Vintage Supplies: a new shop section

Another first for 2011, a new section in my Etsy store - Vintage Supplies.

I have been busily listing a gorgeous selection of vintage trims in my Etsy store, perfect for adding a unique twist to your next crafting project. Due to the fact these trims are vintage, they are limited edition. Once they are gone, I cannot source more - so if you see something you like - grab it quickly!

This is going to be a very image-heavy blog post! I think the trims speak for themselves, so I wont add too much description, except to say this is a selection of the warm colour trims in shades of citrus orange, crimson red and honey yellow. Next time I will blog about the blue and green trims.

You can see the full selection here

New for 2011

I have recently listed some lavender hearts and lavender owls in two new colourways.

The hearts are made with vintage fabric in shades of lemon yellow and cotton candy pink. They make great ecofriendly Valentine's day presents and they are also perfect as a wedding, bridesmaid or hostess gift.
vintage fabric hearts in lemon and cotton candy pink



Next up are some lavender sleepy owls in lilac and plum. I already make rabbits in this colour so decided to create some owls in the same vintage fabric. They are filled with chemical-free, French Lavender and non-allergenic stuffing. You can either place them on your pillow to help you float off to sleep. Or put in your wardrobe (they don't mind the dark!) to make your clothes smell nice.
Sleepy owl in lilac and plum

Sustainable Fishing

Channel 4 are currently running a season of programs to highlight the current problems with the way fish are caught off our coastline. I watched Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's program the other night and it sent my blood pressure through the roof. It's a good job organisations like Channel 4 run programs such as these or I would never learn about the senseless waste of precious fish stocks.

Most people know that the seas are over fished and you assume that EU fish quotas are set up to help this situation. Apparently not. I cannot believe that nearly 50% of all fish caught in the north sea are thrown back dead. Fishermen are not allowed to land over-quota fish such as cod and haddock, so they have no choice but to throw them back. You can read more about the campaign here. You can also keep up to date with the campaign by following @hughsfishfight on Twitter.

If you are interested in joining the campaign to send a letter to to Commissioner Maria Damanaki, members of the Common Fisheries Policy Reform Group, and all MEPs, check out the Fish Fight website. Over 94,000 people have already signed up which is great news.

Channel 4 are also urging people to eat types of seafood that are traditionally less popular. They want to encourage people to eat more sustainable varieties and not turn to the usual suspects such as Cod, Salmon and Tuna. Find some inspiration here

It's ceratinly made me think about the fish I buy and I'm going to try out some of the recipes over the coming weeks.

2011 - the Chinese Year of the Rabbit

Goodbye 2010 and hello 2011 - the new year seems to have come round quicker than ever! Time seems to speed up when you become a parent, I can't believe how quickly the months pass these days...

2011 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, which is good news as I love bunnies! The year of the Rabbit is "traditionally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy, and keeping the peace."

So in that vein, I am following "artistic pursuits" by working on some batches of Lavender Rabbits, some are in fabrics previously seen in my etsy store and some are in brand new colours. I am also working on some new ideas for bags, can't say too much yet as I need to try out some prototypes first. I am also planning to launch a new vintage supplies section in my etsy store - I just need to find a parallel dimension where time is no object and I should hopefully bring all these ideas to life in 2011.

And in the spirit of "home and family" I want to try and help a local charity called Children's Hospice South West. I have wanted to create a charity listing for some time now and I am determined to make 2011 the year I bring this idea into fruition. Some months ago a good friend gave me this fantastic green vintage fabric.



So in the spirit of 'paying it forward', I am going to use the fabric donated to me gratis to make some Lavender Rabbits. A percentage of the sale price for each rabbit will be donated to Children's Hospice South West. The reason I have chosen this charity is because it provides invaluable support for families experiencing one of the most traumatic experiences any parent could face. Another deciding factor was I attended a funeral of a lady on New Year's eve who was a tireless fundraiser for this charity. I would like, in some small part, to try and continue the work she can no longer carry out.



So Happy New Year to all my blog readers and I hope 2011 brings you health and happiness!

One more sleep!!

So, today is Christmas Eve and I've still got presents to wrap and food to sort out - but I'm not really stressing about any of it. Christmas for me is about relaxing and enjoying yourself. We've got a very quiet day planned, just me and my husband, our gorgeous girl and my Mum. We're sure to raise a glass to my late Father, he's always in our thoughts, especially at this time of year.

I've had a fantastic 2010 watching my daughter grow and finding my crafting feet again after the initial shock of early-motherhood! The past few weeks have been pretty hectic sales wise after being featured in an Etsy finds email - there are lots of lavender owls and rabbits winging their way around the globe - hopefully all of them will be in their new homes by Christmas!

So, I just want to wish all my blog readers, customers and twitter followers a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

My Etsy and Folksy stores will be closed until 1st January whilst I take a break over the festive period - see you in 2011!!

Vintage love: Christmas decorations

I'm a huge fan of nostalgia. If there's one time of year where people feel nostalgic, it's Christmas. These decorations were bought out of the loft every single year when I was growing up. The pom pom robins were made by my Mum before I was born, so they are at least 35 years old. They still look in good condition considering their age. It probably has something to do with the fact that we were under strict instructions as kids to never to touch them!

The cardboard gift boxes are also a Christmas decoration from my childhood, they are at least 30 years old. Mum would put them under the tree with gifts in. Somehow they managed to survive years of manhandling by me and my brother, eager to get at the presents inside them.

I now have the pom pom robins on display in my house in the living room and the festive boxes take pride of place on the dresser in the dining room - I think they are too delicate to put under the tree. I think it's lovely for my own daughter to see decorations from my childhood - hopefully she will love them as much as I do and maybe in a couple of years we'll have a go at making our own pom pom robins...

If you'd like to see more of my vintage finds, head on over to my Pinterest board...sharing images of my fabric collection, ceramics, childhood toys and much more...

Follow Pouch : blogging + craft's board My Vintage Finds on Pinterest.

Vintage love: Clothkits dolls dress

We were staying at my Mum's house a couple of weeks ago and I happened to spot the dressing up bag she keeps for my seven year old niece to play with. I had a quick rummage to see if there was anything that would amuse my little girl and I spotted this Clothkits dolls dress. It took me straight back to my childhood and I had to take some photos and blog about it!



I remember my Mum making Clothkits clothes for herself and for me on many occasions in the early 1980s. A parcel would arrive and Mum would unpack the fabric which was pre-printed with the pattern. Looking back, this was probably one of the reasons (apart from the lovely designs) why the company was so popular. It meant you didn't have to faff about with paper and pins and could just get on with the cutting and sewing. I always find shop bought paper patterns a bit intimidating, so Clothkits found a gap in the market for homemade clothes, and very popular they were too.

What I used to love about Clothkits was the fact that not only did I get a new dress, but so did one of my dolls! I remember I used to dress one of my favourite rag dolls in this little number. You can't really tell from these photos, but this dress is only 10 inches long. Yet, it still packs in alot of detail for such a small dress: a sweet little pocket; lining inside the yoke; and a pretty pattern on the needlecord which is different back and front.







My Mum kindly tracked down a photo of me wearing the full size version - I loved that dress! this photo was taken at Christmas time in 1980, I was four years old.



My Mum's also had some amazing Clothkits puppets at her place, I have taken some photos and will blog about them soon!