passion for scarves

I spotted this beautiful book about silk scarves in our local bookshop and it is now on my wish list. It has just been published by Thames and Hudson and tells the story of the silk scarf with stunning images. There's not much that makes me happier than seeing a battered old suitcase stuffed with silk scarves three for a fiver at a bootsale or fleamarket. Most of my scarves end up stuffed back into a box back home but a few are transformed into cushions or curtains for my daughters bedroom (a real labour of love I won't be making many of those!) I love the bold patterns and colours of vintage scarves which is why this print dress jumped off the rails at me (half price in the sale at good old Dorothy Perkins - bargain!!)

healthy snack

I am not a great fan of cupcakes but these looked so luscious I had to buy them for a friend's birthday. They are from Ms Cupcake in Brixton, and are vegan (therefore healthy?!) so goodness knows what they are made from, but a very good way to make yourself feel quite sick on a Sunday afternoon. The vintage tablecloth belongs to my friend Tessa, who, if it is possible has a worse boot sale habit than me and is forever taunting me with her out of town finds. We spent a happy mother's day yesterday extolling the ups and downs of long distance parenting - thank-you for a lovely afternoon!

where is that dress now!

I wish my mum had kept that dress, it probably ended up in the dressing up box. The Horrockses exhibition was a feast, the textile design looked amazingly fresh and contemporary ranging from african prints, delicate florals to fruit and lobsters! A real inspiration, I bought the book of the exhibition which tells the full story along with lovely illustrations.

fabrics galore

Every now and then our house is used as a location for photo shoots (well, we do have two hungry teenagers to feed!). As we have an abundance of props it is often used for vintage and retro pieces. Just lately it was used by BBC Homes magazine for a feature on vintage fabrics and our house was filled with a heady selection of glorious textiles from the '50s and '60s. Our ercol sofa was elevated from it's normal use of dumping ground to glamourous prop, festooned with beautiful vintage fabric cushions from Jane Foster . A couple of roddy&ginger cushions crept in so I have put them back into my shop.

pattern inspiration

I am working on some new pattern designs to mix in with my cushions so I have been looking through my piles of vintage fabrics, scarves and hankies for inspiration. The patchwork quilt was from a local flea market, a mad mix of fabrics hand sewn with love and care, a real portrait of the 70's in hexagonal pieces. Putting it in the washing machine was perhaps not a good idea as I now have to do a bit of make and mend. London has gone a bit quilt mad at the moment as there is a big new exhibition all about British quilt making just starting at the V&A museum which is not to be missed, I must make sure I find time to see it.