Good Morning spot

This is a wonderful start to any working day. Breakfast in the sun outside my studio, my own blueberries too.

This is where I am sewing this morning the sun goes round quite early in the day to another part of the garden , we have sun all day, later when it is hot this is a lovely shady spot I have a phone and my radio in my shed so as long as someone brings me a coffee this is where you will find me

Loft rummagings

On my foray to the loft yesterday, (well it was wet was'nt it so something different) I went through my box of pictures and found this little gem

I bought her about 10 years ago along with some Flora McDonald memorabilia and stage costume. It is a mixture of painting and collage and there is a tiny title underneath saying " Mrs Egerton as Helen Macgregor so not Flora.

It was pre Google for me so I did not pursue it but it did hang on the wall in Muckleford very happily.

Having Googled I find this Mrs Egerton was an actress from Torrington Devon and played on stage at Bath and in 1811 Covent Garden.

She was not particularly talented according to The Gentleman's magazine but useful in many parts and excelled in a few parts , these being Scotts Wild women ! from his novels Madge Wildfire, Meg Merrilies and Helen Macgregor.

So I should think early 19th cent nice veneered frame .

Any ideas where I might go with this next ?

The heart of the matter

I seem to have at least two Christmas events on my events list so am taking the chance to actually get ahead. Did I really say that !

I know September is full and October is filling up so as August is quieter am trying a few things

No one will be surprised there is a lot of red and white

A basket tale

This lovely old French basket had a particular purpose as borne out by the lable.

It was used for produce to be taken by carrier from the countryside to the center of Paris. How romantic is thst you can see the horse and cart on its journey with these easily stacked shaped baskets.

A soap story

John Knight opened his soap factory in Wapping London in 1852, if you look at the other trade in that area you can see how they were all connected.

John moves to Silvertown in 1880 and it became The Royal Primrose soap factory. A lot of the soap was for industrial use and this lot is washing soap , think washboards. One does not want to analyze the content too much ,but enough to say it is a far cry from his well know Knights Castile which had ingredients such as olive oil from Spain.

Yes a lot of soap ! another of my must have items for who knows what !

Simple things...

I love all the simple things from everyday life, they all tell such a story about their moment in time , some have lasted to the present day. I think I have never really recovered from my Kitchenalia days, my studio is littered with things that spoke to me . it's just as well Lizzie and me have booked an outside spot at the September Shepton Mallet as we will be able to do Brocante as well as Textiles

Handmade buttons for your bed linen
Old reels, I have been given some ideas from my fellow bloggers in American and Sweden for a use for these. I have used them as candlesticks in the past
These huge polishing cloths were obviously for the Butler to clean the Silver
Twines fascinate me , all the different uses , its about texture again I think and anything linen or hemp. These are some of the goodies I bought from Caroline Bushell, her stall and her Antique centre the Fountain in Honiton is a must visit for everyone

Honiton Rag Market

It was wet and miserable outside but inside there was the usual " party atmosphere " that seems to be generated by this group of dealers! We all so enjoy each other and there is always a buzz as the goodies start to come out , I just love it .

Thank you Sheila and in your absence Matthew and Fiona did a fantastic job as you knew they would.

There seemed to be quite a few from the Embroiderers guild so that was good , we will see them again I am sure.

Honiton is somewhere you can always buy well , at least in my experience.

Be there on Aug 11th for the Textile Fair ,it will be worth the visit