06 March 2009

Feathered Friend and Another Week Flown By - More photos added 8.3.09

I realise I have inadvertently been rather quiet on the blogging front. This last 3 or 4 weeks has flown by in a frenzy. Days off have been gobbled up with things to be done and no time to do them in, and here we are at the end of yet another week.

The list of things to be done today was endless, so I decided a little displacement activity was called for. I needed to reach some boxes at the back of my shed, which I'm desperately trying to call my studio, and whilst I haven't yet reached them I have cleared some of the route. For several months there has been a pile of exhausted eiderdowns waiting to be parted from their feather innards and today was the day. If I wanted to reach the boxes I needed to shift the eiderdowns, so a quick change of plan, and instead of ticking things off the 'to do' list let's disgorge the feathers today. Why not! Today is as good as any other day and I felt in the right frame of mind to tackle the task.

So, with appropriate (ie NOT black) clothing I opened up the end of an old duvet cover, ripped open the end of each eiderdown in turn, and poured, shook and flapped the first eiderdown contents into the duvet cover. Fine. Not too many feathers escaped. I repeated the actions with numbers 2 and 3 and although there were a fair few feathers fluttering on the lawn - rather like the results of a cat/bird battle - things were going well. Until we got to number 4. Just as I began to shake the eiderdown contents into the duvet cover I heard Mum open the gate into her back garden, looked up to say hello and ... feathers everywhere! I hadn't put the end of the eiderdown far enough into the cover and half the contents ended up on the lawn. Why I tried to gather them up I have no idea, but I ended up looking as if I'd been tarred and feathered. By the time I'd finished I decided the boxes could stay at the back of the shed until my next day off!!!

Meanwhile, in the house, Pauley was sorting boxes of DMC cones as I've had several orders for them over the last week or so. The next task was to tie up a few more fabric bundles. The Country Living mention had meant almost all the previous batch had been sold and stocks had dwindled to unacceptable levels. Here are the makings of new bundles.



Earlier in the day some of last week's auction buys were laundered and hung out on the line. They've now been ironed and are ready to go to Dairy House tomorrow.

This week has been another buying week (what a surprise!), with some gorgeous painted muslin and satin doilies purchased at auction. Aren't these Kate Greenaway children fabulous! Do click on the photos to see the exquisite painting.




There are 10 with paintings of fruits and flowers which are a little worn. I won't try to overload Blogger and show you those now, but I may add them to a slide slow later - photos now added (8 March). I'd forgotten about the 3 Louis Wain style cat paintings, so I've added those as well.





These two doilies were are beautifully painted, too.



Finally I went to the Bath Decorative Fair last evening after a day at Dairy House. The new WEADA (West of England Antique Dealers Association) booklet was being distributed at the trade evening, so I went along to collect our boxful and chat to the dealers who were exhibiting. The Bath Decorative Fair is a prestigious annual event and this year it was opened by Paul Martin, of Flog It fame. Normally prices are too high for me to contemplate buying anything, but last evening I made 3 interesting purchases which didn't break the bank, and I also made a charming new contact. There were plenty of other fabulous items, but most of them had four-figure price tickets. Here are the photos I was unable to upload when I wrote this post on Friday. The cupboard has a gorgeous roses 'sticky-back plastic' on the shelves. I love it and would like to keep it but sadly Pauley doesn't go a bundle on shabby chic!!! Also I do have to remember that I bought it as stock to sell!! I love the footstool too, and I've been looking for a hat block for ages and couldn't believe my luck to find one in a basket of treen all priced sensibly!




Hopefully I'm now back in blogging mode and I'll show you some more photos soon.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue, those "doilies" are seriously lovely. I look forward to seeing your pics of the new purchases too, when blogger lets you. I would have enjoyed seeing you covered in feathers! what must the neighbors have thought about that?

Leti said...

Those painting are just gorgeous! I would love to see the rest of it.

Sal said...

Your painted doilies are gorgeous...I would love to know who did such beautiful work.
Have a good weekend ;-)

Ali @ Betty and Violet said...

Hello - your post did make me laugh. I tried the emptying of an old eiderdown last year and for weeks I was still finding clumps of feathers in the garden, I don't think I would be brave enough to try it again ~ what an exhausting job!

I actually met you a while ago at Shepton Mallet (not that I expect you to remember!) and bought the most wonderful cream linen sheets from you, which I have used up ~ they were such fantastic quality. I'm new to blogging, but glad that I've found you again! Hopefully I will get to Shepton Mallet again this year!

Love all your new stock!

Shabby Chick said...

I love the Kate Greenaway pics, how lovely! The story about the feathers did make me giggle I'm afraid, I hope none of the neighbours saw!!!

Mel xxx

Phillippa said...

Wow you are a busy bee! I love the doillies so pretty- I am new to your blog so I'll peak back and find out all about country living(you lucky thing!) and Dairy house-see you soon

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Sue,
So you empty your eiderdown feathers into a duvet cover? Then where do you empty the feathers from there once you've finished? Or are you making new duvets as a side line??! ;-))

The hand painted doilies are so pretty - what a fabulous buy... a craft that you just don't see now-a-days. I'm sure the Kate Greenaway ones will create huge interest.

Hope you've had a good day at DH today - now its time to put your feet up now, on a nice footstool perhaps? ;-))

Niki x

The fabric of my life said...

You are so brave defeathering eiderdowns. I have often thought about it as the fabric is so lovely and needs to be recycled but I have never done it. If I do I will heed the 'shaking into a duvet' advice :-)

Looking forward to seeing your purchases but more importantly looking forward to seeing you and Pauly on Monday x

Redwoodhouse said...

Lovely things, what great buys, the foot stool is my favorite. The feather story is funny, a good idea to empty them into a duvet cover though. I did one in the house (can you imagine anyone being that stupid) I still find little feathers to this day!!!
Jan

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had 'fun' with the feathers...I have a wonderful picture in my mind.
Beautiful doilies...love the paintings.
Margaret and Noreen

OhSoVintage said...

Those Kate Greenaway doilies are charming - what a find! So where's the photo of you covered in feathers then, Sue?

Shammickite said...

Where's the picture of you covered with feathers????
Oh well, I hope the nesting birdies will take advantage of the spillover!

Suzy's Vintage Attic said...

Those Kate Greenaway doilies are really beautiful. You have made some exquisit finds! I like the cupboard too. You sound as if you've had a busy time of late going to fairs and auctions! It's obviously paid off.
Isabelle x

Ali @ Betty and Violet said...

It was the 3 day fair that I got the sheets from ~ I haven't been to the flea ~ maybe I should try and get to this sometime soon!

I would love to visit The Dairy, I just need to plan time when I have someone to look after my 3 year old who, whilst I love her dearly is not quite ready for rummaging in antique shops (won't be long though as I'm training her!)

Kel said...

doilies are amazing

Lois said...

Beautiful things as always! I did chuckle when I read about the feather episode, I had a similar problem the other morning when I stumbled into the dining room to find my cat had re-carpeted the whole floor with blackbird feathers. Not the most pleasant way to start the day...

Hen said...

Hi Sue,
Thanks for letting me know about the Bridport Rag Market (sorry to be thick but what is one of those exactly??) Sadly, we are away then (though not too horrendous as will be in the sunny Caribbean!) but will hopefully make the next one if it's going to be a regular event.
I had to laugh at your story about the feathers. My cats would have had a field day.
Hen x

Rose&Bird said...

Some nice items there, Sue!

I've re-jigged mt blog, so hopefully you can now read it!

The fabric of my life said...

Happy Birthday gorgeous lady. Hope you have had fun in the sun :-)