Wonderland continued...

A few more wall banners for Mabel's non-party on Sunday... Wish I'd done the main banner in black outline only, rather than colour. I like the simplicity of black and white. I also wish I could bake but I'm rubbish at baking so I painted the cake instead. Ocado are handling the rest. 

Mabel In Wonderland

I can't believe Mabel will be 2 years old on the 30th of January. It seems like only yesterday I was pacing the floor with a colicy new born in my arms. To mark her special day I was planning on doing nothing...yup! sod all. Well she's at that age where she doesn't know about kids birthday parties, right? She's only ever been to one. I on the other hand know that I'm about to enter into roughly 16 more years of organising birthday parties for her...oh god. I'm tired just thinking about it and may need to go and lay down.

 So why oh why was I up till god knows what hour last night making a huge birthday banner for the 'non' birthday party? I even gave the party a theme 'Mabel In Wonderland' after her favourite movie and was frantically texting my sister to make special cup cakes with 'Eat me' on.I have also invited a load of people round. This sounds pretty much like a party to me.

I just couldn't help it, it's like the maternal hormone that stops you walking away from the screaming colicy baby also seems to make you want to organise birthday parties...so the 'non' party is now a huge themed party with banners, cakes and a load of kids. All we need now is the entertainment! does anyone know where I can find a Cheshire Cat costume? 

Percy Picture

I've just finished making one of my vintage pictures for someone as a present for a new baby. I really want to show you but I can't as it's not been delivered yet. (The picture not the baby!)
Baby name pictures are where this whole thing started, well the idea to make pictures out of vintage fabric. I made some for friends and then they started to commission me for their friends and it was sort of born from there! 


What is really cool are the names I get to make. I made quite a few last year and it seems the trend for Granny & Grandad vintage names is still going strong. Makes me wonder if Mabel will date an Ernie or a Wilfred when she's a teenager rather than a Steve or a David. Or maybe she'll date an Ethel...Oh god!  Actually the thought of her dating at all makes me shudder so let's move on... I met a couple in the pub the other day with their baby called Percy. I made a picture for a 'Percy' a while a go, turns out it was for this Percy! Ah how lovely to put a face to a name.

'Percy' - 1940's fabric USA

'Lulu'- 1940's/50's mixed fabric USA

'Milo'- 1940's fabric USA

'Jude' - Vintage Liberty print

'Violet' - mixed vintage fabric USA

Mooching Around Markets

I'm lucky that I live right by Portobello Market so I can start mooching nice and early to try and find some bargains. My favourite day to go is Friday as there's a fresh load of vintage clobber and bric-a-brac to rummage through. I always stop at the same stalls too, like this one selling vintage buttons.

I ended up buying a bag full of these 1940's and 50's beauties. Not sure what I'll do with them but I'll keep you posted. 

I also picked up a cute hand-knitted cardi and hat for Mabel. I so wished they had been my size! But there is no way my noggin would fit in that hat, believe me I tried. Here's Mabel modelling her new-vintage look. 

  

A few weeks ago I also spotted this amazing lamp in the market. I had no idea if it was in good working order but I haggled and got it for 20 quid. I plugged it in and voila! Let there be light!

Sunday is Queens Park Farmers Market. It's jam packed with lovely goodies. I always seem to go there with a hangover but a sizzling hot sausage in a bun normally sorts me out and I often pick up a stew or pie for sunday dinner as well. Today we met up with our friends Shelley and Matt and their gorgeous toddler Roxy at the market. I couldn't resist buying a few of these teeny-tiny cupcakes and then we all headed to the park so the girls could play on the swings. Oh how I love weekends like this. 

Playhouse

I've been wondering what to get Mabel for her birthday for a while. I was desperate to get her a playhouse but all the ones I've found so far were too plastic or way too branded.

My good friend Dee made the most gorgeous little playhouse for her daughter out of a cardboard box. It totally inspired me to do the same, so I nicked the idea! (I did ask first)

Dee is like a Wonder Woman (without the spangly pants!) she works full time but is still able to do a million other creative and ingenious thing as well as raise an amazing toddler. She's a fantastic photographer, painter, designer and mother and she also finds time to write this stunning blog! called  She had us at hello please take a peek. 

So here is Mabel's birthday present...If you want to make the same you will need. 1x cardboard box, a few tester pots of paint and a paintbrush, a Stanley knife, fabric and glue for the bunting and one of those big present bows for the front door. 

Wedding Bells

Today I'm feeling in a romantic mood. I've been busy making all sorts of bespoke commissions of my vintage fabric pictures for people as wedding presents. Wedding commissions are some of my favourites to make, I hope they will be treasured forever by the couple who receive them. 


Here are some I made earlier...

'Love' - Vintage Kimono silk

'Barb&Ben'- 1940's fabric from America

'27th Aug'- 1940's/50's mixed fabric from USA

'10th Sept' - vintage Fabric from the UK 

'Kirsty&Rob' - 1940's/50's fabric from the USA

 'I Fell In Love...' Vintage fabric from the USA

This last commission was so nice to work on as I loved the story behind it. It was for a couple who had had their first date at the seaside. A friend had picked them up after the date to drive them home when The Kooks 'Seaside' came on the radio. The lyrics would prove to be very apt as they did in fact fall in love at the seaside. The friend marked their wedding by commissioning me to frame the words forever. I chose this grey vintage nautical fabric as I thought it represented the British seaside perfectly. Ah 'aint love grand.  

Museum Of Childhood

We had a lovely day on Saturday. Hubby took us around his old stomping ground of Bethnal Green. First stop was The Museum Of Childhood, an eclectic collection of children's toys through the ages. From the rocking horses you can ride on to the Alice In Wonderland table set for tea, Mabel loved it all. My favourite thing was the building itself, Oh and the lovely gift shop.

 After the museum we took a stroll down to Broadway Market. I used to love the market with all it's crafty stalls and home made foody things but it seems to have turned into a bit of a circus parade of 'trendy types' in fancy dress clothing! at one point the road was held up by a guy in a bowler hat on a bike pulling a tweed suited and booted fellow in a cart on the back! Quite extraordinary, I wished I'd got a photo.  


 I did see one stall I liked the look of selling giant rag doll bunnies, I'm kicking myself that I didn't get one for Mabel's birthday, oh well maybe I could get the dude with the cart to bike one over sometime.

Bunnies I heart you. 

So Here we go... this is my very first blog post, gulp! Excuse the untidy look and the long-winded waffle, I'm a newbie to all this. 


Here is a taster of some of my vintage fabric pictures. I hand make each one out of vintage fabric, cutting the words or images out of card and mounting them on top. I make commissions like baby names or wedding dates as well as making my own images and designs. 

'California' - 1940's/50's fabric with Airstream typeface.

'You'd Look Sweet...' Vintage Liberty print fabric.

'Love'- Vintage Laura Ashley fabric with grey mount.