Flying the Flag!

We're pretty patriotic here at Vintage Home and are proud to fly the Union Jack! (Apparently, I am informed that it is only called the Union Jack when flown at sea, when flown on land, it should be referred to as the Union Flag!) But I digress! I think it's a wonderful design and you will have seen some interesting versions of it this season, both on the fashion scene and in the world of home furnishing! We have been playing around with some bag and cushion designs and thought we'd share them with you. Here is a super-size shopper, it's proved very useful for trips to flea markets and antique fairs! It has some lovely detail in it and is made from several vintage fabrics - and not just English textiles...!


This gorgeous old 1940s fabric with pretty blue poppies and yellow foxgloves against a stunning red background is French!

It has been lined with the same pretty English barkcloth we used for the windows in the clock house, and there are a couple of handy pockets for those essential bits and pieces.

I added this pretty pansy brooch as a finishing touch and I'm keeping a look out for some more colourful old brooches - this is such a bright and cheerful bag so I think it will become a firm favourite!

This is our cushion version of the Union Jack.


This is made from some really lovely old fabrics and crochet trim. It was a new addition to the website but has now been sold, although we may be adding a new design soon!

Before I go, I must thank Sairer, who very kindly named me as one of the 'Five Blogs that make her Day!'

My apologies for the delay in responding Sairer, I am really chuffed to have received the award! I would also like to thank every one for the amazing response to our recent website updates; we are busy preparing our latest goodies for the shop so I think I had better get back to work - have a wonderful week!

In an English country garden...

So far we have had a very rainy July and it hasn't been possible to spend as much time in the garden as we would like. This morning was fine and dry so out came the camera! The sun was a tad shy at times and kept disappearing behind the clouds, but we managed to capture some of our abundant roses and exuberant flora! Our lavender is looking wonderful this year - if you enlarge the photos you will see a very welcome visitor...

This rose is a beautiful and prolific rambler which would probably take over the entire garden if we let it!

This is a lovely spot to sit, just outside our garden studio, surrounded by the rambling rose. Do you like the Union Jack cushion? Many months ago, a friend suggested we make a floral one - lo and behold floral Union Jack cushions started appearing everywhere! We decided on something a little different and it is perfect for resting your head whilst reading!

Here is one of our lilies, the scent in the evenings is wonderful...

Every year I wonder why I haven't planted more of these cottage garden plants, perhaps next year I will add some of the soft pink variety as a subtle contrast...

I cannot remember the name of this striking flower, but we have filled our hanging baskets with it this year...

It's a good year for apples - here are our 'cookers' our other trees are laden with 'eaters'!

This is an iceberg climber, a new addition to the garden. It was planted in memory of our 'old lady' cat, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago, aged 20.

We also planted a very pretty shrub rose called 'sweet haze' and a particular favourite of mine, the very old rosa gallica 'versicolor' (sometimes called rosa mundi.) I always think of it as the raspberry ripple rose! They were heavy with blooms a week ago but there were none to see today, if they produce any more I will take some photos.

I will leave you with this photo of an old knife sharpener; you fill it with water and turn the stone to sharpen the knife blade. It belonged to Mike's grandfather, who was a very keen gardener.

I hope you have enjoyed the photos. We will be updating the website over the next few days, but I hope to get out in the garden too - I have heard rumours of sunshine... Have a great weekend!

A Splendour of Summer Florals

I recently bought a large quantity of textiles and have been slowly sorting through them. There are all sorts of wonderful old linens and barkcloths and some super patterns. A few of them have been added to the Vintage Home website and I thought I would share some of my favourites with you. Those shown here are all English fabrics as I am yet to sort through the French ones! Above, is a close-up of a bold and beautiful barkcloth door curtain.
This is a close-up of a stunning floral linen fabric, with a gorgeous blue background.

How about this for a cheerful fabric? This is a large piece of a boldly patterned 60s towelling - perfect for a retro bathroom!
This is quite stunning; a 1940s printed linen, covered in a wealth of pretty Spring flowers.

We were really lucky to get hold of some pretty eiderdowns - alas, they had seen better days so we re-used the fabric and made lots of patchwork cushions, these look lovely layered on a bed or garden bench.

These sweet trailing roses are a delight...

