Make Do & Mend

A rainy afternoon Hello to you dear friends & readers

When I was a young girl growing up my Mum always "made do & mended"

Oh how I hated it ...

I wanted to be wasteful like the other kids in our street ... being wasteful meant affluence to me as a young girl

A poster on my wall from the Frankie magazine,  given to me by my friend Sally

How little I knew back then   ....  fast forward several years & what do I do today ??

I make do and mend   ...  (still!!!)

It is a lifestyle choice for me - I get far more excited at an Op Shop bargain than the most expensive labelled dress

This week I am linking up with my friend Sophie at Hettie Brown

Sophie practises her "Treading Gently, being thrifty, Living Simply" way of life & her blog is such a lovely place to visit with a cuppa  :-)

I have helped a friend shift house this past week & came home with a few black rubbish bags from which have been removed many "treasures" - easy come, easy go to some folk I guess

This black dolly with a wooden body was destined for the tip
I have given her a wash, some clothes & named her Ebony

While helping with the move I got myself the nickname "Mrs Steptoe" ... I just smiled ... I have been called worse !!!!

I have had 2 orders for my vintage linen table runners so decided to make 3 to have one for the cottage again
I very much enjoy re-using the old linens & doileys & always think about the women who made them & what they would've been thinking as they spent all those hours stitching away on them 

The Mr has learnt by now, when he comes home in the evening, invariably he will have to tiptoe his way to the lounge - he is used to me by now & doesn't complain ...  (much!!!)

I love the patching & piecing of making these runners - adding bits of lace here & there - they are not perfect as they have that slightly time-worn vintage appeal with their little faults & blemishes

This particular doiley (below),I almost could not bear to part with ... I just adored the flowery sails on the ship

Seeing the 3 together made me think, what a beautiful bed quilt they would make ... so I lay them out on my bed to get the general effect ...

Hmmm ... maybe that will be a project for another day  . . . ???!!!

I also completed an order for an Isabella Golly - imagine coming out in the morning all bleary eyed to be greeted by this sight on your breakfast table . . . 

Good morning . . .  whats for breakfast ?

How could you not feel cheerful looking at those little faces holding their teds :-)

So 2 more orders left on the list, & as one is not needed til christmas  I am hoping to get back to making some new stock for the cottage

These wooden pegs had been sitting in this container for many months - since I had made one for my friend Claire way back here  - they were waiting to be made into peg garlands for the Cottage

I decided to leave one lot stained & not paint them, to make more of a prim/country-style garland

Do you have a favourite??
I just love old wooden pegs - I love the differing shapes of them all . . .  speaking of which . . .  this just might have appeared in the post last week . . .  it just might have been a trademe purchase !!!

Quite a few peg garlands there I think !!!!

I cant actually print what the Mr's comment was !!!!

Hope you have found some time to "tread gently, be thrifty or live simply" this past week folks
thanks so much for your time & for stopping by
much love/hugs/friendship
Julie x0x0x