All images (c) Kristen Bailey 2013
Today I stopped off at the hospice shop's cafe for a brew. Sat by myself, I was gazing round the room when I suddenly noticed my own reflection in my steel teapot! I don't usually like taking my own picture but here I am almost unrecognisable... and I love that my teacup is in the shot. I *am* a pretty dedicated tea drinker :)
* SONG OF THE DAY: Elbow - Mirrorball *
A lovely charity shop find - this time in the Relate shop in Broadfield, Crawley - the December 1963 edition of Patons 'Stitchcraft' magazine for 10p! I going to buy it anyway so the pattern for a felt applique of Royal Pavilion in Brighton (my 'home' town) was a bonus!
I love seen the Pav rendered in stitches - most recently a knitted version by Peter from Temptation cafe in the North Laine. Well done sir!
* SONG OF THE DAY: The Lemonheads - Big Gay Heart *
This post is part of Magpie Monday - your chance to share your second-hand treasures.
'Magpie Monday' is a fantastic way of showing off your secondhand finds to like-minded magpies! It's been started up by Miss Lizzie of Me And My Shadow:
"The idea is simple. If you have purchased something 2nd-hand, whether it be from a charity shop; car boot sale; eBay or whatever, then I'd love you to write a short post on your blog and link up."
So for my first MM post I'd thought I'd show you three gorgeous timepieces I've bought in charity shops. As you can see my taste includes tasteful Mid Century Modern and so-bad-it's-good kitsch!
The heart-shaped wall clock (with gold plastic peacock and fabric flowers!) was £2, as was the beige mantel clock, and I blew a whole £3 on the beautiful turquoise travel clock.
* SONG OF THE DAY: Irma Thomas - Time Is On My Side *
All images (c) Kristen Bailey 2011
Love this ad for Patons Husky knitting yarn, found in a 1976 copy of Woman's Weekly ;)
I found this advertising card being used as a bookmark in a charity shop paperback years ago. It extols the virtues of 'Cowley, Fancy Bread and Biscuit Maker', at 9, Pool Valley in Brighton town centre, off the seafront near the Palace Pier. The Cowley family traded there for 150 years - not sure which of those years this card comes from! They must have closed in the mid 1940s. I love that their telegram address is 'Biscuits, Brighton'.
These days, if you find yourself in Pool Valley with a yearning for something sweet, treat yourself to tea and cake at The Mock Turtle.
* SONG OF THE DAY: Stephen 'Tintin' Duffy - The Icing On The Cake *
5 Jan 2011 - edited to add:
I've been contacted by Peter Cowley, whose family used to run the Bunn Shoppe:
"Nos. 8/9, Pool Valley housed the bakery run by my great, great grandfather, Francis Cowley, who I believe took over the business that had been started by the Streeter family, possibly Sarah Streeter. After Francis died the business was run by his daughter, Caroline, who actually obtained a Royal Warrant. If you are interested you can read more and see more photographs on my family history web site at www.cowleyfamily.org.uk/bunn_shoppe.html."
Thanks Peter!
All images in this post are from 'Seeing London' by Dale Maxey (c) Collins, 1966
I spent a few days in Kent last week seeing my old schoolfriend Sharry. The trip was mainly to do with my forthcoming bridesmaidly duties, but Sharry was lovely enough to give me my fix of charity shops, in Maidstone. The very last one we went in - and nearly didn't because at first - it seemed to be a furniture-only shop - turned up this gem of a book, Seeing London, written and illustrated by Dale Maxey, printed in 1966.
I always look at the kids' books in charity shops to see if there are any by my favourite illustrators (Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge books) or that just catch my eye. This was only 50p, AND has a sort-of bus on the front cover, so I just grabbed it without much flicking through it! But when we got home, and I starting looking at it properly, I got more and more excited...
It's a children's guide to London, with wonderful illustrations, hand-drawn maps and lovely writing, describing six different excursions you could take from Trafalgar Square on a big red doubledecker bus, to museums, galleries and landmarks where you don't need to be with an adult to get in (you can tell it's 40 years old!). Maxey says that London's buses remind him of elephants, "lumbering along through the mist that often seems to shroud the city", and this theme runs through the illustrations.
The covers and endpapers are in full colour but most of the illustrations are in just black and white, sometimes with red accents. There are two full colour maps of London (click on them for larger versions)...
... and several monochrome ones, labelled with the various places visited in each excursion:
The pictures are bursting with life and good humour. Just look at this one, enticing you to take a dip in the Serpentine Lido. I love the girl holding her nose as she goes under the water - especially the way her hair and the skirt on her swimming costume are flying up!
I couldn't find a biog of Dale Maxey online, but he seems to have concentrated on children's books, including illustrations for an edition of Edward Lear's The Owl & The Pussycat.
