The Butterfly Balcony

Things to Make & Do - A Colette Set

2012-02-22T15:20:00.000Z

Hello! I want to say a quick welcome to my new followers I hope you enjoy being here:) and before I forget I am having a few blogger glitches at the moment, one of them being on the 'Blogs I love' widget (to the left). It is refusing to let me add any new blogs to the roll and has deleted off some of the others. I can only fix it by adding one at a time and then saving which takes ages, so please don't think I've gone off you if you blog isn't showing, its just it going to take a while to add you all back!

This weeks project is a Stash Buster and UFO Slayer all in one! After giving my fabric a thorough sort through recently I found two pieces of black satin, which I had cut out to make a late 60's A-line wrap dress (this was a UFO I had completely forgotten about...it may even be older than my never finished tank top!)

I really wanted (actually I still do) to make the maxi version of this dress, in black satin, but I ran out of fabric!

I remember that I had intended to make this to wear to a work Christmas party, many moons ago, but being the rush-in-head-first kind of a girl that I am, I completely underestimated the amount of fabric it would take to make (read the instructions..what me?!) and so ended up a meter and a bit short, which meant that no matter how many different ways I tried to fit the three pieces on the fabric, it was never going to fit. I was short by one front section and when I went back to the shop to buy more fabric...guess what?..yep it had all gone!

So it was time to put this UFO to rest and re-purpose some of that fabric in to something wearable. A quick look through my patterns reminded me that I had printed out a couple of free patterns from Colette - The Sorbetto & The Madeline Mini Bloomers - which were small enough to fit on the fabric I had left.

The Sorbetto Top

Designed By: Sarai Mitnick

Download FREE Here: The Sorbetto Top

Flikr: Sorbetto

Ingredients : 1.5 yards of Fabric

Spool of Matching Thread

3 yards 1/2" Bias Tape

This was a blissfully simple pattern to sew, It is made up of only two pieces both cut on the fold, the front has a central pleat and has two bust darts to give it some shape. The instructions were very well written and easy to follow.

I decide against making my own bias binding as I found the perfect matching satin bias binding in my stash. I have always struggled with attaching this stuff before, but it was so well explained in the instructions that it was a doodle, inevitably I now want to attach it to everything!

The only tricky bit I found was when hemming the bottom, due to the outward flick on the bottom of the pattern it refused to be hemmed neatly, it went all wobbly and baggy - Any tips on making this work I would really appreciate - Not sure if its because I haven't sewn anything in a while or I had cut the pattern out a bit wonky, either way frustration got the better of me and I decided to bias bind the hem.

My only mistake with this top was to set my iron too hot when pressing the front pleat, which meant I melted the hem edge quite badly, luckily I had cut it bit long so I managed to cut off the worst of it off. I will definitely be using this pattern again as it is so simple and could be re-worked in so many different ways, just look at the flikr page HERE!

Madeline Mini Bloomers

Designed By: Sarai Mitnick

Download FREE Here: Madeline Mini Bloomers

Flikr: Colette Madeline Bloomers

Ingredients : 1 yard of Fabric

Spool of Matching Thread

2.5 yards 1/4" Ribbon

2.5 yards 1/4" Elastic
Safety pin (for threading elastic)

Again this pattern was very straight forward to follow due to it being really well explained and consisting of only 4 pieces.

As with the Sorbetto I did struggle with the hem and ribbon casings on the legs, it just would not turn over neatly as again there seemed to be too much fabric.

Is it just me or have these come out looking a bit like a bat! The boyfriend thinks they look like something Blackadder would wear...without the bows, I kind of agree!

So after a bit of faffing, I decided to just to fold the edge over and rather than making a channel for the ribbon to sit in, I would hem them as best I could and fit the hemmed channel with elastic. As I had already made and opened the button holes in preparation for the casing I decided to hide them with some black lacy ribbon and a button.

This Button and Bow hides my wonky button holes

I am quite happy with them, though to be honest they are not the most wearable item I have made, they sit very low (don't dare bend over!!), and are quite puffy, but I'm pretty sure the puffiness is due to my attempts to over come my hemming issues! I will definitely have another go at these, as they would make great summer bed shorts, but next time I will increase the waist band hight by a couple of inches!

So two items finished, one wearable and one...not so wearable perhaps, but at least I have used up some of my fabric and finally rid myself of another UFO!

Have a great day!

Wendy x

1940s Hairstyles - A Vintage Classic 2nd Edition

2012-02-21T09:00:00.000Z

1940s Hairstyles by Daniela Turudich Second Edition

As any one who has ever coveted this wonderful book will know, it has been out of print for quite a few years. Meaning that a copy of the original release retails around the web for, some seriously scary amounts of money ($175 to $311.27...Seriously!!) which is a long way out of the average vintage lasses price range.

So I was really delighted when I learnt, finally the fabulous 1940s Hairstyles by Daniela Turudich is going to be released as a second edition, from May 2012 you buy a copy of this super little book, at a much more reasonable price of about £15.99.

I have just pre-ordered my copy on Amazon UK (currently £11.84) and am looking forward to finally getting my hands on my very own copy of this vintage gem!

Wendy x

Stitch Her Style - Glorious 39

2012-02-17T13:00:00.000Z

It has taken me a while to find these but I though it was about time I shared with you the modern patterns which I think would re-create some of the fabulous Glorious 39's outfits.
For the original Film Fashion post click here!

Butterick McCall B5182
I love this dress and the Butterick version is so similar I actually squealed when I saw it.

Butterick Retro 5152: 1948 Dressing Gown
Not quite the same but lovely none the less

Burda Style V neck dress $5.40 (Download)

Burda Style: Ute $3.50 (Download)

Simplicity S3688: Retro 1940's Pattern

Simplicity S4044 Misses & Plus Size 1940's Retro Suit

Both of the above Simplicity Retro patterns are definitely worth having in your collection if your a vintage fan, as they both offer a good range of separates, and finding original 40's patterns of separates can be difficult and expensive especially trouser patterns.

Craft Stylish: Beret Pattern by Nicole Smith FREE
Love this Beret tutorial, you can choose to make it plain or add the cut-work pattern, which I think is rather nice too.

Burda Style : Sailors Neck Dress $5.40


Simplicity - 2501 Blouse pattern

I think that it would be really easy to turn this blouse into a bolero. The sleeves are almost spot on, the only changes would be to shape the neckline by removing the button band and neck tie.


Simplicity - 2501 Blouse pattern Same Pattern as the bolero above, this time using version B with the long floaty sleeves.


Burda Style - Dots Invasion Dress Pattern (download) FREE!

Burda Style - Kirsten $4.00 (download)

Stitch in Time Vol 02: Trimmed with Roses


Minerva Yarn - 1936 Beret (Crochet) FREE Take a little look at Kegan's fabulous version of this pattern on Ravelry Here.

Wendy x

Things to Make & Do - Valentines Gifts for Boys

2012-02-13T14:13:00.001Z

Well hello, I hope you all have had wonderful weekends! Mine was spent in full crafting mode and I have managed to tick off a few more things of my to-do list, which is always a good feeling!

The first thing I ticked off my list was something for valentines day. Now I must be honest I'm not usually a huge fan of Valentines day (if valentines has a grinch...its me! Read Miss Marie's post it sums up my feelings exactly) but I though this year I would put some effort in and craft something nice for the Boyfriend as he at least is quite keen on upholding the tradition.

I soon realised that its a bit more tricky than I had first thought. It is all very well for us crafty lasses to go all mushy over mugs with hearts on, silly on stuffed teddy's, and gooey over glittery jewellery (yes please!), but at the end of the day many of us are wanting to give our crafty creations to the one(s) we love, and they are not always going to be keen on receiving a shabby chic fluffy bunny covered in love hearts...even if you have spent the last three weeks crafting in to the night to make it!

So I decided I was going to have to try and put my creativity into something he won't be totally embarrassed to own, and since my embroidery obsession is still in full swing I thought I would make the most of it and create a very simple and quick solution to the problem with...

Em-Boy-dery
(Sorry I couldn't help myself:))

Ingredients: Scrap of Fabric
                    Embroidery hoop
                      Scraps of Wool or Embroidery Thread
                      Large eyed sharp embroidery needle
                      Pencil or Wash-out-able Fabric pen

Free Pattern: Click below images to make larger (sized to UK A4)

All of the above fonts (apart from my hand drawn one) are free to download from various websites, (just goggle the name) so you can change the text to anything you like!

Know How: Embroidery Stitches, Split stitch and Satin Stitch

I searched the web for some manly looking fonts, well to be honest anything, nerdy, sci fi, I.T. or Tattoo styled, I new would fit the bill. In the end I opted for a very quickly sketched block style font which I thought would be the quickest to do (had to get it done while he was out!)

I drew out my desired pattern on to a piece of paper to the size I wanted, blue-tacked it to a window and quickly traced it on to my fabric using a wash-out-able fabric pen, you could use a soft pencil too, but if you are using light colours then it is best to avoid as the graphite will stain the thread.

I popped my fabric in to an embroidery hoop and then using white wool, I Split Stitched all around the edges of the letters and then with a long Satin Stitch I filled in the shading!

I kept mine really simple by just using white as I know anything frilly or wildly colourful tends to leave my boyfriend cowering behind his computer screen in fear. And even if he does turn his nose up at it, I think its pretty cool, it took only a few of my precious crafting hours and it will look really cute on the book shelf!

Some fabulously creative Valentine Tutorials:

Have a great Monday!
Wendy x

Things To Make & Do - Crewel Embroidery

2012-02-06T09:35:00.002Z

Morning I hope you all had wonderful weekends & if your in the UK that you had lots of fun playing in the snow! Not so much fun this morning though but still, it makes walking to work a bit more interesting to say the least, even if does mean occasionally slipping landing on your behind in front of a bunch of giggling teenagers!

Well on to my third project on my to-do list and one I never thought I would compete as I really didn't think I had the patience, but I was wrong as I have become totally addicted to embroidery!

It has been years since I have done any kind of embroidery, that was cross stitch and I was bad at it. To be fair it was probably down to my laziness, I found it to be frank a bit dull, the easy pictures were twee, and the ones I liked were difficult to do and required hours before they resembled anything at all (I did I mention my attention span) and the counting of squares and marking out always terrified me in to giving up after a few frustrated hours. I think you need to have a bit of a mathematical mind, which I don't, so I never found the the joy in it that my Mum and Aunties could, so I decided that embroidery was just not for me.

Satin Stitch butterfly with gold couched thread.

After receiving a crewel embroidery kit from the fabulous Shirl in the Pre-Christmas swap, I thought I would give it a go. Crewel embroidery though is soo different and I honestly think I am in love! I started in to the kit with a little trepidation, honestly believing I would be adding this to the long list of UFOs...but no...once I had done my first few stitches I was hooked, time flew by, boyfriend paced anxiously waiting for his tea, while I was absorbed in my world of stitchery.

I love the fact that you can be a bit more freehand than with cross stitch, you can make it as individual as you like and mistakes can be worked with and around much more easily...I totally got the greens muddled up when doing the leaves but I doubt any one but me would spot that!

Within a few days I was done and gazing at my first finished embroidery! I had learnt new skill and I had a cute quaint woolly masterpiece! result!

I have mounted it in a box frame so the stitches didn't get squashed and I think it looks a treat! Its not the greatest example of embroidering skills I grant you, but its given me the confidence to tackle something a bit more difficult (time consuming) and I have been Pinning like crazy so I'll leave you with some of my favourites.
(all sources are linked below).

Source: artplatter.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: misskatie-littleredsquirrel.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: racheldenbow.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Wendy on Pinterest

Wendy x

Getting Organised = Getting Motivated

2012-01-28T12:12:00.001Z

Good Afternoon, its me again, I don't think I have blogged so regularly in ages!

The reason is, I have finally forced myself to be a bit more organised regarding this old blog, which means I am finding it much easier to type up posts and such, as I feel really motivated!

The best thing I have done this year is to catalogue all the post and projects I want to complete by making little labels for each and sticking them on my living room wall. I saw this Idea on Elsie's blog - A Beautiful Mess and loved it, I can confirm after spending the last few weeks writing labels and drawing pictures (which I really enjoyed) I am so happy that I did as it is working a treat!

One giant mosaic To-Do List

Normally I write a list of all the things I want to and HAVE to do, but it usually gets misplaced, or accidentally recycled, or tucked away somewhere when I can't face it anymore. So this is great as I can add to it and move it around as much as my fickle brain needs without having to write a new list. It also is so nice that I have finally got my thoughts and ideas in one place which means I feel much more relaxed about it than ever before, which in turn means I feel motivated enough to actually do some of the tasks I have set, and seeing them all together makes me realise I have more ideas and unfinished projects than I would have thought!

....the Completed side.

Its not going to be a permanent fixture but for now I am really enjoying it being there to remind me what I have to do and as it sits above my radiator the little notes wave at me while I'm sitting watching TV reminding me I should be being active rather than just vegging out in front of TOWIE (or Dog the Bounty Hunter :)).

