Vintage Picnic Window Display

Today I pulled together yet another charity shop window display, for Humanity at Heart.
This is another one that has been planned for a while, which gave me time to make a few things to enhance the finished 'look'.

The theme this time was 'Vintage Summer Picnic'. The manager and I envisioned chintzy china, picnic baskets, pom poms and flowers a plenty!
Over the past months, the shop has collected donations specifically for the window, so there were plenty of items to put in the display. I particularly loved the big basket, and some adorable Minton cups and saucers (which sold before I had a chance to take photos!)

The yarn pom pom garland was put together a few weeks ago on a day that I found myself at a bit of a loose end. The pom poms were from a massive batch that Samantha (At home with Mrs H) sent me forever ago! (I finally used them!!!) I simply used a darning needle to thread them onto jute string.

I spent an evening last week making the tissue paper flowers/pom poms, which I hung from pink ribbon left over from another project. It was no good for sewing with, but perfect for this! 

I hung another of the tissue paper flowers in the entrance of the teepee.
The teepee was constructed using bamboo sourced from the shop's garden and donated fabrics. I decorated it with some retro-styled felt flowers, which I made using donated and leftover felt.
I also made the self-standing retro flowers using the felt and some old wire coathangers.

This window turned out really nicely, and shows what a difference it makes to plan ahead.
Hopefully it will encourage more people into the shop, to look at all the lovely stock available!

To see some of my past window displays, check the window display tag.

Anyone for Tennis? (Or Pimms?)

Summer is the time for tennis, and with Wimbledon just around the corner, I ended up creating a tennis-themed display for the charity shop!

It seemed like a fun idea to set up the window as if it were a tennis match, so I got to work with sports gear, and lots and lots of balls...

Green Gardens - A Window for Spring

...This has become something of a 'window displays' blog, hasn't it?

Here is the latest display that I created for Humanity at Heart, a small charity based in Sussex. This time the theme was 'spring gardens', and the spring weather came along just at the right time for it!

Some of the flowers from our plants section bloomed at the perfect time for the window display. Spring has truly sprung!
I made the little flowers that can be seen amongst the daffodils, using the sleeves of an old jumper, disposable chopsticks and ribbon leftover from other projects.

Easter Window Display

Last week was the window display changeover at the charity shop where I volunteer. The manager and I had decided in advance to have an Easter theme, as Easter is on its way!

After giving it some thought, and looking at the stock we had for the display, the theme ended up being along the lines of an Easter Egg Hunt!

Sun, Sea and Sand: A Summer Window Display

I've previously written about the Christmas and autumn window displays I created for a charity shop, and promised to update about this months ago. The weather has been sunny lately (I think spring is finally here!) so today I want to share photos of the summer window I created last June!

This was my first more challenging display, in that I decided to turn the display table into an ice cream cart.

Autumn Window Display

Not long ago, I shared photos of the Christmas windowdisplay that I put together for a charity shop.

As I wrote previously, I'd intended to post about some other displays that I never got around to writing about.

Today's post is about the autumn-themed window, created in September.

Once again, some of the photos here have unfortunate reflections of the buildings opposite, so the most 'complete' image also depicts the other side of the high street!

Sometimes, window displays are changed on the spur of the moment, other times they are planned out in advance, enabling me to look around for inspiration.

I decided to hang a long twig in front of an old net curtain after finding a photograph of autumn tree branches in the fog.

Christmas Window Display

As I've mentioned here previously, I volunteer at a charity shop. One of the great perks of volunteering is that I get to flex my creative fingers in putting together window displays!
Being a charity, we don't have a huge budget to play with (or any budget, really) so it's a case of being super-inventive with reams of donated stuff and scrap card/paper/etc.

Get your skates on and grab that charity bargain before someone else does!

This year in particular, I've tried to make some displays that are more visually interesting! I've intended to post about some of them for a while, so will eventually share pictues of the summer and autumn-themed windows I created.
For now, here is our Victorian Christmas-themed display!

DIY Spoon Decorations

As long-time readers will know, I volunteer in a charity shop and utterly love putting together window displays! The manager had decided for the Christmas window to be done this week, so I made these unique spoon decorations from some donated spoons, to go on our Christmas tree!

Thought I’d take pictures along the way, so I can share this DIY.

This is a DIY that will require the use of power tools. Such things are scary and I am clumsy lately, so I enlisted the help of my Dad :)

Footsteps 4 Oliver

This is Oliver.

Oliver is my cousin's son and was born 11 weeks premature. He is now two and a half years old, a much loved brother, son, nephew, grandson and great-grandson!

In April 2012 he was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegic Cerebal Palsy and would never walk. At that point in time, he was uanble to do anything but lie on the floor as the world went on around him.

Oliver can't enjoy life like other children. He can't run around after a football, he can't dance, or play on a scooter with his adoring sister.