You can find Dale Maxey images on Google. I'll carry on scanning in this book and put my images in a Dale Maxey set on Flickr, and set up a Dale Maxey group, see if anyone bites. Ateeeeeeeeeeen'shun!!!
19.03.2014 - edited to add: For more info on the work of Dale and Betty Maxey, read this lovely post on the Fishink blog: http://fishinkblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/dale-maxey-illustrator-from-the-1950s
Found this fabric in the Martlets Hospice shop on Blatchington Road. I really shouldn't have - I have a whole bed drawer stuffed full of fabric waiting to 'come in useful' but this is the first time in ages I've fallen off the fabric wagon! It's a satin weave with motifs of Venice.
What sealed the deal was the shop's label (must have been a remnant), still affixed : 'Anderson & McAuley of Belfast - East Street and Old Steine, Brighton' - I love a bit of local history. If it had entrances on both Old Steine and East Street, there are only a few buildings it could have been in, but I can't find out anything about it, except some photos of the former flagship store in Belfast. I'll have to ask one of the older ladies at church if they remember it.
The 'pounds, shillings and pence' prices date it before 1971 but the Venetian motifs make me think it could be earlier - 1950s? There's nearly three yards of it so I might make myself something to wear - a pencil skirt maybe, or a cheongsam-style top - and still get a bag or two out of it to sell on Etsy/Folksy. Even the reverse looks good so that's something else to play with. Hmmm, thinking head on...
All images (c) Kristen Bailey, 2009
And now, for some Venetian-style refreshment, via YouTube...
Found this is a charity shop and thought it was just a homemade Christmas tree bauble, but I did some Googling to find out what the technique was and it turns out it's a temari.
Temari are tradional Japanese decorations or toys given as New Year gifts, originally made from waste scraps of fabric and thread. You can learn how to make one here and here, and or cheat - buy one on Etsy!
I found this colourful chap in the Shelter shop on Western Road. He reminded me of Humpty from Playschool (and the Humpty Dumpty in Jasper Fforde's fantastic 'nursery crime' whodunnit, The Big Over Easy)! He's in poor shape and I'm afraid I will be respectfully breaking him up for parts - the fabric Suffolk puffs (yoyos) which form his arms and legs.
They're a wonderful mixture of textiles from different eras - plenty of 1970s clothing and bedding fabrics, and a few from the 50s and 60s too. I don't know if I'll use the puffs themselves as many of them are stained or faded, but I'll study the prints closely and use them as inspiration for some future project. I feel like a kid in a sweet shop!
* SONG OF THE DAY: Neil Sedaka - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do *
Got this lovely Arcoroc cocktail mixer glass in the Mind shop on George St. I love the font and the little symbols on it - can't really date it but don't think it's very old. I guess it once had a lid but I'll use it as a water glass. Check out the vintage cocktail accessories on Etsy. Bottoms up!
* SONG OF THE DAY: Spike Jones & His City Slickers - Cocktails For Two *
Finding this Charles and Diana commemorative plate in a charity shop reminded me of the street party we had to celebrate their wedding. The Royal Wedding - everyone was so excited! We all had to wear red, white and blue to the party. I was 6, and absolutely loved the sailor dress Mum bought me. We were all given Charles and Di notebooks and pencils (see below) and special Charles and Di coins.
I've hung the plate on the wall so that when I'm having a 'being single sucks' kind of day I can look at it and remind myself that being married isn't always all it's cracked up to be ;)
* SONG OF THE DAY: Adam and The Ants - Prince Charming *
All images (c) Roy and Kristen Bailey 1981 and 2009
I saw these little porcelain shoes in the window of the Martlets charity shop on Blatchington Road on Tuesday evening after they'd closed. I reckoned they'd be sold before I managed to get back to the shop later in the week, so I took their picture.
But when I went back they were still there! I'd already picked up a little gold sequinned shrug in the PDSA shop on London Road earlier in the day, so here's a pretty pic of them together. Shame those shoes are too small for me :)
* SONG OF THE DAY: Goody Goody Two Shoes - Adam and The Ants *
Found in a box of old postcards in a charity shop. A priceless piece of social history! 1960s, do you think? The CIS tower is one of Manchester city centre's landmarks, and my auntie Diane used to work there.
* SONG OF THE DAY: The Proclaimers - Let's Get Married *
Images (c) Kristen Bailey 2009
I has an appointment in Portslade last week, and afterwards I decided to do the Boundary Road charity shops. And look what I found in the first shop I went in - a beautiful little vintage travel clock, in my favourite shade of turquoise, for £3!
It's so pretty I think I'd have bought it even if it was broken but I wound it up and wandered round the shop for five minutes and when I came back it had kept good time, so it was definitely coming with me.