Another great idea and one I am all for, as it it will fit in nicely with my grand plans for this year, is from Miss Katie over at The Little Red Squirrel. She has come up with The UFO/Stash busting Project which means cataloguing all your Stashed fabrics, yarn and UFO's (..I've gotta lotta those!) and working towards...well busting them, in to something new or finished! If you want to join in then hop on over click the link in my side bar!

So I'm going to spend the remainder of the day cataloguing my fabric and yarn...sewing patterns and knitting patterns... and zips...and buttons....and trimmings...ooh and beads.....and...I could be gone some time:)

Have a great Saturday where ever you are!

Wendy x x

Things To Make & Do - Knitting Bag

2012-01-24T15:39:00.000Z

This is a UFO...

But this is no ordinary UFO, oh no this is mother of all UFO's.
This little unfinished object has been hanging around since I took up knitting,
so...err...that would make it about 5 years old...eeek!

You may be able to tell (though I doubt it!) from the above photo that is is the back of what is should have been a neat little 1940's tank top. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be, as by the time I had stopped (inches from the final cast off...lazy cow..I know!) I had no intention of ever knitting the front section. I had long since fallen out of love with it.

So 5 Years on I was all set to unravel this little blighter back to itty-bitty balls of yarn, when it struck me just how much this silly bit of knitting meant to me!

I love the stitch pattern (ignoring the wobbly blue bit at the bottom)...not so keen on the colour combination, as in real life it makes your eyes do that flickery thing they do when you look at one of those magic eye pictures!

It was my very first attempt at making something other than a scarf for myself.
It was a lot of hours of very slow knitting and It was on this very knit, that I developed my hatred of the k1, p1.'s.
It was where (and clearly why I never finished it) I decided to ignore the patterns instructions to, a. Do a test swatch b. use 4 ply wool. (I chose DK it was so to thick and stiff for the small needles especially with the slip stitch pattern it was very hard work).

It is prime example of enthusiasm (and stupidity) over experience and therefore it was an massive failure. But even in failure this terrible bit of wonky knitting has taught me a lot, so for that I am really grateful. How could I just rip it back to a nothingness?

I couldn't. So I was going to have to find a use for this awful, but highly sentimental bit of knitting. I umed and arred a bit, stuck it on me head and tried to fashion a hat...beret...ANYTHING...from it (I will not tell you what the BF said on witnessing this..it weren't polite) Then it struck me that if folded it in half I could make a purse, and use the welt (ribbed bit) as the closing flap. Hurrah!!

So I (finally) cast it off and folded it in half, turned over the cast off edge to flatten it down a bit and the sewed it in to place.

Stitched with black wool down both sides and then trimmed the fabric to about 0.5 cm from the sewn edge (scary bit!). I then worked my way along the cut edge sewing over it and binding the cut stitches in place.

Lastly I made a button loop by plaiting 3 strands of yarn together, then attached it to the front of the flap and secured a big chunky button on the front!

Et voilà !!!

Finally it has a purpose in life!

Now its ready to hold my very next WIP (Soon to be a UFO), lets just hope it doesn't take me 5 years to not finish that one!

Wendy x

Things To Make & Do - Woolly Head Wrap

2012-01-21T22:46:00.002Z

With it being the New Year and all, I can't help but make countless lists of things I want to knit and sew in the following year, also on this list are many unfinished objects that just need that final push to the finish line. So this year I have decided (foolishly or not you decide) to pick a new thing or UFO from the list each week to start or finish (or at least try to) which I will share with you all here in an attempt to keep me motivated with a virtual deadline!

So, to start with I have found a super quick knitting pattern that will keep out the wintry chills, look great and is really easy to do!

Its A Cinch Head Wrap & Collar

Created By : Elisa McLaughlin

Download Free PDF: Its a Cinch Head Wrap & Collar

Ravelry: Cast on

Know How : Cast On, Knit & Cast off.
Ingredients : A Pair of 5.5mm /US size 9 Knitting needles

50g Worsted Weight wool (or DK wool, use 2 strands at a time)
A Darning Needle

I chose this pattern as I needed something to keep my ears toasty warm whilst I wait for the bus to work. I wanted something a bit more individual than a bobble hat and lets face it bit more stylish too!

This is a total beginners project and really quick to knit up, if you can do a knit stitch your sorted! I'm a slooow knitter, I know I've said it before but this took me only 4 hours to knit and sew together and to be really honest some of that time was also spent randomly Goggling things on my phone...honestly I have the attention span of a itchy goldfish.

As I didn't have any worsted weight wool I used DK and doubled up to make it nice and thick which means warmth! I chose to make mine in Royal Blue to match my coat though I Just wish I had enough yarn left to make a scarf and gloves to match as mine are black and it bugs me they don't match but I guess I will just have to make another in Black and with a pattern this simple It would be silly not to really!

Finished just in time for the first actual cold day of winter!

Variations:

1. You could knit the wrap a double the length, so that you can tie it in a knot at the top of your, head to create a very simple 1940's style turban.

2. To make it a bit different you could knit up a little flower to cover the knot - I used my Rambling Rose Pattern using 3mm needles and DK wool to make it a bit smaller.

So there you go one project down Just 51 to go I guess!

Have a great weekend!

Wendy x

Happy New Year!

2012-01-17T22:30:00.000Z

Before I launch head first in to my waffelsome post, I just wanted to say a big Thank You to all the lovelies that commented on my last post! It means a lot that you took the time to so thank you very much indeed!

Well its well and truly 2012, I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas time and are enjoying the new year so far. I must confess to be struggling to get back into my pre-Christmas routine, of getting up at 5.45 each morning to get to work, after a week off and loads of lovely lie-ins!

So, back to Christmas belated as this post is...Would you believe me if I said that in the real world I hate being late, I'm the kind of gal who turns up and hour early to an appointment rather than be a minute late yet in the blog-sphere I'm always running to catch up?!

Anyway I travelled up to Liverpool to my parents for my Christmas holidays and had a really lovely and relaxing time, this has to have been the first year in a while that I have not been sick so I actually got to enjoy it!

My Folks Christmas Tree

One of the many windowsill snow scenes my Mum creates each year (Can you guess which little girl had a Sylvainain habit?!) We don't do understated decorating in our house!

We ate lots of fabulous food all cooked by Mum (I did offer to help!) Ate way too many chocolates and Worcester sauce flavour Twiglets (I have missed these) we also took our our yearly family photo... of which my brother usually picks the one he looks best in and we look shocking then posts it on his Facebook page in a folder called "You can't Choose your family" Charming!! No different this year but at least I can post My favourite here!

Dad, The Brother, Me and Mum all of us looking vaguely respectable!

On Christmas eve my mum donated me a (above) fabulous 40's style maxi dress which she made her self back in the 70's, it is such a lovely green with red and pink roses all over it, I was rather relived that I fitted in to it, as back then my mum was much more svelte than I am now but luckily it was the perfect fit and I have to confess I was much more excited about wearing said dress on Christmas day than opening my gifts!

....then we go and spoil it all!

So on to the gifts...

My brother gave me my very favourite album on vinyl and signed no less (eBay does it again) and an utterly fabulous Ukulele which I can't wait to have a proper go at playing.

My parents gave me some money (shall show you what I bought soon) and Land Girls on DVD! My Boyfriend gave me The Big Bang theory box-set (loove this show a bit too much!

and this amazing vintage styled record player (which also plays mp3s and Cd's.) Finally I can listen to all of the records I have been buying in the Charity shops!

Though I was not really at home for Christmas I still made an effort to decorate our little place, as The Boyfriend was staying behind to work. I went a bit wild making loads of paper snowflakes, my they are seriously addictive!

Just a few of the many snowflakes which adorned our home / Christmas Tree with Christmas Ted (A birthday gift from a few years ago lovingly made by Mum)

My Nan's old mirror looks great above a very 70's fire place / My Mum made me this fabulous Angel Christmas sock for my Birthday!

I spent New years back home in ~~London~~ oops Essex with my lovely mum who came back down with me to spend New years together, we saw in the new year with Snowballs in very large glasses many more chocolates and then promptly went to straight to bed worn out from all the excess! (rock and roll I know!)

The only resolution I made was a bit different to the, gym joining-salad eating-nail not biting resolutions I usually make and never keep. This year I want to try and like myself a bit more and enjoy what already have, rather than looking inwardly for places to improve.

Early last year I had counselling for my ongoing problems with panic attacks, one of the questions my councillor put to me was " Give me three (positive) words that describe you?".
Now I never realised before just how negatively I felt about myself, It genuinely took 20 mins for me to think of anything...Organised, generous and Polite, in case you were wondering, still its a pretty pathetic offering for 20 mins soul searching & ceiling gazing. It really made me think...it is so very easy to list your bad traits, we do it all the time, but listing the positives is hard and it really shouldn't be!

So for me this year its going to be about appreciating the positives, what I do have rather than over analysing what I am lacking, and try to make each day a little bit special. I loved this post by retro chick it really struck a chord, my lovely Dad had major heart surgery last year which really shook our whole family, it was a wake up call, for us all to make more of an effort to spend time with each other and to enjoy every moment that we do, even the arguments and it being my family there are always going to be plenty of those :)

I could think of no better way to end this post than to leave you with Louis Armstrong and a song which has been going around in my head on a loop whilst writing this!

Wendy x

A little Catch up...

2011-12-21T18:00:00.000Z

Now that I finally have access to the Internet at home I can give you all a quick round up of some of the things I've been up to over the last few months...

I Moved Home Hurrah!!
I've gone from one very over filled room...

...to four rooms...oh and a share of a bit of garden!!!

These are the letting agents pics which make it all look much bigger than it really is, but even so I can't begin to tell you how lovely it is to have a bit of space!

I've Done a Lot of Low Budget Decorating!
As we are only renting there is no way I can justify spending loads on making this place more presentable (though I can dream) But it is amazing how much of a difference a splash of white gloss can make and just how far a £12 giant tub of magnolia paint can go!!! (More on this later).

I've Found the Perfect DAB Station to Decorate To!

and cook to, tidy to and just generally dance and sing very badly to.
Its Absolute Radio's New Digital channel Absolute 60's (Listen to it online here.) We listen to
BBC 6 Music at work which I really love, but when I come home I need something a bit more nostalgic to keep me going through the chores and as the 60's is my favourite era for music this station fits the bill perfectly!

I Now Officially Own White Goods!

A washing machine, cooker and a fridge freezer...oh I feel like a grown up at last!
Oh and the Microwave was a birthday present from my parents!

I Had a Bath for the First Time in Years!

I now that sounds worse than it is...promise!! The last place had a bath but it was very small and ALWAYS filthy, so showers were the only way to actually get clean!

I Had a Birthday and Finally Finished my 1950s bolero!

Which was knitted as part of Bea's Vintage Knit Along (Read all about it here) and I got the chance to wear it with my Audrey Dress for a very yummy birthday meal!

I Harvested Some Crops!

A small but mighty allotment bounty, some was eaten straight away, some was pickled, some was frozen, but all of it tasted delicious!

I Bought a Tiny Real Christmas Tree!

The Boyfriend has named her 'Fiona' (Fiona Spruce to be exact!).
She is currently sitting by my front door waiting to be swathed in her festive apparel, of some solar powered lights!

I Bought Some New Shoes!

After reading Katrin of Per bar one Penny post on how comfortable she had found her smashing new brogues, I decided I had to get myself a pair, hers were from Deichmann and to my complete surprises I found they have a UK website! I was even more delighted to bag these Little beauties for only £17.99 inc postage! I will certainly testify that they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn!!

So there you have it some of the things that have been keeping me busy. Sadly with moving I have not been able to find time to do my usual Christmas present crafting, which means I have had to buy store bought gifts for everyone this time which I do feel bad about, but there is always next year and hopefully they will be even more special!

I'm off now to finish some more low budget Christmas decorating - posts to follow. The tree is up (although its fallen over 3 times already...argh!) and sparkling I just need to add a bit more festiveness to the rest of the place!

Wendy x

A Little more Chrismas Swapping

2011-12-17T12:46:00.000Z

So what was in that ever so tantalising parcel then...

Just look at that Beautiful handmade card!!

1. An Embroidered Christmas Apron. 2. A Shabby Chic Handbag. 3. A Bag of Lavender with some gorgeous Lip Balm (smells divine). 4. A Kath Kidiston Note Book 5. A Piece of Lacey Trim! 6. An Embroidery Kit (with butterfly!...eeek!) 7. An Embroidered Christmas Table Cloth (see below).

The Christmas table cloth has found a very fitting home underneath the
tree with Christmas Ted to keep it company!

I love absolutely everything! I let out serious squeal when I realised I had now my own Christmas pinny, I had toyed with the idea of making one, but with the move I just didn't have the time to craft. I honestly was like a child in a party dress, I pranced about the house all evening refusing to take it off.

The Gorgeous table cloth is the perfect fit under my little Christmas tree and it looks just lovely!

I am going to fashion a fabulous 1940s collar out of the lovely lace trim and I can't wait to start on the Embroidery it will look great in my new living room!

Here's what I sent to Shirl...

