Lilys House

new for the stash

A gorgeous mix of neutral shades....wool, wool and cotton and wool and silk.  My favourite charity shop did me proud today. Usually it's rummage deep and maybe, just maybe find a hidden gem amongst the novelty wool.  Today it just kept coming.......and at £2.50 the lot how could I resist.  I have a project in mind which sent me on a wild search for my long  Addi's (.. my only pair and in my opinion really worth the extra pennies).  I found them in a long forgotten knitting bag, unused since I made Maddies wool nappy wraps. It was like finding an old friend. Not that I haven't got other things to finish but casting on for something new is so much fun.  More on this if I actually get round to it...ahem.. ;)  In my mind, I'm a much quicker and more accomplished knitter than in reality ....and it really annoys me.  Sadly, I have dreams at night about knitting the most fantastic lace shawls like this and I wake up enthused, thinking that I actually can.  I posted a while back about my lack of success with lace knitting. One day I'll do it, probably when I'm a granny and have all the time in the world, sat in my rocking chair.

Also to show - a couple of the many lovely books that I received for my birthday....I'm always so very happy to receive books.  These were actually the only crafty ones. The others were Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend, The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Old-Fashioned Recipes from New York's Sweetest Bakery , The Gormenghast Trilogy and Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.

An eclectic mix :)

Thankyou family, very much, they all excite me in completely different ways !

So, quite enough to be getting on with, don't you think ?

Have a lovely weekend !

purple flounce

Got to show you this divine little top I happened across at a car boot last year. Hand made and fabulous...I have got to try and make one similar. I'm not very good at sussing out pattern pieces from made up clothes but I think it would be worth the brain strain. It's made of (I'm guessing) a light weight poly/cotton and it drapes so well and comes off the line with absolutely no creases. Maddie has really taken a shine to it too and my heart leapt when she chose it 2 days running. A very rare honour indeed.
Clothes pickiness has started, much to my dismay. At the moment it's absolutely no trousers... - so she can be 'spinderella' as she calls herself whilst twirling. Trousers, shorts or leggings cause a major freak out. You have no idea the tantrum I had on my hands after putting some beautiful cream linen trousers with this top. She wanted to wear it as a micro mini. I stuck my ground - but she removed them the minute we got back into the house.

find of the week

Hasty post this, don't know where the week has gone.... Just thought I'd show you my bargain of the year so far ;)

Last Sunday Maddie did her usual 'lets save the really early wake up for the day no one has to get up' routine and I found myself up dressed, fed and watered by an ungodly hour. Nothing for it but to head on out to the local car boot where die hards had been wandering since 0530.
I spied the above beauty in a filthy condition and held my breath with excitement as I awaited the asking price.

£ 3 , yes you read that right :)

Back home and fully scrubbed with Flash, de - linted ( there was a load of that) and oiled, she's working like a dream. The same make as mine too, so bobbins and feet can be shared. It's Lilys of course and she's very proud. My old Singer I gave her for her 10th birthday promptly broke down on the first outing, so she's been waiting a long time.

It's crochet frenzy here too. Lils has been knocking these out at speed to sell at the summer fete at school. Beaded bracelets, rings, necklaces and anklets to raise money for the NSPCC. Crochet club is up and running and the production line is hot !

See you next week !

the morning so far

doggy walking in the sun....well he was running and I was meandering slowly 10 ft from the car (take what you can get at the moment Harry !)

dewy daisies

followed by a super brief 'pop in' to our recycling centre or the dump shop to you and me, where I found...

a fabulous powder blue enamel colander and dish, a bit knocked about but that's why I like old things...character and all that

there was no way I was going to leave without this little beauty and it's contents

and the jackpot of the trip.....

this beautiful crocheted throw/tablecloth/I'm not sure. Its big - and oh my it's filthy...filthy. I ummed and ahhed for ages, wondering if it would clean up at all. It's sort of a putty grey which is not really how I like my fine linens ;). Then the moment of clarity fell...my brain processed the fact that this thing was a) old b) handmade over many hundreds of hours c) was a total labour of love for the woman who made it d) £2...........who cares if I can't get it pristine white ?

