The Spring pop-up Textiles, Fabrics and Costume Sale Saturday 10th February 2018

The Washerwoman presents.....

The Spring pop-up Textiles, Fabrics and Costume Sale
Saturday 10th February 2018. 9 am to 2 pm
at Lydeard St Lawrence Village Hall, near Taunton. TA4 3SE

A grand rummage with Antique and Vintage textiles and fabrics including dress fabrics, florals, linens, French toile, upholstery fabrics, haberdashery, trimmings, scrap-bags and buttons, together with a collection of Vintage costume including 1930s and Wartime dresses.

Linen and Cotton bolts of fabric ideal for making cushions

Antique floral textiles including French toile

Gorgeous old block printed Indigo.....

 Free admission and ample parking

Textiles and Treasures!

The best finds are when you come across a"job lot".. for example an old wooden French trunk over-flowing with buttons, buckles, fabric, trimmings.... which is just what Mr W found for me last week at the fair in Newark!

It has taken me many hours to sort through it all and decide what will be going where? A lot will be coming to The Vintage and Handmade Textile Fair on Saturday the 25th of February.

 As will this gorgeous Spring ensemble. A matching 1950's dress and jacket - approx size 12. A perfect for attending a vintage style wedding!

 Next stop after the Vintage and Handmade will be The Vintage Bazaar's Rag and Remnant Rummage which takes place on Saturday 3rd March at The Trull Village Memorial Hall, Church Road, Trull, Taunton, Somerset. TA3 7JZ . Doors open at 9.30 and the fair will close at 14.00. Admission 50p.

 There will be over 20 stands piled high with a selection of goodies for every pocket. Textiles, trimmings, buttons & bits from the workrooms of West Country makers, collectors and dealers. It will be a fun day, so hope to see you there.

It would appear that I am not the only one who is busy preparing. Check here for another sneak preview!

Homestyle magazine cuttings

This images come from a collection of old magazines that date from the late 40's/early 1950's. It is interesting to see the comparison of the cosy pre - war styles and the more modern ideas that were emerging in the 1950's.

  Below -"A simple Bedroom as pretty as a garden!" - using Rosebank "Summer Sprays" fabric.

 above Rosebank Fabric - "In tune with today's furnishings". This has a lot more of a modern feel to it.

 Traditional florals in the bedroom (above) verses "Essentially simple/contemporary style" below...

Sanderson fabric is used in this scheme which has both elements of the traditional, but with some less fussy elements. The rest of the magazines include some wonderful  knitting patterns and sewing projects. I will be bringing these to the London Antique Textile Fair on Sunday the 2nd October 2011 which is being held at Chelsea Old Town Hall SW3 5EE.

Two very Different Fairs!

 Firstly, I would like to thank all the great customers who came to the event  at the American Museum in Bath last week. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the perfect setting for an amazing Textile Fair organised by
Talent for Textiles. I was kept busy all day running a friend's stand and Mr Mangle ran my stand. Apologies to anybody who came to say Hello and missed me on my stand.

So, in complete contrast to the Bath Fair we yesterday braced ourselves for the Ardingly Fair. We knew the weather forecast was doubtful, but we are used to struggling with bad weather at fairs especially in the Winter (!) We began to set up and soon became apparent that the gusts of wind were likely to blow the marquee and our stock across the showground. The IACF staff were very helpful and made the marquee secure and laced up as many openings as they could. We struggled on throughout the morning, but by lunchtime we were totally exhausted from the sheer effort of keeping the stock on the tables and away from the drizzle which came into the stall. It is also incredibly wearing to listen to the constant rattling of the marquee. So, BIG apologies to anyone who came to the fair and found that we had packed up and gone. I had heard that today (Wednesday) would be better weather-wise, but by lunchtime yesterday most of my stock was damp and i couldn't see that it would have been a good idea to leave it in the creaking marquee overnight. I have some great photos of both the Bath Fair and the dripping mess at Ardingly... but I still haven't worked out how to get them from my phone to here! Technical support is coming home at the weekend, so I will be able to pick his young brains! In the meantime, here are a few images of truly beautiful mangle cloths. I will bringing a good selection of these to the Buttercross Fair in Somerton this Saturday. Lets hope for some decent weather.. please!