1. A Deco Style Necklace. 2. The Book 'What Every Woman Should Know: Life Lessons from the 1930's'. 3. Hand crocheted Christmas tree angels. 4. A 10x8 Print of an 30's Train Poster. 5. A Shell Mosaic Picture Frame. 6. Some Shabby Chic Fabric.

I must say I enjoyed an excuse to do a bit of charity shopping and I think I was very lucky with my finds! Such as the book which is packed full of fabulous advice and images from the 30's I highly recomend getting a copy if you can!

When I realised that Shirl lived in Clacton and that she liked the 20's and 30's it gave me the perfect excuse to use my graphic design skills to recreate (ie draw over in illustrator) an old 30's train poster of her home town.

My mum was kind enough to crochet me up some little angels for the parcel. Seriously I wish I had her skills with a crochet hook, she took no time to make these up and the crocheting is so delicate and tiny that I struggle even to see the hook!

Thank you again Shirl for taking the time to make up my fabulous parcel and also a big Thank You to Lakota for setting it all up!! It has been a lovely pre Christmas treat to have something to open before the big day!

Wendy x

Christmas Swapping!

2011-12-08T13:07:00.001Z

Eeek!!! How Exciting!!!!

I have just received a fabulous parcel from the lovely Shirl who blogs over at The White House all as part of 'The Festive Charity Swap' which was expertly organised by the remarkable Lakota -if you fancy a bit of inter blog swappage then keep your eyes on her blog!

Doesn't it look enticing!!

I can't wait to open it, but I am being remarkably controlled and I am going to try and wait until I know that she has got hers (which I just need to pop in the post!) before I open it! Wish me luck with my resolve!! Thanks Shirl!!!

I hope you all have great weekends! Fingers crossed (for the 3rd time now) we will finally get the internet installed on Saturday so it should be back to blogging normality, shortly! Hurrah!

Wendy x

Things to Make and Do - Vintage Vogue

2011-11-18T13:41:00.000Z

Well hello there, its been a while hasn't it! Sorry for my prolonged blogging absence I have been internet-less for a few weeks now (I feel like I have lost a limb) due to finally moving out of my grotty room in a shared house, in to a one bedroom flat with The Boyfriend, which to be honest is a bit grotty too (the flat not the BF), but all it needs is bit of a clean and a touch of paint here and there and it will be fine and sooooo much better than having to live in a place that could easily be featured on How Clean Is Your House!

More on all that stuff in another post. I have really just popped by (I should be working shhh!) to tell any UK pattern addicts among you, whilst perusing the web this lunch-time I spotted that Jaycotts are having a 50% sale on their range of Vogue Patterns, this includes the fabulous Vintage Vogue collection, many of which I have been lusting over for ages, I'm sure I am not alone. I have managed to be good only buy a couple, though its was quite a difficult choice I could have easily bought them all! Luckily I'm currently sporting 'insufficient funds' (shakes piggy bank forlornly) so a lack of cash has proved to be positive thing for once, as it has saved me from myself!

So here are a few of my favourites...

1930's - V8767 - Jacket, Dress And Belt Vogue Pattern

1940/50's - V8686 Misses' Dress Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1950's - V1083 MISSES' COAT Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1950's -V1137 MISSES' COAT, DRESS AND BELT Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1930's - V2859 MISSES' JACKET, BLOUSE AND DRESS Vogue Pattern ( ADVANCED )

1950's - V2934 MISSES' JACKET Vogue Pattern (AVERAGE)

1930's - V1136 MISSES' JACKET AND DRESS Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1950/60's - V8729 - Dress and Underskirt Vogue Pattern ( Advanced)

We get re-connected to the interweb on the 26th (fingers crossed) so I'll be back soon with more random ramblings, news of a much overdue giveaway and a catch up on what I've been up to!

Have a great weekend!!
Wendy x

In Rememberance

2011-11-11T14:22:00.001Z

Image source: Oswald Skene

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place;wait and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead, short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands, we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields!

John McCrae 03.05.1915

Sweeter than Sunshine

2011-10-11T10:01:00.000+01:00

After my Oscar the Grouch style post I thought I would change the mood a bit with an awards post!

While I was off on my hols the gorgeous Katrin awarded me 'The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award' How kind! Now this is one busy little lady as she has not one but two fantastic blogs, the first is about all the vintage in her life which is called Per Bar one Penny. You must check out her post on cutting her own midi, it looks amazing! Katrin's other blog is Fraue Wert illusriert which showcases her really stunning illustrations.

So go and pay her a visit you wont be disappointed!

Part of the rules of receiving this award is to list 7 Random facts about yourself:

1. I am 5'10" tall, which makes vintage clothes buying difficult as they tend to come up too short, this one of the reasons why I took to making my own clothes.

2. I have size uk 7/8 feet which again makes getting vintage options almost impossible.

3. My love of the past began with a love of all things 60's. I am sure It was triggered by watching re-runs of The Avengers (can't tell you how much I wanted to be Mrs Peel, catsuits and eye liner what's not to love!!) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (The most hilarious name for a Nemesis ever, shame no one told him all he needed was some yoghurt and his problems would be over;)).

4. I love chocolate but I don't like chocolate flavoured ice cream, or chocolates with runny caramel inside... I've no idea why, its just both seem really wrong to me. I'm very strange:)

5. I am a ~~slightly~~ obsessive list writer, I really can't go a day with out jotting down some form of list, be it of the shopping or Things to do variety, I will seldom be found with out one on hand!

6. I bite my nails and have done so on and off since the age of 2. I tend to only bite them now when I am stresses or worried, which luckily does not happen often. The weirdest thing is that I am unaware of actually biting them until its too late.

7. I could not live with out my Converse trainers I bought my first pair with my first pay check and have had a pair in various colours ever since.

Now I must pass this on to some fellow bloggers - This is the hard bit as all the blogs I follow are really wonderful and have helped to keep me the right side of sane over the last few weeks. So I have chosen some of the newest arrivals to my Google Reader!

Tami Lee from My Moving Finger Writes

Voe from Lipstick and Pearls

Paper doll from Paper Doll says lets have tea

Radka from Moon River and Me

Victory Rolls and Roses

Puppy Love Preschool

Donna from Hook and Stitch

Rueby from Rubey Retro

Toria from Girl meets Wolf

Kate from Kiss Me Kate

Lyra from Pretty Oddity

Mayday May from Walking in May

Catlin from Caltlin Rose

All that's left for me to do is to pop by to let you all know!

Wendy x

Its been a while

2011-10-11T09:37:00.000+01:00

Well hello all, I'm sorry for my lack of blogging lately I have just been tied up with really dull stuff that I have not found much time or enthusiasm for anything fun, to be honest the last few weeks have put me in a really baaad mood.
Now I have debated talking about this, as, well it is supposed to be a blog about all things lovely and vintage, but I thought by sharing it might help me to stop wallowing in negativity, and get back some of my motivation!

But If you are not in the mood for a Tuesday morning ranty type post then please skip to the last two paragraphs where the mood lifts, I can completely understand :)

After my fabulous holiday (post on that to follow) I was brought back down to earth with a bump once I was greeted with two new house mates, who had moved in while I was away.

Don't make me mad...

I rent a room in a shared house, and I have for about 6 years and for the most part it has been a interesting and enjoyable time. I have lived with some truly fabulous people such as the wonderfully fiery Carlota, an Italian Buddhist (interesting combo) who taught me how to brew and drink proper coffee, also Marzena and Thomas a Polish couple who were just the most friendly and truly generous people I have ever met, and there have been many other fascinating people from far and wide who I have learnt many new things from. I will add at times I have also shared the house with a few kitchen knife wielding crazies, who have made me want to sleep with one eye open, and my door securely locked, but all in all my time there has been enjoyable and above all the rent is cheap!

But these new additions to our household have just pushed me to the edge of reason, they are both bright young women who seem to have no personal or communal hygiene standards at all, no matter how often you politely ask them to have a bit of respect for the others in the house. Honestly the tales I could tell you would turn your stomach and are certainly not fit for description here, and these are the kind of well spoken, well educated, young women who you would see in the street and think they looked classy!

This has lead me to try and find somewhere new to live which in turn means I have now had the misfortune of coming across "The Letting Agent". Now I am sure there are hundreds nay thousands of wonderful courteous and friendly letting agents out there, who are ready to help, the problem is ones that I have met so far, have been rude, smarmy and just plain stress inducing.

Graeme Robertson/Getty Image

They laugh at you when you ask to see a rental property at a certain time as they know due to the high demand its going to have gone to someone who is available at 10 am on Mon morning not after work on a Weds, they never call you back, or they leave their property's on the search engines months after it has been let, just so that you waist your time working out if you could live in said flat, in said location, to ring up only to find that "oh it sorry it went last Monday, we have this one though but its ££ more than the one advertised"

After a four weeks of looking I have still not even managed to get a single viewing!!!! Argh!!

Deep breath...ok ok...I am calm now... I know that in the grand scheme of things this is a minor blip on the radar of life, and soon it will all be forgotten, but boy I can empathise now when people say moving/buying a house is one of the most stressful things you may have to do in life. Its just horrid.

You will be glad to know I have (other than sulking and kicking things:)) been reading all your wonderful bloggy goings on, though I haven't been commenting much (something I will remedy very soon!). I will say you guys have given me a much needed 'Technicolor Happy Place' to retreat to when I have wanted to scream and have toddler style tantrum :)

So let me end this post on a high and on to some thing much more fun. I am currently sorting out a little give away as a big thank you to all of you for sticking around and following me and getting me to 160 followers! Gosh, I honestly can't believe it, I never imagined that would ever happen! So thank you all, your all totally Brilliant! x

Wendy x

Sculpt Your Way to Beauty - TMGBB

2011-09-18T14:08:00.000+01:00

Hi guys! or should that be Salut les gars! (yes, I went to France!) I hope you are all having wonderful weekends! I'm back from my lovely relaxing holiday and thought that while I spend my weekend putting away all my holiday stuff, sort through all my photos and battling with the slowly decreasing pile of washing and rapidly increasing pile of ironing, It would only be fair to pop by to give you the next chapter of 'The Modern Girls Beauty Book'.

So I hope you Gal's are ready for the next instalment from our acerbic tongued 30's Beauty expert Miss Cross. Today's Chapter is all about making and using face masks and facial massage...

The Modern Girls Beauty Book
By Beryl M Cross (1938)

CHAPTER I (Part 2)

SCULPT YOUR WAY TO BEAUTY

FACIAL MASKS
            Afacial mask is an excellent thing for smoothing away lines. Clearing the skin,and tightening up the contours of the face. It depends on the state of yourskin what kind of mask you should use, and how often you should use one.
            Ifyou are in the early twenties, then, expect for a mask once every few monthswhen your skin looks as if it needs it, you should need only an occasionaldabbing with milk. Dab iced milk on the face; leave to dry – keeping face stillwhile the milk is on – and you will find that it has a very faint tighteningeffect. After five or ten minutes this can be rinsed off with lukewarm water,to which a few drops of toilet Benzoin or a little toilet oatmeal has beenadded.
            Thereare some excellent masks, quite reasonably priced on the market, that the girlin her late twenties and over may use.
            Nomask, however, can better an egg mask.
This really means makingyourself into as good an imitation of an omelet as you can.

EGG MASK
            Separatethe white and the yolk of an egg, and beat them very little, the white somewhatmore than the yolk.

Nowclean your face and then apply a face flannel rung out in quite warm water tothe face.

Applywhite of egg all over the face, paying special attention to the lines aroundthe eyes; when this is dry apply another coating, and when this has dried thena coating of yolk.

Leavethis on for about 20 minutes and then rinse off with lukewarm water.

Lightlydab over your face with your cleansing milk and make up as usual.

Youwill find that your skin has a delightfully fine texture.

Anegg mask every week, if you are in your late twenties and over, will keep yourskin lovely. For those in the middle twenties, just the white, very slightlywhipped and one coating applied, should be sufficient.

Ofcourse skins do vary, and you may find a woman of thirty-five with a very firmcontour and a girl of twenty-eight who needs more attention. But that can beleft to your own discretion.

Anotherlight mask that can be used with effect is fuller’s earth and milk, or fineoatmeal mixed in to a paste with milk.

HONEY MASK
Thenthere is the honey mask, which, as honey is the one thing that does not age, issupposed to impart some of its ageless qualities to the skin. The honey is justspread on perfectly clean skin, left for twenty minutes or so, and rinsed offwith lukewarm water, to which a little toilet oatmeal has been added. But bevery careful that you bind your hair well away from your face, for this is asticky job!

Image Source : Time Life

HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF AFACIAL
Afacial once a week is the ideal, and that should not be difficult to manage.For the business girl, of course, Sunday is the ideal day, because you havemore time to relax. In any case, if you really feel that once a week cannot bemanaged, take one evening every ten days, or two weeks.
Firstof all, put all the things you are going to need on a small table, on thedressing-table, or on a shelf in the bathroom.

Makeyourself comfortable in a dressing-gown that you can keep right away from theneck.