How sad that it should end it's days on a table of rags at the tip, in amongst smelly poly cotton 80's duvet covers and faux fur cushions that had seen better days.
It's home now, where it will be loved and cared for....even if it stays grey. Its on a gentle wash now with some bio (extreme measures) so fingers crossed the whole thing doesn't disintegrate. I'll let you know.

After a sporadic week I look forward to getting back to normal next week....loads of catching up to do round here, mainly laundry . Everywhere I look there is a pile of clothes. Kitchen table, stairs, landing, sofa, hallway. It's time for action, definitely. The old back is getting better slowly, still sore to bend really, hence the bombsite that is the house (the family have been great little helpers but it's not quite the same ;)
Hoping to do a bit more sewing for Maddies summer wardrobe over the weekend so may have something to show on Monday. Have been totally rubbish at catching up with all the lovely blogs I read, you know who you are ! See you all soon and have a lovely weekend...x

a few bargains..

enough gorgeously floral and just my kind of blue material for many Maddie summer outfits (that's if they're wearable...I can but try...)

dinner plates 6 for £3...I'm in love......

a beautiful cloth found by my sharp eyed Mum, which totally lifts the gloomy end of my kitchen

wonderfully sized basket...another victim of health and safety laws in my local charity (not allowed to display goods in them now in case someone trips over them). Destined to become Maddies downstairs books and toy container. Didn't come with the cat...he's mine ...conveniently decided to get in for a sniff...perfect photo op :)
In the basket are 3 balls of beautiful pale pink 'Samband Lopi, Icelandic virgin wool' 50p each. Not sure what to make with them but I hear it felts up really well.

Charity shops...don't you just love 'em ?

a mini haul

About time I had a little show of my recent charity shop gems !

Was over the moon with all this alpaca....found in the very depths, under all the tatty old half balls....I found the first ball with glee and couldn't believe it when I unearthed more...

3 of cream and 2 and a bit of the brown = £1 !

next up, another little cup for Maddie...the teddy one, of a few posts ago, suffered a little accident......but I've managed to superglue the handle back on thank goodness. It's having a little rest before going back into the fray..
This is a little more substantial...

I think it's a soup cup - but it's perfect for little hands.

And then.......the one I'm most excited about (you're going to laugh and probably hate it..)..

My new clock for the sewing room. I'd been looking at ebay for some retro-ish little clocks but they were going for silly prices so I sort of gave up. So yesterday, having paid for the wool, I just turned to leave and there this little beauty was, perched behind me on the back wall. So naff it was good.
Noticing that it was only £1 I grabbed it, natch. Turns out all the bric-a-brac was in the sale at half marked price ( I was obviously on a winning streak !)
By now though, my purse was almost down to the foreign coin and trolley token (it was a spur of the moment, 'oh dear I 've only got a couple of quid on me', type of shopping trip) and I'd promised the girls a cake from the bakery....a bribe after dragging them round the charitys.
Unfortunately for them the clock got lucky.........don't worry, I did manage to scrape together enough for one large choc chip biscuit between them. Not quite what they'd had in mind ! Huge iced buns featuring much more highly on their agenda than crappy old clock...