Though Oliver has progressed to being able to sit, crawl, and pull himself into a standing position, he is still unable to walk.

But a life-changing operation could fix that. 

Sadly, Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), the procedure that would change the lives of not just Oliver, but his entire family, is not available on the NHS.

The cost of the operation, post and pre-op physiotherapy, and a special trike to help strengthen his legs in preparation for the operation, is £60,000 (roughly US$91,722).

Obviously this is no small amount. It will take the donations, fund-raising and signal-boosting of a great number of kind-hearted people to raise such an amount: to change a little boy's life.

Which is why I have come to you.

Among you there are mothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, friendly neighbours and youth workers. You are people who know children, who understand the excitement and wonder that children find in everything.

His parents, Terry and Sal, are fundraising.
The Just Giving page, Footsteps 4 Oliver has been set up with children's charity Tree of Hope in order to generate the money needed for this life-changing operation.
There is also a Facebook page for updates on Oliver and the fundraising.

Please donate what you can.
If you can't afford to donate towards this cause, please signal-boost by sharing the page on Facebook, tweeting about it, blogging, Google+ing, telling your friends and family--anything you can do to help. All help is appreciated!

Oliver is a lovely, lively little boy and I'm sure he would give all of you a great big hug just for reading this post :)

Recycled Magazine Garland

At the charity shop where I volunteer, we were recently discussing a Christmas-themed window display. The manager, Ann, wanted a red and white Scandinavian-inspired theme! I decided to make this red and white garland from old magazines to put in the display.

Thrifted Treasures

Since I was a child, my village has had a brilliant little charity shop. It’s independent, raising funds for the village itself--and it’s a goldmine! (And also very cheap.)

Only on a rare occasion do I go in and come out empty-handed. This is one of those old-school charity shops, where none of the hangers match or have sizes on them, the paint is peeling from the wall in one corner and you really have to rummage to find what you want.

In other words, it’s the best charity shop experience ever! I do like organised shops, but these charity shops that are independent (one shop only, not part of a chain) with dark little corners of clutter, have a lot of charm!

Here are my finds from my recent jaunt to the charity shop:

I nearly passed up on this gorgeous embroidered top! I had my eye on another one in a luscious orange, but it was a little small. When I held this one up in front of the mirror, I fell in love! (With the top, not my reflection!) It looked huge on the hanger but fits beautifully and looks great with a belt. This will be awesome for when the weather warms up. 

Here's a closeup of the embroidery:

Cost: £3--bargain!

I picked up this scarf next, after having a rummage through the three scarf containers there. Long ago I disliked this style, but I loved the print and colours of this one! I have lots of scarves but there’s always room for a few more, right?

Cost: £1.25, cheap as chips

This necklace was something I picked up because it looked nice with the orange top I tried on, but I decided to buy it anyway because I loved the multiple strands of beads! The price was low because it was missing a clasp; this morning I spent a couple of minutes fitting one which was no hassle at all.

Cost: £0.50 (unbelievable!)

Lastly, probably my best buy of the trip! These pendants had been bagged up to be sold together, since none of them had chains. Some I wasn’t all that taken on, but I’m pretty sure I’ll find something to do with all of them eventually.

I basically bought them for this one:

 Isn’t it beautiful?! That really is a tiny piece of tapestry work in there, not a print. I can’t wait to create a vintage-inspired necklace with it!

Cost: £3.50--that works out at just £0.4375 each. Amazing. Another charity shop might have asked £3.50 just for the tapestry one.

Total spend: £8.25.

Compared to other charity shops, that’s pretty darn cheap. In fact some of the jewellery items might not have even been put out for sale in some charity shops on account of missing chains/clasps.

Were I a complete fashionista, I’d have been immensely happy on this most recent jaunt to the charity shop! I found a narrow-pleated skirt on the sale rail, for just £1.50. Go to any high street fashion store and you’ll pay upwards of £20 for the same thing.

(Unfortunately I’m not a fan of those skirts, they remind me too much of school! )

Still, I’m pleased with my charity shop finds. Discovering a treasure amidst the clutter is so rewarding, and knowing the money will go to a good cause makes it even better.

Thrifted!

Blogland has yielded so many doily crafts that I have felt inspired!
So when I was in the village charity shop the other day and happened to spy a box of them, I snapped up a whole handful, along with a bundle of scrap fabric:

These cost around £0.15-£0.30 each, depending on the size (though some came in bundles, e.g. 3 for 50p).
The fabric was 60p; when I got home I found it comprised of one slightly larger piece (big enough for a shopping bag, perhaps) and several smaller, narrow pieces. This whole collection cost me around £2.70, a bargain if there ever was one!

I've already a few ideas for what I can make with these - and my Nanny has since given me a whole bag more that belonged to my Grandmother!