Tie back your hair with a ribbon, or headband, or fold a handkerchief corner wise, and fasten round your head and pin at the back of the neck.

Image Source : Time Life
Cleanseyour face thoroughly with cream, milk, or soap and water, according to yourskin type.

Nowpress on a face flannel wrung out in warm water. Spread skin food over yourface, and over the palms of your hands. Let it remain a moment or two, and thenmassage your face with firm sculpturing movements as given farther on in tothis chapter.

Whenyou have done this, wipe off the cream with facial tissues, keeping yourmovements upwards.

Nowcut a strip of butter muslin, about six inches wide, fold it, and putting itunder your chin, tie it on top of you head as tightly as you can bear it.

Cutanother Handkerchief of butter muslin, and after cutting holes for eyes, lay itover your face.

Geta scent spray bottle filled with skin tonic over the butter muslin. Put downthe scent bottle within your reach, and press the damp butter muslin to yourface.

When dry, sprinkle on some more skin tonic, again press to your face, andrest about five minutes, or of course, longer if you feel inclined.

Remember,it is hardly necessary to warn you, to keep your eyes closed while you applythe skin tonic, or it will sting.
Thatis a good facial. If you want to make it a facial de luxe, slap your face withcotton wool soaked in milk and rinse off, before applying the butter muslin andskin tonic. Give yourself a gentle patting over the lines with a patter, andput, and put swabs of cotton wool soaked in eye lotion over your eyes while youare lying down.
Afterthis, get up, remove the butter muslin. Leave any skin tonic on the skin to drynaturally, and then make up.

SCULPT YOUR WAY TO BEAUTY
Afew words on the important subject of massage. Lovely ladies have no lines, Norhave they drooping tired skins, which are caused more often than you mayrealize by destructive emotions… a downward droop of the mouth, a discontentedlook in the eyes.
It’sall very well to talk of people having “laughter-lines,” but actually this veryrarely happens. Laughter and vivacity exercise the facial muscles, and the liftof the face is upwards,therefore laughing people usual have much younger looking faces than those folkwhose faces are still and disagreeable.
Nowwhen you massage yourself, you have got to know what you want to do with yourface. You must imagine that you are smoothing away the lines and lifting thetired look. A little imagination in beauty care helps you to set a goal and toachieve it. You are out to “sculpt” your face the way you want it to go.Therefore you pass the hands with an upward movement, because the line must beupward, and take the fingers mostly across lines, to smooth them away. Here arethe movements –

1.Start with the first two fingers of either hand at each side of the nose andgently pass these back up to the ears with an upward movement towards the temples,the thumbs following under the jaw-line. Do this ten times.

2. Put the first and second fingers of your right hand at the left side of yourchin, and with the first two fingers of your left hand, describe a circularmovement over any nose-to-mouth line there may be. Repeat with changing hands.

3.Put the first two fingers of your left hand on the right cheek just under theeye, to keep the skin firm, and draw the first two fingers of your right handacross the lines, from under the middle of the eye towards the temples. Repeatwith the other hand under the left eye.

4.Put all four fingers of each hand so that they meet in the middle of yourforehead. Then hold the skin firm with one hand, while you draw the fingers ofthe other back to the temple. Repeat ten times then change hands, holding theother side firm, while you move the other hand.

5.Smear the backs of your hands with skin food and draw first the back of onehand from underneath the chin along to the back of the ear, each time youchange hands, giving a little firm smack under the chin with the back of thehand.

6.Give little gentle pinches round the mouth, very carefully along the top of the cheeks under theeyes, and along the jaw-line to behind the ears. Fill your cheeks with air, andmassage in a rotary movement from just below the mouth to just above it.

This,the corners of the mouth, is one of the places where you will most need yourpatter, as patting “plumps out” the cheeks and gets rid of nose-to-mouth lines.Just pat on and across these lines when you have removed your skin food.
Thisis a simple routine that anyone can follow.

The products you will need on your dressing table:

Butter Muslin: Find it here, essentially a loose weave fabric like medical gauze.

Fuller’s Earth: My first reaction to reading this was 'what! you want me to put cat litter on my face!!!' But after doing a bit of Goggling, I found out that it has many other uses other than lining kitties litter tray. It can be bought as a cream or as a powder and seems to be just the ticket for many a skin complaint, due to its deep cleansing properties. Another face mask recipe I found whilst researching is to mix two tablespoons of Fuller's earth with and one egg white and apply as a mask every day to rid your face of Acne!

Toilet Oatmeal: Essentially this is oatmeal (who would have guessed:) ) which was chopped in to smaller pieces than the breakfast verity, So I guess whacking some in the food processor/blender would do the trick!
(Now if you goggle Toilet Oatmeal, and I realise there is no reason why you should! You will find nothing relating to a beauty product, but some very strange things on youtube...there is a whole channel for flushing food down the toilet?? Just bizarre!!)

Wendy x

Things To Make and Do - Union Jack Tea Cosy

2011-08-31T10:00:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned in my last post I have recently forced myself to sit down and write a list of all the sewing and knitting projects I have currently on the go (or should I say on the floor, in a box in the corner, not be looked at until utter boredom sets in) and quite frankly it is worrying just how many UFOs there are, especially as most of the things I started were intended to be for my (two years in the saving and planning) summer holiday, which starts at the end of the week...no pressure then!

First to be ticked of the list was this fabulous knitting pattern for a very patriotic Union Jack Tea Cosy by the lovely Anna from Audrey's Tea Shop. I knew the moment I saw it that I would have make one as it is not only very patriotic but it is also in my favourite colour combination red white and blue!

Meet the cosiest tea pot in the country!

It is a very simple and surprisingly quick pattern to do (though I have to confess to only doing the fairisle flag on one side, as I didn't have enough blue wool) and is the first time I have attempted to do fairisle on garter stitch, which proved a little tricky at first as I kept forgetting to bring each yarn through to the back before starting on the next colour, but after a few rows I was all sorted and knitting up a storm (in a tea pot! does that even work?!)

My first pom pom since childhood, I used to make tons of them if you ever had a gift from me as a kid there would have been a pom pom on it!

I did need to scale the pattern a bit down to fit my petite pot (2 cuppa rather than a 4), but found after doing a bit of maths (eek!) and test swatch, that if I knitted it on smaller needles and used 4 ply wool instead of DK then I could follow the pattern to the letter, with no complicated pattern reworking to contend with, which made me very smug indeed!

So there you have it my very first tick on the mighty UFO list...Now I just need to put the kettle on and test this cosy out...Fancy a brew?

Wendy x

Bomshell Dress Sew-a-long!

2011-08-30T14:30:00.001+01:00

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my last post I really do appreciate each and every one!

I'm excited, I've just signed up to do Gertie's Bomshell Sew-a-long on Craftsy after reading about it on Miss Katie's blog. I had been pondering signing up for a while, I was worried that it may just be another thing I leave half finished when something goes a bit wrong or that would never be able to keep up with the pace of the other sewers, which has been my main reason for never being brave enough to take on any other Sew or Knit-a-longs, but after reading all about it on Gertie's Blog and on Craftsy

I was convinced!

Here the sites blurb...

"Sometimes a girl needs a wee bit of va-va-voom. Gretchen Hirsch - creator of Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing - gives you the skills you need to create gorgeous dresses that fit like they're painted on, yet let you dance all night. You'll learn how to assemble and customize the included BurdaStyle dress pattern, create a muslin to check fit, and construct a highly tailored garment using some very cool techniques. In 15 high-definition video lessons, you'll learn how to make a moulded bodice with underlining, boning, bust padding, a waist stay and convertible straps. The draped sarong skirt makes a beautiful contrast.
In luxurious shantung, this bustier dress exudes midcentury sophistication. Gertie says, "Think Alfred Shaheen. Think Dorothy Lamour." Make it in a tribal print for a sexy tiki vibe, butter-yellow eyelet for that Audrey Hepburn ingénue-at-a-picnic look, or ivory silk (with a fetching hat) for your wedding day. Come join the fashion fun and sign up for Sew Retro: Perfect Bombshell Dresses today"

If you fancy giving it a go It is currently on sale for $29.99 which is about £20 down from $59, for that you get all of the above and also personalised help via the on-line community and from Gertie herself who is ready to answer your questions no matter how big or small!

The clincher for me was the promise to teach you how to make a dress that fits properly, by showing you how to make a muslin and then how to modify it for a great fit. Making a muslin is something I very rarely do (OK I've done it once) as I have no idea how to actually tweak it to make it better, so this will be invaluable!

I'm really looking forward to getting started on it, thought I have promised my self I will finish all my other outstanding sewing UFOs (written a list of them all... ugh, its worrying how many there is!) before starting which may take a while, but as access to the course doesn't expire should give me plenty of time!

Wendy x

Fabulous Film Fashions - Glorious 39

2011-08-17T14:08:00.000+01:00

The last bank holiday weekend in May (yes its taken me since May to get this sucker posted!) I had the chance to do a bit of DVD watching and finally got around to watching one of my Christmas gifts Glorious 39.

Just been informed by the fabulous blogging world (aka Lina Sofia and Mim) that this was shown on the BBC at the weekend so you can watch for free on the iplayer here until 21st Aug 2011 if you are interested!

Glorious 39 is definitely a gorgeously opulent looking film, every shot is dripping with period detail and beautiful to watch. It is well acted by a stellar cast (including the wondrous David Tennant although a very short appearance:() and has a plot which quickly sweeps you along.

I did really enjoyed this film and would certainly recommend giving it a watch, the only downside for me was that it left me feeling a bit confused, I just didn't understand the relevance for certain plot devices and scenes.

Why is the main character Anne's nickname Glorious? is this relevant?
Why does Anne's mother only ever seem to be arranging flowers or gardening?
Why is there lots of young women asleep on the Country house floor in one scene???

Perhaps I'm not supposed to understand it, perhaps that's the beauty of it, perhaps I'm thinking too much about it! But if anyone could explain any of this to me, it would be greatly appreciated!

So anyway on to the part I can understand, the clothes, and on this front Glorious 39 certainly does not disappoint, they are just wonderful! Here are some (well all) of my favourites!

Warning screen shot heavy post !!

(click all pictures to make bigger)

So firstly we have Anne Keyes Played by Romola Garai

I love the way the costume department have given Anne capsule wardrobe where they re-use key pieces through the film for me it gives her a much more realistic feel.

A Beautiful Burgundy Suit with calf length skirt and Pussy Bow Blouse

A very slinky red satin evening dress with deep V back, you really have to see this in the film to see just how lovely it is as these shots just don't do it justice.

Blue suit with matching brown hat and belt, lemon chiffon ruffle blouse and lemon Bakelite bangles. I can't tell you how much I want this suit just look at those skirt pleats!!!

The same suit jacket teamed this time with a black and white polka dot tea dress, blue gloves and shoes and look at that fab snood!!!

Blue suit again this time Paired with red beret, gloves and belt, and a stripy red and beige knitted Jumper.

Very Chic! I love how all of Anne's outfits reflect the tones of the shot, A simple blue and black striped jumper paired with cream skirt and cream beret.

Simple tea dress in the most fabulous shade of yellow, looks like chiffon layer over a cotton one, has lovely floaty chiffon sleeves with side slits.

Red suit again this time paired with a wonderful blue beret adorned with what looks like a silver feather?

Lovely chiffon tie neck blouse with a calf length linen skirt which brings out the greens in the blouse.

Cream linen skirt used above and what appears to be a knitted jumper in white and blue.

How amazing is this dressing gown with all of its embroidery !! Oh and look she sleeping in pin curls! I can't tell you how irritated I get watching dramas when they appear to go to bed un-pinned tresses and the next day they have miraculously curly hair!!

Red polka dot tea dress with a detachable sailor collar her beau looks pretty dapper too!

Wow what an outfit! Loads of lame in this bolero and amazing ruched sleeves! Very simple but very elegant long blue/purple dress flecked with gold thread.

Same burgundy skirt from above suit, black pussy bow blouse, with grey jacket and another outing for the delicious cherry red beret. I'm definitely need to buy a red beret!

Jacket as above, worn over a simple cream top with interesting neck detail, simple pair of grey slacks and some wonderful brown and cream wedges.

Celia Keyes played by Juno Temple

Celia's wardrobe is full of, lots of cardigans in bright contrasting colours and ditsy prints and some very flamboyant evening dresses, her style is much more quirky and inevitably much younger looking than her sisters!

This very debutante long white evening dress and head piece are just lovely.

Love this outfit it shouldn't work but with all the colours and patterns but it does, especially love the knitwear, the beret and cardigan are beautiful!

Bit heavy on the make up! The head piece is just gorgeous! Just love the colour of this dress.

This is a very cute outfit, lame collar on a long green velvet dress with elbow length puff sleeves and front button detail to waist.

Aunt Elizabeth played by Julie Christie

Julie Christie who is almost unrecognisable here, has some wonderful outfits though very little screen time to show them off!