Totally off subject (well I suppose it is made totally from recycled materials).. I made this little hanging bird this morning on a whim. Quite pleased with him. I'm just loving birds at the moment, maybe it's Spring in the air ?

he's not hanging up as there was nowhere light and tidy at the same time....better go and remedy that....

goodie bag

A while ago I mentioned that my kind mum had given me a bag of old treasures...

a gorgeous overall....it's a little wide and may need a bit of taking in...but the pattern is wonderful, below knee length......'I wore it as a summer dress' said Mum...hmmm, I think I'll do the same. My Mum is so on my wave length with things like this (she is the queen of thrift........we're talking stopping the car to investigate 'interesting' articles abandoned in skips....)

and then..

the most fab antique petticoat ....parachute silk, beautiful lace and floor length.....given to her by a friend - it was his mothers...
It's just going to have to be hung up and admired, away from the cats (climbing kitties and razor sharp claws....shudder)

and lastly......

a lace scarf that I could just stare at for ever...long, delicate, dreamy, beautiful....not sure how old - but old.
'I'm giving these to you as I know you'll appreciate them' she said...and how totally right she was.......I was swooning !

Thankyou Mum, you know me well....x

weekend wipeout

Yes, I've been a poorly girl. Shivery and wobbly and nauseous. Nice.

Thankyou so much for all my get well wishes.....I really appreciate it... Definitely on the upturn now :)

It was a double bummer as it meant that I missed out on a very special birthday Saturday. My lovely Mama (my Grandmother) turned 84 and my little nephew was 3 a few days ago.
I put in a brief appearance but due to infection control concerns and generally not being able to hack it, swiftly returned to bed with a hot water bottle.

A carrier bag full delights made their way back to me from Mums though. Some lovely vintagey items. I'll show and tell when I'm a bit more motivated..

This has been my view for the last couple of days, with various visitors, human and animal, at different times....

kids, dogs, cats.....pile on up.....

Today was back to normal until Lily was sent home from school............I wish these bugs would just clear. I've honestly never known a time like this - everyone I speak to is under the weather. I was bragging early last year about how I'd not succumbed to even a cold.......it's obviously catch up time.

Roll on Spring.....the sun has poked it's head out a little today and was very welcome...it really does make all the difference to flagging spirits.

Right I'm off to take care of me and mine. Posting may be sporadic until normal healthy service is resumed !

Keep warm and toasty........

tiny gems

Yesterdays little shopping outing didn't leave me empty handed either......I actually lost both of these babies (they turned up in the lining of my bag), so they had to wait till today to be presented to the world!.

Now I am probably extremely sad but these little beauties make me smile everytime I look at them. The row counter is so well made compared to the cheapy modern ones, of which I have many. The inner where the needle slides is metal so won't crack and break. The turning bits are tight which is a good thing. I have another in pink ( I nearly fainted with delight !) - both were found right at the very bottom of the 'forgotten knitting needle box' dredged up from the bowels of the shop. Actually, a lot of the charity shops have to keep them out the back, or not sell needles or crochet hooks at all, due to health and safety regulations............the world's gone totally mad....same for buttons (choking risk to children in the shop).

The colour of this thimble just kills me. Gorgeous.

Told you I was sad.

funny how it works

Reading Amandas post yesterday inspired me to dig out the childrens cups that I'd been 'saving'. In my mind, I would get them out at the perfect moment , the perfect age when no mishap would occur. Of course there is no perfect age for this, I am the biggest wine glass smasher there is at the age of 35 !

I feel it's quite important that children should get used to drinking out of proper cups and eat off proper plates like the rest of the family, at an early age. Not plastic all the time. Don't get me wrong, we have our fair share of plastic plates and beakers but I'm feeling like moving away from all of that now. It's been long enough. Mads will be 3 at the end of Feb and is a lot more careful than I give her credit for. Accidents will happen I'm sure, but that's life.

With this in mind we had a little look in the charity shops before her morning at pre-school. In a glass display cupboard was this sweet little cup, just the right size for her hands. 'That my special cup' she said pointing in delight. I couldn't argue, it is the cutest, plus it had the added bonus of being a only £1.50 !

Back at home I found another one I'd picked up at a boot sale a long time ago when she really was too tiny.

So there we have it, I can't think of a nicer way to ditch the beakers.........

~later~.................couldn't resist posting a picture of it in use :