....and now for something completely different!

In the past few weeks I have been busy buying for the next run of fairs. These large wooden spools from France have been selling well, and they look great displayed on some of my Antique and recycled Indian painted furniture.

 Yesterday we restocked the Dairy House with this Indian cupboard with wire mesh doors (perfect for the kitchen). We also took some Indian gates and other pieces of carved wood items (below).

 The wood and metal work well alongside gorgeous old French grainsacks....

  This coming Saturday I am selling at a new fair in Ilminster at the Meeting House . I will be taking along a selection of French Linen sheets, Eastern European Mangle cloths, buttons, wooden cotton spools and a selection of these beauties (below)....

 Carved Antique wooden items from India. They look wonderful alongside the linen sheets and other stock.

 Most of them have been adapted so that they can by hung on the wall or used as candle sconces.

 I adore the layers of chipped old paint, some of them would have adorned buildings for hundreds of years.

The following weekend I will be having my usual stall at The Vintage and Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury, if there is room in the van I might bring along a few Vintage Indian items to ring the changes to my stand. What do you think?

Two amazing Fairs in two days....

 Sometimes it is hard to decide how to post about fairs. Do you write a before or after account?

My problem this week has been that I have attended two very different fairs for the first time. It is not a lot of help to you (the potential customer/happy shopper) to hear about a marvellous event that you have just missed!

...... So, the purpose of this post is to make sure everyone knows about these two events & get them in the diary for 2012 now!

 The Decorative Living Fair at Eridge Park (near Tunbridge Wells) is an annual event which takes place in May. The perfect month for this beautiful fair.

 The above photos are of my stand, I should have taken more of other people's, but as I didn't know a lot of them I didn't have enough time to ask permission and introduce myself. (something I feel strongly about if one is going to use other people's images on the blog).

 Su  and Jill from The Blue Linen Cupboard had a stunning stall of French treasures....

 This is Jacquie's stand (aka Kitty). I returned to several times to buy myself little treats. Sadly couldn't persuade Mr W that we needed the glorious green kitchen cupboard!

 It was the detail and finishing touches that made this stand special.

 Outside the scene was breathtaking...Beyond the marquee's and outdoor stands was this view!

The outdoor stalls were full of gorgeous garden furniture, plants, Linens, flower pots and of course a cafe where one could purchase refreshments to enjoy in the outdoor seated area.

At the end of a fantastic day at Eridge, it was time to bundle all my stock into the van and head West to here.....

Another stunning location for a Textile fair.

 A selection of the stands from the Avalon Textile and Decorative Fair. It really was the most amazing location for an event. The 14th century Abbey Barn looked incredible, it was hard not to look up at the roofspace (instead of concentrating on setting up the stand!)

 The strings of lighting were perfect to illluminate the space. The stalls were of the highest quality, from buttons and trimming to sumptuous beaded evening wear.

 ..from cupboards, mirrors and yachts!

 I do not know if there is to be another event at this location, so all I can say is watch this space and I will let you know!

Pretty Patchwork Pieces, Dolls and Chairs!

 This patchwork has a beautiful soft palette of colours. It isn't quite finished so that whoever buys it from me at the coming Antique fairs will have a little bit of work to do...

 There are some quite delicious cottons in the design. I would say that it dates from the 1930's and 1940's .

 It came with a later set of patchwork pieces, I am guessing from the 1970s?

Some are already sewn into usable shaped pieces, but this bag is brimming with a whole big project!

I will be bringing all these items and more to The Shepton Mallet 3 day Antiques Fair at the Bath and West showground in Somerset this coming weekend. Click on the link to reach the IACF website for full details of opening times. Please note that complimentary tickets can only be used on the Saturday and Sunday.

As well as my usual costume, textiles and decorative bits and bobs, I am also taking a selection of small pieces of furniture. All being well (and weather permitting) we should be able to display items outside at the front of the tent....