So there you are all my favourites, and as usual I would happily put all of the above gorgeousness in my wardrobe. I'm off now to find some modern patterns to try to recreate some of these wonderful outfits, and also do a bit of TV catch up on the latest episode of The Hour - which is just fabulous if you haven't seen you must, the series so far is still available on iplayer so catch it while you can!

Wendy x

Things To Make & Do - A Smart Dusting Cap

2011-08-02T18:00:00.002+01:00

Whilst on the Isle of Wight I found this little pattern in one of the 1930's sewing books that I keep at my Mums, I took a quick snap of the page on my phone for deciphering later and now that I have had a chance to make one up, I thought it was about time I shared with you all.

A Smart Dusting Cap (approx. 1938)

The little dusting cap tied in a bow on the fore head is very quickly made. No pattern is required, just work the directions on to the material.

You will need 27" of 36" wide material.

"What do you mean, I've missed a bit!!
1. Open out the material and fold it in half the other way, so that it now measures 36" by 13.5".

2. Cut along the fold to within 12" of the other end.

3. Hem all the edges.

4. Join the two selvedges at the fold end and gather up this seam until it measures 5 ins.

To wear the cap, place it on with the gathers at the top and wind the two ends round the head, first crossing them at the back.

Helpful Links

Hand rolled hem tutorial here

Machine rolled hem tutorial here

For my version I used up a scrap of blue gingham from my stash, it did take me a while to decipher the instructions as the drawing in the book was more confusing than helpful, so I have redrawn it and added a bit more text which hopefully makes it a bit clearer.

The pattern is really very easy to do, the hardest part is the hemming. I did a machine rolled hem for mine as it was quicker. The only tricky bit comes when hemming up the slit in the middle, I rolled the hem up to the slit and then caught in as much as I could of the cut end before continuing down the other side, I am sure there are better and neater ways of doing this, but as its just for indoors it won't matter.

You can tie it any way that suits you, as there will be plenty of length to play with, I will say that I found the bow quite hard to get right, but that has probably more to do with my big old head, than the pattern!

Bow Style: Its bit fiddly to get just right but worth it!

Turban Style: Tie a double knot on the top of your head and tuck in the loose ends

So there you have it your very own 30's dusting cap, the only problem is, now there really are no excuses for doing some dusting ! :(

Wendy x

The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships - TMGBB

2011-07-27T15:48:00.006+01:00

I bet you thought I had forgot about this feature. And you know what you would be right! You have the delightful Lady Jardin to thank for reminding me!!

So with out any further ado, I give you the next instalment of...

(In case you missed it click here for the first part of this book)

The Modern Girls Beauty Book
By Beryl M Cross (1938)

CHAPTER I (Part 1)

“THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND SHIPS…”

THE Face, you notice. One might imagine that Helen could have had a figure like a sack of flour, and hair like string, but so long as her face was capable of emptying the Trojan dockyards, nothing further could be said.

We know that this is wrong, but since when the word beauty comes to our minds we immediately think of peach and rose complexions, with complexions we will begin. That is why you will find that fat girls – yes, my dears, really fat – with lovely skins, forgetting that beauty lies in the turn of a head, the poise of slender hands, a straight, slender figure. On the other hand, no one can be beautiful if she has a spotty or sallow face; there can hardly be anything more unattractive.

Some of you treat your faces so badly. You will take care over your work – and get promoted choose your clothes to suit you – and look smart; take pains with your dancing – and never be a wall flower. But your face... Your face has a little cream hastily rubbed on it, a wash and a polish in the morning, and you sigh, “I don’t know what’s the matter with my face!”

I do. A little treatment and it is astonishing how a common or garden face will respond. It is almost pathetic how little care a face needs to look its best – but it does need that little, and it is only fair if you expect results, and want to look your loveliest, that it should get it. If such a little care will effect such a difference, it proves that a continuous care will keep that glow of beauty for good.

Now sit down and listen...

Image source: Time Life Magazine

First of all, inner cleanliness is the most important. You cannot have that glow of health if you eat lots of rich foods, no green vegetables, and drink strong tea and coffee all the time. You will come to a diet in the slimming section, and very little variation on this will serve as a good standard health diet.

There is no need to eat vegetables and salads all the time if they don’t suit you. Balance is the thing to aim at. Don’t eat too many pies and puddings (once a week is plenty!) and if you can entirely keep from fried foods, especially any of you inclined sallow skins, so much the better.

Image source: Time Life Magazine

Keep your system filtered with salads and green vegetables with your meat; with fruit salads and raw fruit to follow as a freshener of you inside. Any time you have been “indulging” (in food, and not drink be it understood!) and you have that stuffy yawning feeling, cut your meals down to a minimum for a day, and drink quantities of fruit juice and water.

Cleanliness outside is the next important step. Personally, I feel that soap and water should be used on the face very rarely. However, cleanliness of the body is quite different, and a loofah used in a quick and stimulation's bath immediately has its effect in ridding the skin of accumulated acids, and letting fresh air to the pores to breathe.

What diet does your face need? Is it a thin, hungry face, or a rather overfed, soft-looking face, which could do with a bracing? Or a normal face with a good shape but beginning to show signs of wear and tear? A few lines under the eyes, a slight droop in the side contours? You all need your own special treatment.

The over-fat and greasy face, (that does not sound very alluring does it?) does not need a rich cream. But it is surprising how many women will buy a cream having asked “Is this good?” What they should have asked is, “Is this the right cream for me?” Or better still, know what kind of skin you have, and decide for yourself. You would not say, “Is this a pretty frock?” But “Is this my frock? Will it suit me?”

Image source: Time Life Magazine

THE GREASY SKIN

If you have greasy skin, be very careful of your diet; no greasy foods or pastries for you, please.

Here is your regime to follow at night –

Monday. Use cleansing milk, followed by a brisk patting with a swab of cotton wool soaked in mild astringent.

Tuesday. Wash your face with quite hot water and a very good soap. Finish by rubbing ice over your face, taking it well round the hairline, and under the jaw.

Wednesday. Use your cleansing milk, followed by skin food, which should be left on ten minutes – or more, if you are comfortable in a dressing gown with a book! Take off your skin food with cleansing milk, followed by a dabbing with a light astringent or skin tonic. Astringent after thirty, skin tonic before.

Thursday. Cleansing milk, followed by patting with your patter and skin tonic.

Friday. Cleansing Milk, skin food, and skin tonic.

Saturday. Hot water and soap, followed by the ice.

Sunday. A mud pack, followed by ice, a dabbing with cleansing milk – and so to bed.

In the mornings, alternate cleansing milk followed by astringent, with a lukewarm wash with good soap, rinsed off with cool water.

One week of this treatment, combined with a sane diet, will make a difference apparent in any greasy skin. Do not take your baths too hot. A quick soaping over with a sponge and ordinary or a good liquid soap in a lukewarm bath, a rinse a rub over with friction glove soaked in eau-de-Cologne – and out. No soaking allowed!

THE DRY SKIN

The dry skin can follow the same routine every evening. Here is your routine –

1. Clean with cleansing cream, then take this off with a pad of cotton wool soaked in water and skin tonic.

2. Put on your very rich skin food (but make sure that it is one your skin can digest, which may mean that you have to try one or two before you find the right one) and leave it on five or ten minutes.

3. Take off with tissues.

4. Dab over your face with cotton wool soaked in chilled cleansing milk, or a very milk skin tonic.

In the mornings, use cleansing milk, and a very light skin tonic.

NORMAL SKIN

The normal skin can follow the same directions as for the dry skin, but remember that you must find a skin food to suit you. It should not be too greasy. Cleansing milk may be substituted for cleansing cream.

Once or twice during the week, you may give yourself a facial milk bath. This acts as a very slight astringent and yet has sufficient oil not to be drying.

1. Dab the milk all over the face, leave on for ten minutes or a little more, remove with lukewarm water.

2. If the skin is slightly relaxed, a mask of plain of white egg whipped a little, spread on and allowed to dry may be given once a week, followed by a dabbing of milk, which can be rinsed off two or three minutes afterwards.

THE MIXED SKIN

Remember that there is such a thing as a mixed skin. Your checks may be dry, and absorb a rich cream greedily (thus showing that it needs it). While your forehead and nose are apt to be shiny. For this type of skin, use your greasy skin-food where your skin is dry and only the least smear of it where the skin is apt to be oily. When dabbing with astringent after, use the astringent undiluted for your nose and forehead (or wherever the skin is oily) and dilute with water for the dry part of your face. In he mornings, use cleansing milk and the strong and weak astringent.

THE OPEN AIR GIRL

The girl who is sportif, who drives her own car, plays golf or tennis, or who walks a lot in the sun. wind, and rain, who swims and perhaps rides, is the girl who usually takes the least care of her skin, and she who really needs the most.

Image source: Time Life Magazine

The password of the sports girl should be protection. The winds and sun can play havoc with the loveliest skin, and we have too many lady golfers who have skins like leather and pale mauve lips already. There is no reason why you should make up to extremes when paying games. That would hardly be in keeping. But you do need a layer of protective cream, powdered over, preferably with a rather darker powder than you use generally.

The girls with a dry skin may put cold cream on her face wipe off the surplus and powder over the remainder. On returning home, the cold cream should be washed off with lukewarm water and good soap, then skin food applied and removed.

The normal or greasy skin needs to have the make-up taken off with completion milk, followed by a brisk dab with face tonic.

The products you will need on your dressing table:

Cleansing Milk - Used to remove dirt and make up from the skin, this is still readily available from most pharmacy's. I've started to use Anne French's deep cleansing milk which is fabulous, it really leaves your face feeling lovely and fresh and best of all its cheap.

If you fancy making your own then pop over here for loads of very natural recipes.

Skin Food - I can't find any vintage references for this, but it sounds to me like a good moisturiser would do the trick!

There are a few products sold under the Skin Food banner such as Weleda's found here which appears to be a good choice as its made from all natural ingredients, but it may well be a bit too rich for your face.

Vanishing cream - This is essentially a Skin Food and Boots do one as part of their Originals range (which I've just found out is going to be discontinued. Boo!) also Lush are doing there own Vanishing cream (not sure if its based on a traditional recipe) which is bound to smell nice though the reviews are not great!

Mild Astringent - This is essentially anything which will tone the skin and remove excess oils, my favourite is Witch Hazel which is as traditional as you can get, I use Distilled Witch Hazel something I have been using since I was an acne riddled teen!

Skin Tonic - Again this is essentially a toner Boots did a version in the Traditional range which appears to have disappeared off of the UK site, though any gals state side are in luck as all the products are currently still available here!

Cold Cream - This has been used in various forms for over two thousand years! Essentially it is a combination of water, fats and beeswax, with a little scent for good measure, it is called cold cream due to the cooling feeling it leaves on the skin!
You can readily buy cold cream the classic choice is Ponds but my favourite is the Boots chepo version as you get loads for about £3.00!

And if your up for making your own tailor made version, I spotted some great Vintage recipes over at Isis's blog Fashionable Forties.

So which skin type are you?

Well I'll confess I fall in to the greasy skin camp, so no pastries for me then! I'm going to give Miss. Cross's Greasy Skin routine a go over the next week or so and see what happens.

Next part: 'Sculpt Your Way to Beauty' which we will look at face masks and facial massage!

Bloggy Awards

2011-07-25T12:21:00.002+01:00

Right I promised this a few days ago now so here it is at last

Firstly The ever so stylish Nabby from This Old Life kindly gave me the liebster Blog award.

You must if you have not already, go and visit her blog, she makes the most stunning 1930's outfits which are beautiful in every detail, you will be amazed and very jealous of her skill I promise!

Next The lovely Miss Katie from Little Red Squirel was kind enough to give me three awards in one!

Miss Katie is another gal who's blog you must visit! She's one multi talented lass, she knits, she sews and she embroiders like a dream just check out her saucy Pin up girls they will make you want to take up your needle and thread right away!

Another part of the award was to list 5 facts about yourself, so here we go:

1. I wear glasses, there I have said it, Yep I am as blind as a bat without them but its rare that you'll ever catch me wearing them in photos as I just haaate em! But just for you...

What do you mean Jarvis wants his specks back?

2. I can say hello and count up to 10 in Urdu - three years of language lessons well spent :)!

3. My all time favourite Movie director is Alfred Hitchcock, I Just love every one of his films (though I still haven't watched Phyco yet, I'm too scared). Also I was born in the same part of London, Leytonstone as Hitch, quite a few years later might I add!

4. My favourite book to date is Enigma by Robert Harris, I read it a few years ago and I was completely captivated, it has made me slightly obsessed with learning all about the Enigma machines and Bletchley park, I'm sure I will bore you all about this very soon.

Ps the film version is good but the book is soo much better!

5. I called this blog The Butterfly Balcony, as on the day that I was procrastinating on starting this blog I needed a name (obviously) and as I was gazing out of my window I spotted a my very first Butterfly landing on one of the newly grown (all by me) flowers on my balcony, and so it became the Butterfly Balcony- I have to say now that veg growing is my new love I am not so fond of Madame Butterfly!

My mum however is convinced it is so named because I can never settle with one thing for to long and am always flitting between projects, which to be honest actually works just as well as an explanation and makes it sound like I had put some thought in to it!