Usually I use my mobile phone as an alarm clock, but this is much nicer - waking me with a proper old-fashioned 'ting-aling-aling-aling-aling!' It sits next to the old Pifco lamp I bought in a charity shop about ten years ago, on my bedside table, which was also from a charity shop. Love it!
* SONG OF THE DAY: The Lemonheads - It's About Time *
Isn't this a beauty? I wrestled with myself all afternoon over this gorgeous old cabinet with glass shelves and curved doors, which was in the Martlets Hospice shop on Blatchington Road (for £35). Eventually I had to admit that there wasn't any room in my flat for it. I do hope it's gone to an appreciative home!
I only managed to peel myself away from this gorgeous tea set in the YMCA shop by taking photos of it as a kind of visual methadone. It was so beautiful, but I won't use it, I don't have room to display it and it was £17 I can't afford to spend on fripperies... I just couldn't find a decent justification, darn it!
I even managed to resist these lovely shot glasses...
..and these sturdy graphic-patterned cups.
Which at least left me with the £3.50 I needed to buy this pretty embroidered tunic in Scope - just what I needed discovering that all my summer tops are either too small or completely knackered. Phew!
* SONG OF THE DAY: Heaven 17 - Temptation *
All images (c) Kristen Bailey 2009
This charity shop find will be a perfect pressie for my dear friend Uncle Meat, whose sense of humour has always veered towards the urinary!
Images (c) Kristen Bailey 2009
I know - not very seasonal! But I put some Christmas garlands together today, as I was going through a whole crateful of old bead necklaces I've had for years. They're the cheapy kind where the beads are glued to the string. I collected dozens of them from charity shops a few years ago so I could make a bead curtain for my back door, by fastening them end-to-end in long strands.
Having moved house several times since and never having used it again, I decided to get them all out and sort them. I sifted out all the red, green, gold and white ones, fastened them together and put them in my Christmas decs box.
Then I pulled out all the ones in my favourite colours, which I might wear myself (below). There are some which are the same colour as others, but a different shape or length - I'll decide which work for me by trial and error! The rest - still a carrier bag full - will go back to the charity shops... unless I think of some other creative use (or mischief...) for them.
Had a good haul at the Hove charity shops yesterday. First a hot pink V-necked top (George at Asda) from Barnado's, then a vintage sparkly silver and black top from Scope, followed by a pink H&M jumper with black stars on it AND a bottle of bubble bath shaped like a bus from Age Concern!!
The sparkly top is an old friend actually - I've had two identical ones previously! Years ago, when we were at uni, my mate bought one from a charity shop, wore it for a few years, got bored of it and gave it to me.
I wore it a lot, but due to its age the lurex part of the knitting was quite brittle and prone to snapping and unravelling. So eventually, reluctantly, I ditched it when it got beyond repair. A few years later I was thrilled to spot its sister in a charity shop - again, that lasted a few years then had to be retired. And now I've found number three!
I pulled this little paper bag - 'FREE Daisy Maker with the compliments of Woman's Own' - out of a basket of haberdashery stuff in the charity shop, looked inside and thought, "What the heck is this?!" I bought it and came home to get online and do some detective work.
It came as a 'flat pack' - you fold the pegs back so they stand up, then push the disc down so it fits between the outer and inner pegs. And that's a Daisy Maker!
But what do I do with it?! I found these 'instructions for crazy daisy yarm winders', and a 1948 crazy daisy winder pattern book, which might help but I think refer to a slightly different device.
Then I started getting somewhere - I found my daisy maker included in this fantastic list of yarn daisy makers and looms (mine is a '1000 flowers loom'). It's the work of Sarah Bradberry, whose extensive Knitting-and website is just fabulous - a real labour of love. She's also assembled a Daisy Looms and Winders set on Flickr.
Cathy of California's blog is packed with yarn daisy info and colourful photos, and her Etsy shop sells vintage yarn flower looms. There are other vintage looms popping up on Etsy and Ebay from time to time, or there is a loom currently available called the Knit-Wit.
OK, enough natter - I need to go and try this daisymaking lark myself... watch this space.
* SONG OF THE DAY: Daisy, Daisy... *
I love it when I spot something in a charity shop which combines two of my interests, and it happened today! I love vintage sewing accessories (I used to work in a haberdashery), and Elizabeth I - and here is a tin of 'Queen Bess' pins, Wedgewood blue, with a portrait of Gloriana herself.
Images (c) Kristen Bailey 2009
* SONG OF THE DAY: The Searchers - Needles and Pins *
Was so glad to spot this for £1 in a charity shop in town today! I had this mug in bright yellow when I was very little - it was 'my' mug. I was two-and-a-bit when the Queen had her Silver Jubilee so I don't remember it at all - just my mug!
Artwork by Karen Storr (c) www.ciota.ac.uk
Loving this technicolour shed by Karen Storr, entirely covered in cuddly toys (spotted in an's degree show round-up) - I bet that involved a few trawls round the charity shops!
