leave it a couple of weeks before I collect the eggs to incubate.  We spent all day yesterday at the field, clearing the 'allotment' of stones and rubble.  Farmer Jack has had the idea that we should plant potatoes so we're doing as we're told!

This time last year this area was very much overgrown, with weeds, brambles and years of neglect and flytipping!

We were also very lucky that we had help from our friendly neighbour...

It's very easy to forget how much has been done at the field.  It does look very easy to get a machine in, but we had worked on that area for two weeks before he came in!  It was so overgrown that one of the things found was a huge metal cattle feeder that was about six foot tall that hadn't been seen before!

A little frivolity and more serious matters

With yesterday's Charity Shop shopping spree and a little shopping expedition today you'll be thinking that all I do is shop! It's really not...honest! It was my lunch hour! Anyway all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy (or Jill a dull girl as it happens ;-) ) and I have been doing a lot of supply lately - well bills need paying and animals need feeding! So today I indulged myself in a little 'me' time and I can wholeheartedly recommend it! I met up with my friend Karen for lunch and we ambled around all the nice shops that we found. This one in particular took our fancy...

Now onto more serious matters, I would very much appreciate prayers tomorrow as my Mum is having another major operation.  It is going to be a difficult day so any help to get through it is greatly needed.  Thank you.