So on to the new recipients of these awards:

Miss Marie from Love letter from London

Presley from Young Vintage Girl

Charlotte from sew far sew good

Kestrel from Kestrel Finds and Makes

Lady Jardin from Vintage Views of the South Coast

Mim from Crinoline Robot

Keshling from Keshling Pulls it off

Melina from the Knitting Pony

Miss Cherry from Miss Cherry's Diary

Annabell from Vintage History Student
Hannah from Leopard and Lipstick

Feel free to accept one, all or none, if you so desire, I realise these are not up everyone's street, so I understand if you decline, either way it is an opportunity for me to say how great you guys are and how much I enjoy reading your blogs!

Wendy x

I'm Back...

2011-07-14T18:01:00.006+01:00

Hi, I hope you are all having a lovely summer or winter where every you are!

Wow its been nearly a month since I have been on here! Its been soo long that when I logged in to my blogger dashboard today it had completely changed, its gone all fancy and swish and very orange! It all looks great but it feels a bit like when your favourite food store changes around all its products, you wander around dazed and confused trying to find all the bits you usually buy knowing that when you get home your bound to have missed something!

To prove this point I have already managed to accidentally wipe this post not once, but twice! So please forgive me if its is more pictures than words as I have lost most of the enthusiasm I started with, on typing this up for the third time!

Now that I am well and truly back in London my holiday has started to feel like a distant but very lovely memory and as I have done nothing of any great interest since my return I thought I would share some of what I got up to.

So first on the agenda was attending the Isle of Wight Festival

I went with my little brother and we had a fantastic time we listened to bands we had both been wanting to see for ages like the Foo Fighters Pulp and the Kaiser Chiefs which were all fantastic and we nommed on some yummy but very expensive food like ostrich burgers!?!!

...and took loads of silly self portraits while waiting between bands.

The weather was on the other hand was just a little less than fantastic. My dreams of being all summery and floaty in my new dresses were almost lost as I only got to wear a dress on the Saturday, and due to it being really chilly, it and I spent most of the time under a jacket, woollen poncho which was topped with one of my mums beautiful crocheted blankets!

The first two days were relatively sunny if not a bit too cold but on the Sunday the weather changed to heavy rain mixed with very strong wind rendering the site a blustery mud bath.


Is it raining?? Guess which silly Blogger forgot their Wellies?!? Note:pocket full of plastic bags as emergency shoe cover!

I have to say I had been feeling a bit disappointed that we hadn't camped this year that was until we were entering the venue on the Sunday and saw that lots of people were gloomily leaving having packed up their mud soaked items to go home early.
We stuck it out though and found the best thing is to accept it (once your soaked your soaked it is not going to get any worse) and enjoy yourselves regardless, having said that we were in the very lucky position of being just a bus ride away from mums for a warm brew, hot shower and cozy nights sleep!

Not a good Idea to stand this close to a open flame in polyester dress

On the Monday after the festival it was really sunny so we were able to have a small barbecue in the garden, which in its self is a mini miracle as there is no power stronger than that of lighting a barbecue in Britain to bring on the rain clouds!

We even managed a few country walks, one of which we all got hopelessly lost, I blame my Mum she has lived in Wroxall for for 6 years now and convinced us she knew where we were going, but to be honest it may have been the fact that we were too busy talking to notice of the correct sign posts, and the fact my Dad was not there to keep us on the right track, either way we still had fun and got lots of lovely fresh country air.

My brother went back to Liverpool on the Wednesday so the remainder of the week was spent with me and mum doing lots of Charity shopping (hurrah) whilst dodging sudden downpours.

Ryde High Street

Have to say if any of you are ever to venture over to the island the best places I've found so far for charity shops are:
Ryde - Loads, lost count start at the very top of the hill and work down.
Newport - Try wandering down some of the back streets to find the best independent ones.
Shanklin - Quite a few here and all close to each other.
Ventnor - Not as many but most are priced reasonably.
I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg as there is loads of places I didn't get to visit this time, but to be honest there were soo many that I think I overdosed and haven't been in one since being back in London, though I'm sure that will all change very soon!

I did manage to get some bits and bobs for myself (a very 70's maxi skirt £2.99, some Glen Miller records 3 for £1 and some lovely 50s curtains for £2. plus lots more). I also managed to find a few things for my lovely 'Faith Hope and Charity Swap' partner which should mean that the parcel should be winging its way to her very soon.

So that was my holiday I honestly don't know where the time has gone I can't believe it went so quickly. I had a fabulously relaxing time an enjoyed every minute!

I'm off now to catch up on all your lovely blogs, I haven't been able comment on some blogs recently, I just can't publish the comments, Is it just me??
Perhaps its due to the blogger facelift, I guess I might need to update my web browser? I'll give it a go, fingers crossed this does the trick!

Oh, before I sign off, I want to say a quick Thank You to Nabby and Miss Katie for giving me some lovely blog awards, which I will do a post about ASAP.
Thanks Ladies you really helped rid me of my post hoilday blues!

Wendy x

More Titfer tat

2011-06-13T12:50:00.005+01:00

More fabulous fashion shots from Time Life (found on flikr) this time Early to mid 40's

1940's Hats

Wendy x

Where did you get that Hat!

2011-06-11T15:39:00.007+01:00

I thought I would share with you some wonderful fashion shots from Time Life Magazine, via flikr dated from the late 30's

First up Hats

Wendy x

Digging For Victory & Knitting Inspiration!

2011-06-10T10:20:00.003+01:00

A few months ago, well February to be precise my bestest friend Diane and I finally got our hands on an allotment! We had been on the waiting list for just over a year and are very lucky to have one considering the demand for them in London at the moment! we both love growing things, and we both love eating things so it seemed the perfect solution to grow things to eat!

I have for the past few years been growing a few veggies on my balcony mainly salad, radish, tomatoes and potatoes essentially anything that wont mind being in a pot and is easy to look after, So I was over the moon when we got the plot finally a chance to do some proper gardening!

I haven't mentioned it before, as I was a little worried that it may be an epic fail as you will see from the pics below it needed (and still needs) a lot of work and a massive skip!

The last occupier was a real hoarder, she seems to have kept most of her household junk in her shed. We found big plastic boxes full of fitness magazines, video tapes, gardening and history books all of which had been totally ruined by the water that had been pouring in from the hole in the roof.

The ramshackled old shed made up of old doors! You can see the hole which the foxes got in through by the recycling box!

Perhaps the worst thing we found was a dead fox and cub, we think they were sheltering in the shed over winter and either ate some rat poison or could not find enough food to survive the really cold winter we had. Either way they gave us both a huge fright, as the shed has no window its very dark in there so we didn't see them until we had almost touched them!

This is the Green House, there is certainly a frame can't vouch for more than one pain of glass!

So the Progress so far...

February 2011 Where to start?! All manner of junk seems to have been dumped on our plot!!

March 2011 progress is under way! First row of potatoes and shallots are in! Also some Gooseberry bushes I have had in pots on my balcony for a few years and some £1Land Blackcurrant bushes (under the bottles).

April 2011 More digging done and some more of the junk has been removed. Another two rows of potatoes have been planted and the shallots are peeking through.

May/June 2011 More digging has been done but the ground is getting a bit tough to dig as it been very so dry. I never thought I would wish for it to rain!. Planted Peas, Onions, Runner Beans, strawberry's, sweet peas, beetroots and broad beans.

Page 01 and 04

Page 02 and 03

The aim for next year, when we have more of the land dug over and more of the rubbish removed, is to follow the Dig for Victory 'Grow for Winter as well as Summer' Leaflet (click picts for links to pdf files) for all year round crops. I am hoping as we are sharing the produce this will mean that although we wont be totally self sufficient we will be at least optimising the land and getting the most veg possible!

All of this digging and planting lark, has given me the inspiration to do a bit of knitting, so I've started on my very own land girl style jumper. I am using a free pattern for a women's V neck Jumper found on the V and A website, and knitting it up in bottle green wool (although I'm sure at 16 I vowed never to wear bottle green again after having it as my school uniform for 5 years!) Its Just the thing to create perfect Land Girl look and with fingers crossed should be finished in time for chilly old autumn!

Wendy x

High Days and Holidays and Appologies

2011-06-09T22:47:00.004+01:00

O.K. folks apologies for the weird images on this site in this post! Please trust me when I say it was not intentional and I did not set out to upset any one as I had no idea that it linked to what it linked to. It was an image I quickly Goggle via image search and it should have simply been the logo of the isle of Wight festival from the festival site, which it was in my browser and blog editor, but apparently it was not!

Also If any one feels that I have stolen their image then I am sorry, but quite frankly that is not an image I would want to be associated with! I could argue that the site it linked to didn't own the image either, and the fact I linked back to supposedly the source site should mean I was not stealing it but linking to it. I dunno, I guess I should have checked what happened when you clicked the image once it was posted but I didn't have time or any idea that it would be anything other than wholesome, so its my mistake, either way believe me that's the first and last time I will be using the link to jpeg on the web feature in my posts!!

Plus thanks for the nice supportive comments, I shall try and not let this upset me and enjoy myself fingers crossed there will be no more weirdness!!

Right, my bags are packed and tickets collected and I am about to toddle off to catch a train and then ferry down to the Isle of Wight for a week.

I will be spending my time charity shopping, cream tea eating, sandy beach walking, and most excitingly of all festival going!!

I have been to the Isle of Wight festival a fair few times now and love every minute (well apart from the occasional flying cups of pee, not nice, not nice at all).

So for the next few days I will be letting my hair down releasing my inner hippie, (although armed with my factor 50) enjoying lots of loud music, eating loads of falafel and hummus, experiencing the horror that is the chemical loo and hopefully also dodging the odd dubious missile!

I have (I hope) schedule a few little posts to pop up whilst I am away which hopefully you should enjoy!

So I hope you all have the most fabulous of weekends and I shall see you on the other side!

Wendy x

Bank Holiday Blogging Ban

2011-06-03T21:03:00.002+01:00

I am painfully slow at this blogging lark, it takes me soo long to type what I want to say that I tend to loose enthusiasm for it half way through, I always know what I want to say until I have to say it, it doesn't help also that the minute I get online I get tend to get sucked in to the time eating vortex that is the Internet and more over that evil temptress Google.

I don't really need to know the name of the very first single by The Who ('Zoot Suit' 1964 if you ever wanted to know, which I doubt) anymore than I need to know why a Pirate is called a Pirate (I'll let you google that one) or even the lyrics to 'Its Only a Paper Moon' (well that one was kind of necessary it was an ear worm and driving me crazy!) Yet I spend way too much time on these random searches, so much so I seldom achieve what I set out to when I turn my PC on.

So I decide that this Bank Holiday weekend I was going to devote purely to blog worthy pursuits namely sewing, my PC was going to be out of bounds!

So what did I spend my time on?

Well, after much prevaricating over what to do first, oh and a spot of charity and fabric shopping, I finally started and finished a very cute poncho-dress-top-beach cover up-dressing gown-Kimono-thingummy!!

After spotting a fab free pattern for a Scallop waist skirt on Grosgrain. Which incidentally both Casey and Porcelina have made up and both look fabulous! I went to the designers own blog Vivat Veritas and after having a nosey around I found a fab tutorial for a poncho top, it looked really simple to do and best of all it was quick - Its great when the pattern you suddenly become obsessed with only puts your current projects a teeny bit back!

I had seen on etsy a while ago a beautiful flappers dressing gown made from chiffon in almost the same way, so I decide this could be my own version of a dressing gown to flounce around the house in.

I managed to get 2 meters of the most lovely pink fabric from my local high street at £1 a meter. Its a medium weight polyester mix fabric (oh that almost sounds like I have a clue! It don't go crinkly when squashed up that's my way of telling!) It is a bit heavier weight than I would of liked but it was the only poly fabric which was a in pretty colour so it had to be!

The only change I made to the pattern was to make giant button holes in the sides rather than using elastic gathered at the waist. In truth I did try the elastic route, but either because the fabric was heavier or slightly wider than the example, it did not pull the waist in enough. Also the elastic line rode up at the back and looked truly ridiculous! So to bring it all together neatly and to stop me look like I had been eaten by a giant pink marshmallow, I decide on holes for the belt to pass through and believe me it looks 100% better for it!

One thing that I will change a bit later on is the hem I did a double hem to hide the raw edges but again as the fabric is a little heavy it feels a bit too chunky I will address this by sewing on some bias tape along the edge instead at some point - that's going to be a lot of bias tape!

I definitely want to make this again, If I can find a lighter weight fabric on the weekend I will make another one as I think It would be prefect for floating around the Isle of Wight Festival which I'm off to next week *does excited dance!!*

Oh and another great thing about this pattern is, if you get bored with it, you still have a good sized piece of fabric to re-fashion, well that is if you don't stick two ruddy great Buttonholes in it like me!

I'm off now to catch up on all your Bloggy loveliness which I have missed out on whilst off line!

Wendy x

And the Winner is....