Karen's an MA Fine Art student at Cumbria Institute of the Arts AND a DJ.
Joe Carrick and Jessica Randall, via timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill
Really interesting post on Ruth Gledhill's Times blog about vicar's daughter Jessica Randall, a trainee doctor, and church youth worker Joe Carrick, who decided to make their wedding as green as possible:
"From the outset we’ve tried to keep a global - and God’s - perspective throughout. It hasn’t been any more effort to do and we haven’t had to compromise on quality and luxury either."This included sourcing a conflict-free engagement ring, buying a wedding dress from Oxfam, signing up for an Oxfam Unwrapped Wedding List, growing the flowers for the displays and bouquet, and serving fair trade food and booze at the reception. Good for them!
Oh Sussex, Sussex by the Sea
Good old Sussex by the Sea
You can tell them all that we'll stand or fall
For Sussex by the Sea
I found this lovely linen 'Sussex' teatowel in a charity shop last weekend and I've made in into a bag, because I love Sussex and I especially love the map, with all the place names on it - so many which hold meaning for me.
Am on the lookout for more 'map' teatowels now. I've got loads of satin scarves with maps on but linen teatowels are easier to work with and make sturdier bags. Another fad is upon me!
Also: Flickr: More Little Fish bags
Click on the pics for larger images (c) Kristen Bailey
This bag is for my lovely colleague Anra, who I recently lent a book about Lucienne Day's textile designs. I'd bought this 1950s curtain fabric in a charity shop ages ago. I think the print must have been inspired by Day's designs - look at her Flotilla fabric.
I paired the vintage fabric with some lime green jumbo cord and lined the bag in a polycotton - white with red polka dots. It's got a phone pocket and white plastic hoop handles.
Centre for Advanced Textiles at the Glasgow School of Art: Classic Textiles to order - Lucienne Day
V&A Museum: Designing Britain 1945-1975 - Utility/Austerity Textile Design
Dioramarama: Fabric Friday: Lucienne Day
The Observer, April 15, 2001: Festival of Britain - Lucienne Day
Pillowcase, c.1970s (c) Kristen Bailey 2006
Found this in a charity shop on London Road. I bought it partly because I love the pattern but mainly because it's the bedding my nanna had in her bedroom. She died twenty years ago, and seeing this again brought back loads of memories.
24th May 2009, edited to add:
In a batch of old magazines I picked up in a charity shop was a copy of Women's Weekly from September 1975, with this advert for Nanna's bedding!
Image (c) IPC Media 1975
Bag made from old jumper (c) Kristen Bailey
I bought an old batwing jumper from a charity shop ages ago because I liked the colours, pattern and sparkly lurex bits. I think I imagined somehow altering it and wearing it, but I never did. Eventually I decided to chop it up and make a bag - but I was nervous about how to go about it... stretchy fabric is scary!
I did it by cutting out the pattern three times - once in the jumper fabric, once in the lining fabric and once in medium-heavy interfacing. I attached the piece of jumper fabric to the interfacing with tacking stitches and carried on with making the bag as I normally do - the 'self-lining' method (ie sew the two pieces together wrong-side out leaving a small gap, then turn it all right-side out).
The bag's lined with hot pink satin (a 20p remnant) and has bought black plastic handles. I use it whenever I'm having a 'pink' day (rather than a 'turquoise' day).
* SONG OF THE DAY: The Sultans of Ping FC - Where's Me Jumper? *
Click on the images for larger versions
Found two lovely sparkly diamanté brooches for 50p each in the Sussex Beacon shop on George Street, Hove yesterday. It's been a while since I've been on a charity shop run (trying to economise even in the small things) but I've got the taste for it again - and since I've got trips to Galway, Manchester, Wakefield (and so Leeds and Bradford) and Minehead planned, I hope for rich pickings!
There are pictures of some of my other charity shop finds on Flickr.
"It doesn't matter how much money we get, we'll always be attracted to things that are spangly and shiny, and I'll always look like I've just fallen over."
Emmy-Kate Montrose, Kenickie
Click on the pic for a larger version.
Finally - a use for the box frame I bought from a charity shop two years ago thinking, 'that'll come in handy for something...' and a home for the bags of Fisher Price figures and other refugees from the charity shop 10p basket which have languished in an old vanity case in my cupboard for years.
A fairly successful charity shop trawl on Saturday left me with a couple of new tops, a slinky sweater, a tiny cuddly Snowman for me mam and a copy of 10 Things I Hate About You - the latest addition to my 'good US high school rom-coms' collection.
But there has been an unfortunate side effect: I'm having impure thoughts about Heath Ledger. I blame the usual post-period friskiness. Still, it's good to know I'm not completely incapable of some good old-fashioned shallow lust. Come to Mamma... grrrrrrrrrr.... ;)
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