A Finish,a Find, a Gift of Stash, and Antique Porcelain

After Much umming and ah-ing, and lovely helpful Marl, a stitching friend from one of my groups trying to help me decide what to actually turn my "Lovely You" peacocks into. I have now made a full size cushion.... sorry Marl, but Hubby liked it so much he decided he wanted it, so it wasn't to be a flat fold.

I had some natural fibre upholstery material which has a lovely stringy type thread running through it, so I used that to mount the cross stitched piece upon it. I used a red thread to attach it to the cushion cover, and added some 3/4" red buttons which I had in my button stash, to it. I am quite pleased with the overall effect. I was going to sell it, but when DH got home from work he said " I like that, I would like that as my cushion". Trouble is now, I have to make more. I shall use the same materials that I used for this cushion as the colours blend with my lounge walls and sofa, but I will be doing other designs on the centrepiece.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A FIND..... Cross stitch book....Teddy....Sandwich Plate......Porcelain

At the weekend we decided that we needed to clear out some clutter, so we decided to go to a Boot Sale to actually sell some stuff that we didn't need anymore...... However, I came away with some little gems..... couldn't resist.

Whilst we were at the boot sale someone who decided that they had enough of selling and didn't want to take their wares home was giving away all their things.... totally mad if you ask me in this present financial debacle in the UK.

The guy even gave his wind surfing board away. They must cost pounds.

Of course I couldn't resist, and just had to say yes to the most softest of tiny teddy bears, it was one of those raggedy ones that you see that have their eyes hidden amongst their fur.He seemed brand new!..... I have a habit of rescuing teddies you see. Also they gave me a really nice Majolica sandwich plate which fits nicely in my kitchen.....I collect Majolica too.....

The pic below is of the finds that I had..... a nice cross stitch book " Your Home in Cross Stitch",by Barbara Thompson & Ann Green....publisher David & Charles.There are absolutely loads of different charts in the book depicting all rooms of houses, and their furniture etc. Most are to be stitched separately, but I have had an Idea that I may buy a huge piece of Linen and make like a outline of a dolls house, and fit all the charted rooms into the house, and make it into a huge sampler.

My other find of the most beautiful porcelain Teapot I have shown down further along with some more of my pieces of porcelain that I have collected over the years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Gift of Stash

On Saturday I was browsing what was on Offer on Yahoo Freecycle Group to see what people were offering, and whether anyone wanted anything I could give....... when I came across something for my son. I emailed the lady who didn't live far away, and she said to go and collect this item that evening. When we got there we were having a chat .... as you do, and we got talking about cross stitching. She said that she couldn't be doing with it as it was too complicated, and that she really didn't have time for it with 5 boys in her family. With that she went and got a Beatrix Potter Birth Sampler which she said she had started but given up on...... and didn't want to stitch again. Although I don't need a birth sampler I thought I may just do the different characters as a sampler without the Birth bit in the middle, or perhaps chose an excerpt out of one of the Beatrix Potter books and stitch it in the centre.

So more stash.......

What a lovely lady she was, and if she has time to read blogs......a big thank you again to Shelley!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

We were forecast terrible thunderstorms and hail yesterday, so I went and cut my best roses thinking that they would get spoiled with the hail, and that we might as well enjoy them in our lounge. So here is a pic of my old fashioned cabbage head roses which have started to ramble amongst the other plants against the fence in our back garden.

Below is the Faberge' Imperial Egg Teapot...made by the Franklin Mint, which I could not resist even though it is not an antique, but beautiful just the same.

This is the other find that I had at the weekend.

From top to bottom it stands about 9" tall.

I think that this is the most exquisite teapot I have ever seen, and not a mark, or a crack on it.

This is one of my oldest cup and saucers that I have. I am not really sure as to which manufacturer made this, as the gold back stamp is feint, and blurred, but I believe it to be made by Mintons in the 19th Century, and one of their oldest cups and saucers.

If anyone would know any information to the contrary I would dearly like to know.

This Is my favourite Mug, which was an export piece of Embellished Dresden. It was made as a souvenir mug, back in the 19th Century when the English ladies and gentlemen started to travel for the season, on the continent.