2011-06-01T09:56:00.000+01:00

Wow I never expected so many entry's in to the competition, thank you all again for you lovely comments.

So on to the winner of the 'Stitchcraft Mag and Crocheted Beret'.

I used a Random No. gizmo to work out the winner and so the winner is...

Comment No. 17 which is Nicole from Nicole Needles blogspot!

Also as I had a bit of wool left and plenty of time, I decided to make a runners up prize of another red 'Crochet Beret'

So again, by the powers of the Random No. gizmo the winner is....

Comment No. 24 Which is Anabelle from the Vintage History Student Blogspot!

Congratulations ladies as you both have blogs I will leave you a comment to let you know you've won!!

Wendy x

Time for Tea!

2011-05-27T14:06:00.002+01:00

Thank you again for all your lovely and helpful comments on my last post!

Well I'm sure you will all be glad to know I've finally got me self a teapot! Hurrah!! Though I'm not sure if I am lucky or unlucky! Lucky as I found it in the very first Charity shop I attacked, which was quite a result especially as none of the others had any at all!

Tea Any one? Brewed in my spiffing new teapot, in an very RAF Blue and some yummy Potato Biscuits

Unlucky? Well after reading the lovely Miss Marie's comment about the Backyard Market near Brick Lane I feel a bit disappointed as I would have looooved to peruse said stalls, as I had the perfect excuse to buy a tea set!! Well perhaps I still can?! I don't have any proper china tea cups yet only mugs so I ought to buy some, surely it would be rude not to:)

How Cute is this Cosy!!!

Also thanks to another lovely comment on my last post, I now have the most perfectly patriotic little tea cosy pattern to knit up for my new Pot! (too many P's in that sentence perhaps!!).
The lovely Anna who blogs over at 'Audreys tea shop' has created this wonderful Union Jack Tea Cosy Pattern, which she has made available for us to download on ravelry for free! Ain't she kind!! I can't wait to give it a go!

So, on to the tea! Well it tastes really really lovely it has a much fuller flavour than my PJ tips, it has much more taste without being too strong or bitter. It actually reminded me of the tea I used to drink growing up. My parents only ever drunk loose tea as my mum was convinced that tea bags are 'just the dust and sweepings off the floor' this is not quite true see wiki but none the less, it took them until quite recently to surrender to the charms of the humble bag!

Inside of the tin there is a handy little leaflet which Henrietta Lovell (the tea lady) explains how to brew the perfect cuppa (its quite technical you know) she also explains that due to the fact the leaves are of a high quality they can be 're-infused at least twice' which is great because it lowers the cost a little (I'm tight I know). There is also some rather interesting info about the creation of the tea which you can also see here.

So to go with my hearty vintage brew I thought I would cook up some tasty war time treats. I had intended to have a bash at these Carrot Scones that Land Girl 1980 recently posted about (which sound scrummy). But alas on closer inspection if my fridge I found I had only one rather wrinkly looking carrot and decided it was probably best to avoid disappointment (and possible poising) and have a look at something else. So after nosing through some of my wartime recipe books, I plumped for some Potato Biscuits.

The thinner you make these the better!

Plain or Sweet Biscuits

4 oz Plain Flour.

4 oz Rolled Oats or Barley Kernels.

1-2 teaspoon of salt. (only a pinch if making sweet)

3 oz Margarine.

4 oz Cold Mashed Potatoes.

2 oz Sugar only sweet version.

1. Mix the flour, rolled oats and the salt.

2. Rub in the margarine.

3. Knead in the mash potato until it forms a stiff

dough. No liquid should be used.

4. Roll out the pastry to 1/8 inch thick cut in to biscuits.

5. Place on a baking tray and cook in a slow oven until crisp but not brown (about 15-20 mins)

Cool on a cake rack or anyway the air will circulate around them to make sure they will stay crisp.

I made the sweet version which were really quite nice, I found that is is definitely better to roll them on the thin side as they are quite heavy and stodgy otherwise.

I will leave you with a video of the RAF Tea Blitz Party which the lovely Annabell 'The Vintage History Student' pointed me towards. It looks like a rather fab affair! Enjoy!

Wendy x

A Cupa Chari-Tea

2011-05-21T11:32:00.000+01:00

Last night whilst doing the dreaded weekly food shop I spotted this cute little tin in the tea section.

Available from Sainsburys and The Rare Tea Co.

Intrigued I had to have a closer look and found that it was a bespoke blend made by the Rare Tea Company to mark last years 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The label says:

Loose leaf tea made by traditional methods. This is tea as it used to be.

Calming in times of National peril, fortifying when courage is required.

When only the best will do.

This sounded convincing and I felt I had to give it a try. It is a little expensive at £4.50 for 50g but as

7% of the price goes to the RAF Association Wings Appeal and to support the RAF museum I though it was for a good cause.

Small problem though, it was only when I got home I realised I don't own a tea pot!! Gasp!! So I am off to the Charity shops to hopeful find a small tea pot and maybe just a few other things to... well its all for a good cause!

Wendy x

Make Do and Mend - Red White and Blue

2011-05-18T19:15:00.003+01:00

I have been completely inspired lately by blogger's revamping of their vintage pieces to make them more individual and ultimately more wearable.

One of these talented blogger's is Katie who blogs over at The Little Red Squirrel her transformation of a so so 80's dress in to a stunning 50's dress, is just delightful!!

So after reading Charlotte's blog post on her wonderful revamped charity shop dress (click here to see it) I was inspired to take part in her Made Do and Mend Challenge.
I have an ever growing a pile of eBay and charity shop bargains which I bought with the idea of playing around with to make them a better fit or to improve their style, I realised that I had better get cracking so that I can finally wear some of these fabulous finds!

So first on my revamp list was an eBay purchase won a few weeks ago. I thought it looked lovely in the pictures with its floral pattern and lovely pussy bow neck line and 70's does 40s styling and it does look cute, but only on Vera, when I put it on it was a different story, I felt more like it was wearing me than me wearing it, if that makes any sense!

Loved the bow collar but the thickness of the fabric meant it was suffocating!

I felt totally swamped by the bow which felt way to high and strangled by the button up to the neck collar. So I started by cutting off the ties that were on the collar.

bye bye Bow:(

This scared me a little but proved really quite simple due to the fabric being synthetic it didn't fray so I was able to chop off the straps tuck in the raw edges and leave a shirt collar!

Newly cut and folded collar.

The skirt was way too short for the 1940's look, a common problem on me being a bit on the lanky side! So I took down the hem and gained about an inch, I realised this was not quite going to cut it, so unpicked the now defunct neck ties and ironed them both flat, by some miracle there was just enough to attach to the bottom of the skirt with two seams at the sides! This gave me 3 inches in total, just enough sit below my knee!!

Can you seen the join?

Now though I loved the shape of the sleeves by they were just too tight on my chunky arms so I decided to unpick the stitching around the cuff to see if I could reduce the bulk, to my surprise it was all one piece folded back on itself so I could let it down for much more room! Not as 40's but at least wearable.

Also I felt that with all that pattern going on it was too much and it needed breaking up with a solid colour somewhere on the body. So I went wild with some royal blue satin bias tape which I attached to the centre of the belt, around the newly shaped collar, cuffs and hem. I then swapped the cheap clear shirt buttons for 5 lovely royal blue buttons I found in the market for all of 10p.

So there it is, I think all in all I am really please with it, I can't wait to get the chance to wear it, hopefully if the weather is fair this weekend I'll be able to get some pictures of me in it, I have the perfect blue wedge shoes I bought an age ago in Sainsburys which I think will go with it a treat!

Loove the top, not keen on the electric blue skirt which has a few stain marks

The next project up for Make Do and Mend is another eBay bargain, its this fabulous 80's does 40's crepe peplum dress, which I'm hoping to turn in to a jacket with a black velvet skirt. Its a little more adventurous than the last project so just hope my nerve holds when wielding those scissors!!

Wendy x

Rambling Rose Knitting Pattern

2011-05-16T09:39:00.002+01:00

I promised this pattern back in Feb and it has been gathering dust in my Blogger Draft section since then, it is a veritable wasteland for ideas. Many go in never to see the light of day again!

Anyway this is a really cute pattern which I came up with all by myself.. admittedly by accident. When I was re-teaching myself knitting, I had a pattern which needed yarn overs, something I had never heard of before so had a practice on a bit of scrap wool and go carried away ended up with a curly bit of knitting, which I found once rearranging it a bit made a cute little rose!

They are really quick to knit, take very little wool and can be used as a 40's style brooch on a coat or bag, or as a a individual touch to a present when attached to the wrapping!

Rambling Rose Pattern

Ingredients:
You can use any size needles you like with any thickness of wool in any shade you like!
(For mine I used 4mm needles and DK Yarn)

Stitches

YO - Yarn over. Wrap yarn around the needle between knit stitches, to create a new stitch.

See Video at bottom.

Sl.1, K.1, Psso - Slip stitch on to right hand needle without knitting it, Knit the next stitch, then bring the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch. This will create a decrease which leans to the left. See Video at bottom.

K2Tog - Knit two stitches together. See Video at bottom.

The Rose
Cast on 6 sts.

1. Knit all sts.
2. *K.1, YO,*,rep * to last stitch, knit last stitch = 11sts.
3. Knit all sts.

4. *K.1, YO,*,rep * to last stitch, knit last stitch = 21sts.

5. Knit all sts.
6. *K.1, YO,*, rep * to last stitch, knit last stitch = 41st.
7. Knit all sts.
8. *K.1, YO,*, rep * to last stitch, knit last stitch = 81st.
9. Cast off all sts.

Curl up the knitting to form the rose shape (it should want to do it naturally) and fasten together.

What all of those YO's look like once finished.

The Leaf

1. Cast on 3 sts.

2. K.1, YO, K.1.

3. Purl all sts.

4. K.2, YO, K.1, YO, K.2.

5. Purl all sts.

6. K.3, YO, K.1, YO, K.3.

7. Purl all sts.

8. K.4, YO, K.1, YO, K.4.

9. Purl all sts.

10. K.5, YO, K.1, YO, K.5.

11. Purl all sts.

12. SL.1, K.1, Psso. K.9, K2tog.

13. Purl all sts.

13. SL.1, K.1, Psso. K.7, K2tog.

14. Purl all sts.

15. SL.1, K.1, Psso. K.5, K2Tog.

16. Purl all sts.

17. SL.1, K.1, Psso. K.3, K2Tog.

18. SL.1, K.1, Psso.

Break the yarn leaving a length a few centimeters longer than knitted leaf. Then pull through loop to fasten off.

Thread an embroidery needle and work the yarn through the back of the leaf until you reach the cast on edge.

Attach your leaf to the back of the rose and add a saftey pin.

How to Videos:

Yarn Over

Slip 1, Knit 1 Pass Sliped Stitch Over

K2Tog

Wendy x

Supersizers Go.... Wartime!

2011-05-15T10:13:00.001+01:00

While I wait ever so patiently for blogger to restore my last post and comments (fingers crossed but not holding breath!!) I thought I would share with you another post which has been languishing in the draft section for a couple of weeks!

With all the Royal wedding excitement and patriotic street party's that have been happening all over the country I was reminded of a BBC series that was shown a few years ago called Supersisers go.., It was series hosted by Sue Perkins (comedienne) and Giles Coran (food critic) where they tested a diet for various eras by living on them for a week.

This is a look back at an era which is supposed to be light hearted and fun, to highlight some of the health benefits of theses diets. But I have to say though I loved the series and their silly chemistry, I found their apparent lack of respect for the era they are re-living, got a tad irritating. There is an element of mickey taking which I found a little grating at times, but I guess this is what makes their relationship and the show work. Perhaps it just further highlights just how difficult life could be back then and how lucky we are to have the choices we do now! Or perhaps I'm just feeling far too protective of a era I have a huge respect for?! I suppose their style is a bit like some of the wartime food not always appealing but it does the job!

That said its is definitely worth a watch as it brought to light (for me at least) a few new and interesting facts I had not known before and it has Mike Brown Author of 'The 1940's Look' sharing his some of his vast knowledge on the era.

Wendy x

PS. Those of you that entered the giveaway on the day blogger went bonkers and removed the comments I have e-mail records of these and will reinstate them if blogger does not, so you will still be in the draw!

Giveaway Time - The 1930's

2011-05-07T08:15:00.005+01:00

Hello Dear Followers!

I'd like to start by give a big ol' Thank You to all that have left lovely comments on my blog recently, thank you for taking the time I really am grateful to you all:)

You may remember that a while back I promised you all a giveaway, for sticking with me! It has as usual taken a bit longer than I hoped to post about it, this is due to me deciding to make one of the prizes myself.

You will be glad to know the wait is finally over, so now with out further ado, here is what you could win in 'The 1930's Giveaway'...

Get the 30's look, with inspirations from Stitchcraft and a Vintage styled crochet beret to Adorne your Barnet!

1. An original copy of December 1937 Stitchcraft Magazine (from my collection).

Sadly it is missing its free transfer, but as its over 70 years old, I guess its understandable!

