Vintage at the Village Hall

It has been a very busy few days. After the excitement of the excellent Vintage and Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury, it was soon Monday morning and time for the very first Vintage at the Village Hall Fair organised by Ted and Bunny. The drive to Dorset was hairy (to say the least) and not helped by frozen windscreen washers!

On arrival at the hall, we were greeted with a fantastic sight, bunting criss-crossed the ceiling and vintage goodies piled high on the other stalls. After the fastest set-up in 20 years of trading it was suddenly 10 o clock and time to start selling. I can only say it was a bit like a football crowd coming in, hoards of eager buyers surged into the hall and it really was "standing room only".

Even the chap from the local paper said  he couldn't take pictures of so many people in one space! As usual my camera would only let me take outside piccies, so I am unable to give you a true flavour of the beautiful interior. There was one outside stall which I took photos of, but the strong sunlight made them look out of focus. Below is the best I can offer!

There were several other bloggers at the fair, so worth checking out Elegance maison, The Vintage Bothy, Denise, Shirley, Linda ,  Lizzie and Lucy Bloom for further pictures of a fantastic event!

A big Thank You to Elaine for organising such an amazing day, and we wait with anticipation for the 2001 dates!

September means Shepton Mallet 3 day Antiques Fair and the chance of free tickets

Just a short post today bloggers as lots going on at Washerwoman HQ! I will be at the IACF 3 day Antiques Fair at the Bath and West showground next weekend (the  17th ,18th and 19th September). The purpose of this  post is to ask if anyone would like complimentary/reduced entry tickets for the fair on the Saturday or Sunday. If you would like a chance for tickets, please leave a comment and names will be drawn out of a hat on Tuesday 14th September.

Just a small update as I have just returned from a few days away. It was our last chance to get over to France before the weather changes and ferry crossings become just too hideous for words.

 I was lucky enough to find vintage dresses, shoes, hats and bags..... as well as a few Boudoir dolls....

 Textiles, painted hatstands, little cupboards etc. Some of these items are going to the Dairy House tomorrow, and the rest will be coming to Shepton Mallet Antiques fair at the weekend. The draw for Shepton tickets will take place later, so there is still time to leave a comment!

The Day I Nearly met Kirsty!

This weekend I have been selling at the Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair. It has been a tough one as the rain was  a major obstacle on Friday (setting up day). However after a few hours, the tent was looking cosy with yellow floral curtains lining the sides of the tent, piles of pretty textiles stacked on shelves, china and glass grouped in colourful arrangements....

It was obviously eye-catching as the people who were organising the filming of a new TV programme approached us and asked if they could film on our stand. As trade was very quiet, we agreed and waited for the arrival of Kirsty Allsopp and the crew.... I know some people do not approve of the way TV programmes abuse the Antiques Trade, but in this case Kirsty's enthusiasm for Vintage Textiles can only be a positive thing for those of us involved in this field of the business.

The long afternoon ticked by, and the rain fell harder and harder. It got to the end of the afternoon and almost time for the fair to close. I braved the elements and went in search of the film crew......

They were running behind schedule, and wouldn't get to us for quite a while, so I made my apologies and told them that we had to get home and so wouldn't be available after all.

However, I did give the lovely helpful girl with the clipboard all my details and flyers for the MANY textile fairs that are taking place over the next few weeks, so who knows, I might get my "15 minutes of fame" one day!

Hope you all had a good weekend! xx

The Shape of things to come in the world of textiles....

I have always had an affinity with textiles, interiors, and antiques. It started when I was a teenager and I helped my  mum on her stall in the Satruday Antiques market in Walcot Street in Bath. Having done a course in Interior Design in London in the 1980's, we then moved back to Bath where I had a number of jobs in various shops. Above is Atrium Interiors. You can see that the style has changed somewhat, it was the era of frills and bows!

Another shop I worked in was Josophine in Walcot Street, Bath. This was the first time I had come across the "shabby chic" style, and as you can see from the pictures, this look has not really changed much since 1990 when I took these photos. A bit scary to think that 20 years have zipped by!

The third shop where I worked was very different again, beautiful textiles and wallpapers from Zoffany, Cole and Son and Colefax and Fowler were the order of the day in this establishment.

Then my life changed and soon I was trading at Bath Market every Saturday. Mr W and I shared a stall (and the childcare) I cannot find any photos of those early happy (but often freezing cold) days in the Old Tramshed, but we were there from 1991 to when it closed in 2000.

These two photos are from the later years when I shared with Jill and sometimes Bronia.
As you can see there are a lot of textiles creeping into my stock!

In 1999 we took the big step to have a stand at Shepton Mallet Antiques fair at the Bath and West showground. Below is a piccie of our very first stall, it looks a bit bonkers as we were sharing the space, and the stock is a right old strange selection. If Sue peers closely at this picture, she might recognise something...

Now we have a photo of my very first totally textile and vintage clothing stall. This was taken at an event run by Sheila Hyson at Newton Abbot race course of all places. This was in the summer of 2000. With the end of Bath market I was casting around for other events. At Newton Abbot I met the jolly crowd of textile ladies, who have since become friends. I will never forget how friendly and fun they all were that day, Linda, I think you were there?

Then came a regular event in my home and garden... here is a view of one of the many "shed sales" - I think this one was in June 2001.

I love this photo of my very first "Shopping Arcade" at Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair, so began my love/hate relationship with these draughty tents. I think Niki would have been a regular customer around this time?