This is one of my favourites; cameos with tulips and pretty paisleys.

Briar roses, trailing roses and paisleys.

As well as sorting the textiles, I have a few projects on the go; I am re-upholstering a large footstool and re-vamping an old cupboard. Then there are 'new' curtains to be made for the living room (from old fabric naturally!) and a very 'vintage' tandem (a recent quirky buy!) which needs some tlc - photos will follow soon!

Enjoy the rest of your week and the coming weekend!

An English Village Festival

St. Denys' Church

Our village hosted its annual 2-day Village Festival this weekend and we were fortunate to have glorious weather, with the sun hiding behind the odd cloud just a few times! The Festival has been a popular village event for many years and was originally a Flower festival, set up to raise funds for our Norman Church. We got there nice and early before the crowds so we could snap a few photos to share with you. There were lots of stalls selling bric-a-brac, plants, home-made cakes and books, plus a flower display in the church. The stalls and sideshows are manned by enthusiastic villagers - here is the bowling alley(!) Can you see the village stocks on the left of the photo?

There was a local band playing...

...and the children really enjoyed this...
Jousting

Three years ago, this beautiful row of thatched cottages which face the village green, were badly damaged by fire. It started in one of the end cottages and spread rapidly right across the thatch. Fortunately, the quick and heroic actions of a passer-by ensured no lives were lost. You can read more about this here. There was no Festival the following year due to the restoration work on the cottages, but 2007 saw the Festival resume in celebration of the villagers moving back to their homes.

On the other side of the green is a really beautiful old cottage which was built in 1535 - it is rumoured that Rudyard Kipling lived here for a while. (The white-painted cottage with the dormer windows.)

We left just after the Festival officially opened and strolled home to enjoy a nice cup of tea back at Pottery Cottage...

Everything's coming up roses!

Well, here we are at the end of May! I don't really know where the last month has gone to as it has been a whirl of activity here at the cottage and at the Vintage Home website. Lots of exciting things have been happening here including some re-decoration, quirky purchases of the vintage-type and chance meetings with some wonderful people. I promise I will elaborate on all of this, and more, throughout the coming months! I'm also hoping to spend some relaxation time in the garden during June, appreciating the many flowers; isn't that rose a beauty? After several days of wet and dreary weather, it was a treat to be able to get outside and photograph the signs that Summer really is on its way!
This is a nice little spot, don't you think? I look forward to sitting here with a cold drink and a good read.


We have lots of these wild gladioli growing the garden, such a pretty colour...

One of my all-time favourite cottage garden flowers, the sweet william...

Here are the geraniums in the greenhouse, they are just about ready to plant out into their terracotta pots.

Despite the recent wet weather, we have been out and about gathering together lots of vintage stock for the website. There are some pretty additions which reflect the season ahead; this delightful green and cream basket is so sweet...

...these stunning curtains are covered in carnations!

This pretty lamp has a wonderful floral shade...

...and this 1950s chair is covered in gorgeous roses!

This is the star of the show though; a Victorian prie dieu with original fine hand embroidery - exquisite roses, of course!

A really big thank you to every one who has recently purchased from the shop and I hope you enjoy your browse at the latest goodies. I think I might have that little sit-down now - have a wonderful weekend and week ahead!

More Vintage Treasures...

I have been busy updating the website over the weekend and have added some really lovely items - this beautiful antique mirror and shelf is simply gorgeous, the detail in the cherubs and pretty flower garlands is wonderful.

There are some rather special quilts too, this pretty pink roses and paisley quilt has never been used...

...and this stunning Victorian Welsh quilt is a real treat; hydrangea flowers on one side and amazing handstitching consisting of hearts, circles and leaves!

This is quite breathtaking; another Victorian Welsh quilt with a different fabric on each side; floral baskets on one, finches and roses on the other! It is all handstitched and I do believe has never been used. These quilts were often made by family members as a wedding present and this beauty has been safely stored away for over a hundred years!

There are lots of pretty homewares and accessories too, like this darling basket...


...and an exceptionally pretty box covered with wild roses.

Thank you to everyone who has recently made a purchase. The above is a small selection of the new stock so there's plenty more to see! I hope you all enjoy having a browse in the shop - have a lovely week!