I have collected a few Stitchcraft Magazines over the years and I love them all, but must confess that the ones from the 1930's are my favorite. They really capture the end of an era just before the world was about to change forever. They are packed full of vintage inspirations, lots of knitting patterns, gloriously stylish adverts and lovely homely recipes.

It really doesn't matter if you can't knit, as its just as much fun to gaze at all the vintage pictures and adverts and get a snapshot of the era!

What you'll find inside this issue ...

More fabulous Knitting Patterns including the Knitted dress on the cover!

Knitting Paters Galore: A sporting set for Him and Her, a toddlers dress, and ladies cardigan.

A few homely makes including some Christmas time recipes (not very summery I know!!)

2. A 1930's style Puff stitch Beret in a vibrant cherry red, made from the same pattern as this and lovingly (slowly) crocheted by yours truly! Oh but don't let that put you off:)

A Puff Stitch Beret for unleashing your inner 30's starlet or perhaps for a sojourn in the French Resistance. Oh and I'm really not as miserable as I look, Promise!

So there you have it what do you think? Is it something you would like to get your mitts on?

If so then here is what you need to do:

1. Be a follower of the blog.

2. Leave me a little comment below.

It is that Simple!

I will post this Giveaway prize to anywhere in the world so please feel free to join in!

This contest will be open until 31st of May 2011. After that one winner will be chosen at random. I will then post the winners name on the blog and it will be up to the winner to get in contact with me to receive their prize!

Good Luck!
Wendy x

A Right Royal Wedding!!!

2011-04-30T00:36:00.003+01:00

It has to be done, like many other bloggers today I thought I should do a quick post on the wonderfulness which was the Royal Wedding!!

I must to confess to have missed much of the ceremony coverage on the TV, but from the bits I did catch it looked truly fabulous! And how stunning did they both look, William in his immaculate Irish Guards Uniform and Kate in her much anticipated wedding dress which wassimple and elegant with definite echoes of Grace Kelly's gown (but I think much nicer) it was just utterly gorgeous and made Kate look like a true princess!


The Dress was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. The dresses fabulous classic design certainly empahised her Teeny Tiny waist!!


The 1936 Cartier ‘halo’ tiara was lent to Kate by the Queen, it was Previously worn by (and made for) the Queen Mother.

"The veil was made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers. The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The train measures two metres 70 centimetres. The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen’s designs."

The bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth.
Lily-of-the-valley – Return of happiness
Sweet William – Gallantry
Hyacinth – Constancy of love
Ivy: Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection
Myrtle: the emblem of marriage; love.

So a big flag waving Congratulations and Good Luck to The New Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

Wendy x

Stitch Her Style - South Riding

2011-04-20T14:55:00.004+01:00

After falling in love with the BBC's South Riding, costume department a few posts ago now, I though it was about time I shared with you some of the modern patterns which I found that I think would create the fabulous 30's South Riding look.
The benefit of using modern patterns, is they can be a fraction of the cost of a vintage pattern from eBay or etsy and they all are multi-sized so no head scratching re-sizing!

So here some of the best...


8503 Blouse : Burda : sizes: 12 to 24

Adding a little height to the sleeve pattern would give a perfect puffed sleeve.

This could also easily double as a waistcoat pattern

M6206 Misses'/Miss Petite Lined Jackets McCall's


M6148 Misses' Shirts McCall's

KS 3668 Misses' Blouses Kwik Sew

S4221 Misses or Plus Size Skirt, and Pullover Tops Simplicity

Loved the floaty teal top and feel that this Simplicity pattern is as near to it as possible, just add two diagonal rows of pin tucks and a larger bow and your there!

Essentially for the Miss Burton style a high waisted, long ankle length, pencil skirt ...


M3830 MISSES' SKIRTS IN 5 LENGTHS McCall's

6917 Misses' Pencil Skirt sizes 8 to 18 New Look
this one is very reminiscent of a stunning skirt made by Nabby!!

V1082 MISSES' SKIRT Vogue ( EASY )

V8697 Misses'/Misses' Petite Skirt Vogue ( Easy )

V2859 MISSES' JACKET, BLOUSE AND DRESS Vogue Pattern ( ADVANCED )
This Vintage Vogue pattern from the 30's is practically perfect in every way!

D30-1379 Ladies' Dinner Dress, circa 1934

And If your feeling a little more adventurous and are prepared to do a little re-sizing, on some beautiful vintage re-pro patterns then, these from Eva Dress are just Fantabulous! I want them all !!!

Wendy x

Audrey Inspiration - Little Black Dress - Butterick 5032

2011-04-14T13:11:00.004+01:00

As its been a bit quite on the sewing front of late, so I thought it was about time I shared with you all a dress I made last year for The Boyfriends Mums Birthday Meal. It was made from a Butterick reprint of a pattern from 1952 - Though to me its got a real 60's feel to it and is really reminiscent of the dress Audrey Hepburn wore in 'Breakfast at Tiffanys'!

With 5032 you get quite a bit for your buck! There is the Shift Dress, which you can add a Chiffon overskirt, to give it a real 50's feel, A Cummerbund Sash, Narrow Belt and a Caplet!

I really love this pattern, the dress came out just like the drawing, which is so rare! Also it was very easy to make up, and bar the hemming It was finished within a day! I used a quite thick black brocade curtain type fabric which I picked up from Walthamstow Market for £1 a Yard! A total bargain!

Butterick 5032 Retro 1952 Available from the US here and UK here

Puffy Pleats!

One thing I don't like though, is the way the skirt pleats make it stick out around the waist making it look puffy, although it does mean you can eat as much food as you like and also makes your waist look smaller by contrast!

My only other gripe is that the neckline does tend to gape a bit at the front, but I guess if I had done a muslin version first, I could have probably sorted that, its those lazy genes again!

Now, as anyone who knows me will testify, I HAAATE having my photo taken, I would much rather be behind the lens. But with the weather here in London being all glorious and sunny last weekend, decided it wasthe perfect opportunity to take some photos and as penny dreadful so eloquently puts it, have a 'Get Over Yourself' moment.

Also having just bought a new floppy hat (from Sainsbury's no less) I felt a bit more inspired to do some random posing (albeit very uncomfortably) and prance about a la Miss Hepburn on my balcony.

I'm sure I gave all the people waiting at the bus stop and in the Pizza shop across the road the a jolly good laugh, as I kept popping in and out like a crazed Weather House Woman who seriously needs to join match.com, whilst repeatedly setting the timer on my camera! I must get a remote trigger!


... and here's my, awkward face!?!?

I don't know what I was doing here, but at least you get a view of the back and The Balcony!


New Hat!! Only £4 from Sainsbury's available in Black and a Browny Beige!


Oh,Where is that Bus?

I took off the scruffy raffia band which it came with, and swapped it for some black ribbon, so much nicer (shame I tied a very messy bow) and a bit less 70's this way. I think depending on how you dress this hat up it could also pass as 1930's?!

Right, I am off now to photograph the Giveaway prize I have found for you fabulous followers! Its a very vintage item from 1937 - though it has fared quite well for a 74 year old! I am really excited and I hope you like it!

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Wendy x

The Kitchen Front - Picnic Slice

2011-04-07T12:31:00.002+01:00

Its been a while since I posted anything food related so I thought I would share with you all, a family recipe that I have recently re-discovered, Picnic Slice.

Its a gooey, coconutty, chocolaty, rasiny, cherry tray bake, which due to some severe comfort eating lately I have become a little addicted to!

The name may well suggest a cakey treat that was a staple of many a family picnic, but I can honestly say that I never remember ever actually taking it on a picnic. This little treat was solely reserved for family get togethers and celebrations. It was Grandmas specialty, I am guessing the recipe is from the 50s or 60s as something this sugary and calorie laden could never have survived rationing.

So here it is... be warned though its addictive and waist lines may suffer!

Grandmas Picnic Slice

Makes approx 14 squares
(though it all depends on how generous/greedy you are!)

Ingredients

8oz Dark Chocolate.

2oz Butter or Sunflower Spread.

4oz Sugar.

1 Egg.

4oz Desiccated Coconut.

2oz chopped Glace Cherries.

2oz Sultanas or Raisins.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water or on a low heat in the microwave for 30 second blasts, stir between each Blast until fully melted.
Pour the melted chocolate in to the base of a Swiss roll tin, lined with grease proof paper.
Cream the Sugar and Butter together.
Add in the egg mix well, then gradually add in the Coconut, Cherries and Sultanas. Mix well.
Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the layer of melted chocolate.
Pop in to the oven on GM 2/100c for 45 mins or until golden brown.
Leave to cool in the baking tray before covering with cling film and popping in to the fridge until the chocolate has set.

Once set you can chop it up in to chunks as big or as small as you like!

I think it tastes best munched straight out of the fridge, but you can store it in a tin for up to two weeks, if it lasts that long!

Enjoy
Wendy x

Bloggy Awards!

2011-04-06T13:45:00.001+01:00

Oh I have been a bad blogger lately. I'm afraid that life and sheer laziness have taken over. I've been feeling super stressed out lately, partly due to my Dad being ill though he is now on the mend, it has left me with no energy left to pursue anything fun. I have missed reading all your fabulous blogs and I have so many posts that are sitting half done, waiting to be finished and published, something which I hope to remedy very soon...

Anyway on to something that has helped to drag me from my doldrums, which was receiving the 'Liebster Blog Award' from the ever so erudite Bruce Partington- Plans of Eclectic Ephemera a great blog which can not fail to teach you something fascinating about the golden era. So Thank you Bruce, it is very much appreciated!

Also I realised I had neglected to post about this at the time. So a huge belated thank you to Nabby is in order, who awarded me the 'I Love your Blog Award'. You must visit her fabulous blog 'This Old Life' which is filled with her, well amazing is the only word for it, 1930's creations. She is one very talented lady!!

On another fun note, I thought its about time I did a little Thank You for following, giveaway. I had intended to do this when I reached 50 followers but like a lot of things lately it passed me by, so to mark having nearly reached 70 I think a celebratory giveaway is over due.

So as soon as I have figured out just what lovely vintage thing it is I can give away, I will stick up a post about it. So watch this space!

Have a lovely day

Wendy x

The Butterfly Balcony

Things to Make & Do - A Colette Set

1940s Hairstyles - A Vintage Classic 2nd Edition

Stitch Her Style - Glorious 39

Simplicity S3688: Retro 1940's Pattern

Simplicity S4044 Misses & Plus Size 1940's Retro Suit

Both of the above Simplicity Retro patterns are definitely worth having in your collection if your a vintage fan, as they both offer a good range of separates, and finding original 40's patterns of separates can be difficult and expensive especially trouser patterns.

Things to Make & Do - Valentines Gifts for Boys

Things To Make & Do - Crewel Embroidery

Getting Organised = Getting Motivated

Things To Make & Do - Knitting Bag

Things To Make & Do - Woolly Head Wrap

Happy New Year!

A little Catch up...

A Little more Chrismas Swapping

Christmas Swapping!

Things to Make and Do - Vintage Vogue

1930's - V8767 - Jacket, Dress And Belt Vogue Pattern

1940/50's - V8686 Misses' Dress Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1950's - V1083 MISSES' COAT Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1950's -V1137 MISSES' COAT, DRESS AND BELT Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1930's - V2859 MISSES' JACKET, BLOUSE AND DRESS Vogue Pattern ( ADVANCED )

1950's - V2934 MISSES' JACKET Vogue Pattern (AVERAGE)

1930's - V1136 MISSES' JACKET AND DRESS Vogue Pattern ( AVERAGE )

1950/60's - V8729 - Dress and Underskirt Vogue Pattern ( Advanced)

In Rememberance

Sweeter than Sunshine

Its been a while

Sculpt Your Way to Beauty - TMGBB

Things To Make and Do - Union Jack Tea Cosy

Bomshell Dress Sew-a-long!

Fabulous Film Fashions - Glorious 39

Things To Make & Do - A Smart Dusting Cap

The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships - TMGBB

Bloggy Awards

I'm Back...

More Titfer tat

Where did you get that Hat!

Digging For Victory & Knitting Inspiration!

High Days and Holidays and Appologies

Bank Holiday Blogging Ban

And the Winner is....

Time for Tea!

A Cupa Chari-Tea

Make Do and Mend - Red White and Blue

Rambling Rose Knitting Pattern

Supersizers Go.... Wartime!

Giveaway Time - The 1930's

A Right Royal Wedding!!!

Stitch Her Style - South Riding

So here some of the best...

M6148 Misses' Shirts McCall's

KS 3668 Misses' Blouses Kwik Sew

And If your feeling a little more adventurous and are prepared to do a little re-sizing, on some beautiful vintage re-pro patterns then, these from Eva Dress are just Fantabulous! I want them all !!!Wendy x

Audrey Inspiration - Little Black Dress - Butterick 5032

The Kitchen Front - Picnic Slice

Bloggy Awards!

And If your feeling a little more adventurous and are prepared to do a little re-sizing, on some beautiful vintage re-pro patterns then, these from Eva Dress are just Fantabulous! I want them all !!!

Wendy x