Flower Power

 

Flower Box

The vintagers and artisans were in St Davids, Pembrokeshire on Saturday, selling their wares.  There were flowers, vintage clothes, jewellery, vintage textiles, hand crafted cushions and accessories, kitchenalia and shabby chic furniture. 

Despite the downpours, we had sunny faces and good times. 

Thanks to the Oriel y Parc and Visitors Centre for hosting the event.

Look - a little glimpse of seasonal goodies ......

Seasonal Stockings - Karen Hilton Designs



A small selection of the wonderful items available on the stalls  .............

Time for Tea - Canvas and Cloth

Red, White and Blue - Nellie Dean

Vintage geranium

Dolly by geranium




The next vintage event will be at Plas Hyfryd, Narberth, Pembrokeshire on Sunday 26th August 2012, from 10 - 4.

Perambulator and other such like .....

Vintage pram

Once people get to know that I collect vintage/retro bits and pieces, they very kindly start looking out for items that might be of interest to me.  This week I was told about this lovely child's pram from the early 1960s, which was sitting in their shed and probably destined for the bin. 

A good scrub will remove most of the grime but I don't intend to do much more than that, as far as renovation goes.  The pram will be used as a prop on my vintage/handmade stall.  Sorry pram collectors,  this item is not for sale.

A musical jewellery box, with a twirling ballerina.  Needs some tlc as the mirror section is moving away from the lid, but that can easily be put right.  Wish there were more of these pretty and useful boxes around. 



Twirling ballerina

These two photos are examples of many illustrations taken from a couple of Edwardian children's story books, dated 1911.  The books are in a dilapidated condition, so I have plans to frame some of the better pictures as they are just too sweet to leave unused and out of sight.  

Jubilee June

Rosette by Nellie Dean

What a charming idea - Jubilee Rosettes - and not made by and for a large corporation.  These rosettes have been created by www.nellie-dean.com for a Jubilee event at a local school and will be given out to children as prizes.  The rosettes look so good and I want one, even though I haven't done anything worthy this week.
































Craft by Design

Vintage Friends

Today, Thursday 10th May, was the launch of Craft by Design in the Queen's Hall, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, where a group of crafters, including Geranium, will be selling handmade items, craft supplies and vintage collectables.  The Country Market, a long established organisation selling cakes, preserves, fresh vegetables and plants, kindly agreed to sharing the hall on Thursday mornings. 

Shop local!

Damson & Slate

Canvas & Cloth

Jaki Wadman

A Welsh Yarn

Geranium

Nellie Dean

  And finally -

Time for cake - thanks Country Market!

WWW 2012

Wonder Van

This time last year at Wonder Wool Wales we had the pleasure of sun and heat.  Builth Wells on 28th April 2012 was wet, stormy and very cold.  The wool fest is always worth a visit because not only is there so much to see and buy, but it is a good place for independent producers and makers to showcase their products. 








More batts please

The Pembrokeshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers had a stall at the show, selling a variety of members' yarns and fibres, plus woven and knitted items.   They also demonstrated how a carding drum can be used to obtain combed fleece or "batts" by placing scoured (washed) fleece in to a drum machine.   The drum is covered with tiny metal spikes which then comb the fleece as the handle on the drum is turned.  The batts produced by this method of carding is then ready for spinning or felting.  Hand carders can be used in this process but the drum method speeds up both production and increases quantity.  Industrialisation on a small scale for the home producer.

Guild yarn

 The coming summer season is a busy one for the Guild, as there are numerous shows and fairs in Pembrokeshire where locals can come and see us in action.  We look forward to meeting you.






Hand made books

Although the show was mainly about yarn and fibre, there were other items on display, including hand made books.  Making books, albums or journals is something I want to do at some stage and I just loved these.

Alpaca Flag

No doubt we are going to see plenty of flags around for the Jubilee and Olympics - Jubolympics anyone.  This flag was knitted with alpaca yarn.  Not sure I have the time to knit something so large.

Spring zing



Hearts & Cushions
Calonnau a Chlustogau

The first vintage fair of the 2012 season was held at the Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth on Saturday.  Yes, it poured with rain but our lovely customers squelched along and shopped with us.  This time vintage stalls were in the majority but we were grateful for the cupcake sellers coming along too, keeping us sweet and full.

Valmai Davies from Hearts and Cushions was there with her cushions made from Welsh vintage blankets, as were Canvas & Cloth with a selection from their Narberth shop of haberdashery and vintage blankets;  Damson and Slate's vintage kitchenalia; Giddy Aunt's 1950s clothes and accessories; the ever popular Edelweiss Antiques with vintage linens, jewellery, toys and books; the charity shop British Red Cross with a massive table full of superb vintage collectables and clothes, plus live music from Easy Tigerz.

What a day!

Cupcake girls - they had a party!

Mandy's stall, with the band behind the bar

 

Vintage geranium

Vintage geranium

Flaming March

In the Pink

Pink isn't my favourite colour but whilst out and about searching for vintage items, I came across this metal doll's cot and it came home with me.  It is in need of a mattress, so that's another activity to be added to the "must do" crafting list. 





The mini bunting in Jubilee colours is hand knitted in cotton and is available, along with other colour choices, at Jane's Vintage Shop, Narberth.

Radio times

An addition to the Geranium range are notelets/greeting cards, illustrated with vintage playing cards.  These will be available for sale at the next vintage fair in Narberth, 14th April.

Leap! ....

Derwyn - Hand Knitted Doll

Although Damson and Slate closed their Narberth shop at the end of January, I am pleased to say that they are still trading on-line at www.damsonandslate.co.uk.  Even better, they have asked me to carry on contributing knitted items.  Derwyn, with the marmalade hair, is my most recent creation. Dolly is hand knitted with local, natural dyed yarn and stuffed with sheep's fleece.

Have a peek at Damson and Slate's website as new items will be appearing there very soon, for Spring 2012.

Cotton Fabric Dolly Cot Sheets

Last month I mentioned that I was making doll's bedding with some cotton fabric purchased from Canvas and Cloth, Narberth.  You can see just how pretty the sheets look.  A hand knitted blanket, together with a fabric pillow, is part of the dolly cot set.  The pink blanket in the photograph here was knitted with a silk/wool Rowan yarn.

Doll Blanket

Here we go 2012 - knitting and such like

Fair Isle mini blanket

New dolls in red and blue

January 2012 was to be spent in creating new knitty stuff for this seasons craft sales.  Looking at old Fair Isle patterns inspired me to knit this mini blanket for doll/teddy.  The yarn used is Welsh Mountain DK natural brown and quite sturdy, not at all soft, so will stand up to the wear and tear of picnics in the garden.

These dolls are a new and original creation.  The limbs have been knitted from soft lambswool, which looks like very fine 2 ply but knits as 4 ply.  This time I have used toy stuffing and not sheep's fleece to stuff the dolls.

Doll/teddy needs options, so I have also created blanket, sheet and pillow sets.  Some of the yarns used will be more luxurious than others, such as this pink one, where I have used Rowan silk tweed.  The sheets and pillows have been sewn from fabric bought from Canvas and Cloth in Narberth - very pretty they are too.

This is just a start for the season - but why did I think I could make all my stock for the year in one month?  Didn't happen .....

January ended with a flurry of snow.

Pembrokeshire snow