With a little help from....

I have just had a little trip away from home, and on my travels I met some lovely people. My first stop was here, The Viables Craft Centre where I found this wonderful barn and a lady called Gillian who transforms old furniture in these gorgeous surroundings....

Her business is called Les Jolies Choses. As well as selling furniture, there are many other treasures for sale in the barn...

Gillian will be joining the stallholders at The Vintage Bazaar in Hartley Wintney on Saturday April 27th. I have a real soft spot for this stunning location. An Arts and Crafts Hall built in the 1890s which is well maintained and used for all different types of events.

 My next stop was this shop in Fleet. I grew up in this town and remember this as the bakery. It was good to see the "Hovis" sign remains. Serendipity  is a super shop and has the added bonus of a tearoom! What more can a vintage gal ask for?

After a stroll around Fleet, it was onwards to Farnham for some serious Charity Shopping in the town. We also popped into Farnham Maltings where I shall be selling my vintage wares at the Farnham Vintage Fair on Sunday 2nd June.

We chanced upon this gorgeous little haven of textiles and creativity called Nature' Threads in Crookham Village. I got chatting to the lovely Sue who has very kindly offered to spread the word about The Hartley Wintney Vintage Bazaar to like-minded souls! Her shop is somewhere you might want to visit on the same day as the Vintage Bazaar if you are in the area as the Vintage Bazaar finishes at 3 pm, and Sue is open until 5 on Saturdays.
While on the subject of making and creativity, here is another super business called Asomo Crafts based in Hartley Wintney. Definitely a craft shop with a difference! On offer are a range of classes for all ages from children's workshops, after school clubs to adult classes in knitting, felting and much more. Check out the website for more information.

You can also buy on-line. They stock these metal buttons that you can cover with vintage fabric. I have been asked where you get these sooooo many times and now I have the answer! Thank you lovely ladies for your kind and friendly welcome to the area, see you soon! Lizzie

Time for Textiles

We have scarcely drawn breath since The Vintage Bazaar in Devizes last Saturday and it is time to load up the Blue van for another Vintage Bazaar event!

 This time we are off to the village of North Cadbury for The Textile and Rag Market in the Village hall.

 This lovely 1930s hall will be full to bursting with textiles, trimmings, linens, lace and much more!

 Check out The Vintage Bazaar blog or facebook page for full details....

Update; The next Textile Market in North Cadbury will be on Saturday 23rd November 2013.Doors open at 9 am and the fair will finish at 2 pm. If you are in the village, do check out this lovely local shop. The exterior reminds me of a Lines Brothers dolls house.

The Vintage Bazaar in Devizes

 Big apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. The auction in Bristol has been an all consuming project.

 So, as the last lots from the sale are bagged-up and taken away with their new owners it is time to turn my attention to the other big project, The Vintage Bazaar in Devizes!

 This coming Saturday is an important day for Clare and I as we launch our new event at The Corn Exchange, The Market Place, Devizes,  SN10 1HS

  Doors open at 9.30 and the event will close at 3.30. Admission is £1 for adults (children free)

 We have gathered together our favourite stall holders and invited some new faces along too.

 Full details can be found on the dedicated blog, TheVintageBazaar.blogspot.com or on Facebook here.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Pale..and very interesting.....

As promised here are some more of the fabulous garments that will be up for auction on February 26th at The Collectors Sale at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury's Bristol saleroom. Above is a collection of dresses, lace and accessories taken from several different lots. Photographed by Evie of  Karezona Photography.

 All of these pretty dresses would be perfect for a Spring Wedding or Summer Ball.

 They can be viewed on-line here.

 Free on-line bidding is available, click here for details.

Above is the detail of a stunning Edwardian style dress. This was worn by the actress Susan Hampshire.

Beautiful accessories include straw hats, beaded evening bags, ostrich feathers and much more.....

These are some of my favourites...

Thank you to Vintage Explorer magazine for a fantastic write-up in this months copy of the Vintage Explorer. Do click to their page to find out how you can obtain a couple of this excellent publication. Viewing for the sale is on Saturday 23rd. 9.30 to 1 pm. Monday 25th. 9.30 to 6 pm and on the morning of the sale. If you need condition reports please email me at lhasselt@dnfa.com. For any other enquiries, the office number is 0117 973 7201.

A rather special auction

 Following on from the Collectors Sale at Dreweatts and Bloomsbury last November the phone was soon ringing. Eager clients with costume, accessories, lace, fans and feathers wishing to discuss the possibility of parting with their collections.

 Many of the items consigned to the next sale have been worn, loved and then stored away by generations.

 As well as fashionable costume, there are also trimmings, textiles and cases of old sewing patterns.....

 These bolts of fine chiffon came from the well known tailors and purveyors of quality bespoke traditional country clothing, Huntsman of Savile Row. Alongside these textiles there will be jackets and suits made from Harris tweed in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as funky tweed coats. One of the best things about this collection is that the sizing is approximately a UK 14, a rarity in the world of Vintage!

Gentlemen will not be left out as there are vintage suits, jackets, ties, cravats and coats included in the sale.

 The on-line catalogue can be seen here. The sale is on Tuesday 26th February. Viewing is on Saturday 23rd February from 9.30 to 1 pm. Monday the 25th February from 9.30 to 6 pm and on the morning of the sale. Online bidding is available, please contact the Bristol office to register.

Please vote for us!

 Just before Christmas, Clare and I had an exciting opportunity to assist and stage a photo-shoot for the front cover of the magazine Pretty Nostalgic.

 We all met up in Frome at The Cheese and Grain with our Vintage props, fabric, dresses, flowers and cup-cakes to put together a truly vintage image......It is the venue where we run our Vintage Bazaar, so an ideal choice!

 Local friends and business's assisted with lending items and soon the photo-shoot was taking place. It required patient and precise work to get it looking just right.

 My lovely old wind-up gramophone took centre-stage, to create a nostalgic and forgotten attic feel to everything.

 These sumptuous cushions are from The Weekend Bohemian.

 The end result is on the front cover of The January copy of Pretty Nostalgic, and inside the magazine is the chance to vote for your favourite Vintage Market. of course, it is up to you, but if you have visited The Vintage Bazaar in Frome, Clare and I would love you to vote for us.... pretty please!

The Spring Vintage Season awaits...

Happy New Year to you. It has been a lovely few relatively quiet weeks at "Washerwoman HQ". Since Christmas I have been sorting out my workroom and stock in readiness for the Spring Vintage Season.

 I discovered things that I had bought a while ago... in an old box were these gorgeous catalogues which are great for reference. I have kept a few, but will be taking the rest with me to the Vintage and Antique Fairs in the next few weeks.

 My favourite page is this one showing the different designs of the pinnies. Each design has a name, you can choose "Ida, Grace, Iris, Pearl or Minnie" to brighten up your housework day!

 More formal attire here.....

 I also discovered this charming photography envelope. Such a simple thing, but so evocative of the time.

 Of course I had squirreled away a stash of old photographs. They are my weakness and I usually buy them at Flea markets both in the UK and France. The time has come to thin out my collection, so have scanned some of them so that I can part with them at sales. I will have a few with me at Ardingly Antiques Fair this week.

 The same can be said for my collection of knitting patterns. These usually sell well at The Honiton Textile fair , the next one is on Tuesday February 5th in the Mackarness Hall in the centre of the town.

See you somewhere soon! Lizzie x