Below is an Ardingly Shopping Arcade in 2004. I was a tough cookie to do this fair as its a long way from home, and I did it alone. The weather could be fairly inclement and I have experienced thick snow and lashing  rain there on many an occasion. However , when the sun shines it is one of the best fairs in the country.

A fortuitous purchase of some fabulous 40's dresses in Spring 2005 heralded the start of doing the London Vintage fairs. More tough times, lots of driving and not always great takings. However the plus side was that I was able to stay with one of my school friends on a regular basis, thank you Aline for putting up with me on so many evenings prior to London fairs.

Luckily in 2005 I met Edwin who was planning to start some vintage fairs in the West Country. Hooray for Blind Lemon Vintage and no more 4 am drives up to London! Here is the flyer from the very first event that took place in Bristol on 26th February 2006.

 The next few years have been busy times with regular textile events in Honiton, Ilminster, Poundbury and; Stroud. Vintage fashion fairs have sprung up in Cardiff, Cheltenham, Stroud and Bath.... and then in 2008 a new type of fair was launched.by  Michele and Jayne called the Vintage and Handmade fair. A fabulous idea that pulled together a lot of ideas incorporating handmade items, textiles, jewellery, Antique toys and so much more. Their fairs have gone from strength to strength, and this summer they are planning another exciting event, so do watch this space!

The Summer of 2009 was when I took over a space at the Dairy House and soon afterwards I was assisting Sue in her idea of holding a textile event. As regular bloggers will know the special day at the Dairy House takes place on Sunday April 11th 2010.

Now, if that wasn't enough to keep me out of trouble, I have recently been persuaded to run an event this coming year in the pretty Somerset town of Frome. Clare and I have put our heads together and come up with the idea of an event which combines vintage fashion and decorative items for the home.... the date for your diaries is Saturday October 30th at the Cheese and Grain in Frome. Further details to follow soon....and there is a new blog to keep everyone informed http://thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com/

A Date for your Diary in 2010

I am happy to post news of a great new event for the Textile lovers diary. After several months of chat and planning, Sue and I have come up with a date for the

Vintage Textiles and Costume Day @ Dairy House

Sunday 11 April 2010 from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm

Of course it isn't all about textiles & vintage costume. The Dairy House has a fantastic assortment of beautiful antiques, pictures, glassware, ceramics and much more....... There really is something for everybody, so we do hope that you will be able to come along and make a day of it.

December already!!!

A slightly overdue 1960's school room sign for this month. There is actually only one fair on our Vintage calendar & that is the Shepton Flea market on the 13th of December. I have decided to list the fairs on the side bar of the blog from January onwards so that they are more visible. If there is a website, you should be able to click on the image and it will take you to there so that you can see the opening hours & admission details. Well, lets give it a try anyway!

Bath Fair preview....

Another busy week at Washerwoman HQ!

This coming Sunday is the Ashley Hall Vintage Fair at the Assembly rooms in Bath, http://www.ashleyhallfairs.co.uk/

Here are a selection of a few items I have been washing & preparing to take along. This includes 40's Paisley wraparound dresses, vibrant coloured 50's ball gowns....

This beautiful vintage wedding dress.....

Wearable Horrockses 50's cotton print dresses.... and much much more......

Now, back to the ironing, see you there!

Hoorah for the Vintage and Handmade Fair!

Three cheers for Michele & Jayne! The fair on Saturday was yet another resounding success & all thanks to the blogging gals!

I am afraid I have failed miserably as only took a few photos of my stall & Amanda (aka the shabby Chick).

I was sooooooo busy from the moment the doors opened until close of play at 4 pm (and even then there were still customers in the building).

So, a big thank you for all your hard work in making this event possible.

PS there are some great photos of the event on the website http://www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk/

do take a look!

The Vintage & Handmade fair preview.....

OK, spot the silly mistake...... Handmade & Vintage instead of Vintage & Handmade....

Anyway we all know that its only 5 days to go.... so thought I would try a "dress rehearsal" on the kitchen table this morning.

To give you a taster of what I am taking along to the fair on Saturday in Chipping Sodbury...

There will be vintage fabrics, puzzles, dolls, dolls house items, Vintage Xmas decorations, fabric covered boxes, jewellery, corsage, vintage pinnies, vintage children's hankies, colourful china & a lot, lot more.......

The "dress rehearsal" was rather overwhelming and it would appear that once again I have squirrelled away far too much stuff for the fair, but hopefully I should be able to cram it all onto the table with the help of the trusty shelves!

Festive fairies....
Snowmen, gnomes.. more fairies.... the list is endless! See you there! http://www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk/

Chagford...Honiton...Newark.. it must be Thursday!

This has to be one of the busiest runs of fairs that we have attempted in a long time!

After the bustle of the fairs in Chagford and then Honiton, it was time to pack the van and head off up North.....

The very uninspiring interior of our Shopping Arcade (silly name for a tent don't you think?)

But it soon gets licked into shape with Rosy curtains to cover the sides, and a selection of vintage bits & bobs.....

As you can see the invitations for The Avington Brocante take pride of place...it is this coming Tuesday, the 20th of October if anyone lives in the Winchester (ish) area. Open from 9.30 to 4.

We had a very busy first day, and then day two was slightly quieter.... which meant I had time to catch up with an old friend who lives locally (but not for long, eh Jo!)

You can see that we had to wrap up warm as it was rather chilly! I met some lovely customers, especially a very enthusiastic pair of ladies who bought from me on the Thursday afternoon. (Hi girls, if you are reading this!!) See you in the Spring as I am not brave enough to do this in December, sorry!