Now I am trawling around blogland looking for more ideas...so what's your favourite doily craft?

Tidied and Thrifted

When I went to volunteer on Friday, I told myself, ‘No more purchases!’

I am an utter devil for charity shops. I see things that I fall in love with, discover the bargain price and before I know it I’m handing over a few coins in exchange for something awesome.

Of course, my resolution to not spend anything crumbled once I reached the shop!

I found these lovelies, for 50p:

They’re retro pillow cases; the stitching has come undone in places and there are a couple of small holes, but that doesn’t matter since I bought them for the fabric. I love the pattern--isn't it gorgeous?

I’ve plenty of ideas for how to use this fabric so keep watching to see what I do with it!

On the subject of using up fabric, I sorted my collection yesterday...

This lot fills two large boxes that live under the bed. The boxes have lids that I have to sit on in order to close!

Originally the fabric was all over the place, but I decided it was about time to have a little organisation--now it’s sorted by colour which is much better.

From there I went on to deal with my collection of patterns. They were stored in an A1 art folder, but it was becoming tiresome to find what I was looking for. Shop-bought ones weren’t so bad since they were in the original envelopes, but the ones I’ve drawn myself were are a nightmare to find, since they were folded up and without shiny pictures.

I needed to make a change.

Then I remembered the ring-binders I turned out recently. 

Problem solved! 

The patterns are pretty bulky so I’m weighting them down with books before putting them away. It's such a relief to get this sorted!

Found, Free and Thrifted

I’ll admit it. I’m a hoarder. Not to the extreme of the people seen on Hoarding: Buried Alive, but to the point where I hold on to things in case they’re useful for a crafting project. I guess that makes me a Crafty Hoarder?!

It’s not necessary to part with masses of money in order to craft, as I’m sure you all know. In my case, things being cheap tend to mean I buy more...!

Here’s some recent additions to my crafting hoard that have been found, free, or thrifted!

Once or twice a year, I have a massive clear-out, donate anything saleable to charity and recycle whatever else I can. The last mass-clearout was in January, but I didn’t dare enter the attic, knowing that what lurks in there is about twenty years of stuff belonging to five people!

This week, my Dad went up into the attic intending to clear out some stuff for a car boot sale and brought out three boxes of ring-binders from my school, college and uni days!

I was never going to look over that stuff again, so into the recycling went the paper!

Amidst all the old work was a folder of stuff from my school’s ‘Work Experience Week’. I was lucky enough to score a placement with an interior designer, which meant I got to measure rooms, draw scale diagrams, put together an inspiration board and go on little trips--one of which was to Design Centre Chelsea Harbour.

This meant trawling through showrooms looking at swatches and samples.

This meant yummy sandwiches in the Dome Café.

This meant that when I cleared that folder, I found these:

Although the samples are only small, there’s no way I can just throw them out.

So I’m hoarding them until I come up with something! They fit in just fine with my box of fabric scraps that I refuse to part with!

Another thing I seem to be gaining a collection of is lace and embroidery thread. I’d like to point out that I haven’t bought any embroidery thread since I made an embroidered cushion for my Nanny, last year.

Everything else I’ve come into possession of since then has come to me courtesy of my lovely Nan herself (who receives them from a friend). This week, she brought me these:

I have never seen such a nice collection of colours! The vintage lace is lovely too--I'll have to think of a special project for that.

As for the embroidery threads, I’m thinking of some different coloured necklaces along the same vein as my pearly necklace.

One of the perils (and bonuses) of being a crafty hoarder: people give you stuff!

Something I’ve parted with money for recently are these two lovely boxes:

Both came from a charity shop and cost a tad over £5 for the two! I bought them with assemblage projects in mind. I haven’t started yet but hopefully soon I’ll get out the glue and some interesting bits and pieces, and get crafting! 

So what about you guys? 

Do you have any recent found, free or thrifted items? 

Retro Craft Books

Recently I bought a few fantastic retro craft books from a local charity shop. At 50p each they were an absolute bargain, especially considering the content!

The Complete Book of Handicrafts is absolutely brilliant. Printed in the 70’s, it covers a plethora of crafts including crochet, rug-making, smocking, leatherwork, picture framing and much more! 

I’ve already found a heap of potential new projects. These mouse pincushions are adorable and definitely on my ‘to make’ list.

The Batsford Book of Sewing is another product of the 1970’s. This covers all nature of dressmaking procedures so as a self-taught dressmaker, I find it incredibly useful!

Shortcuts for Busy Dressmakers is similar to The Batsford Book of Sewing, but like the name suggests, it explains the quick way of doing things! Of course this is fantastic for any dressmaker lacking in time (or patience!)

This final book perhaps pushes the topic of this post from ‘retro craft books’ to ‘vintage craft books’!

Encyclopedia of Needlework was gifted to me a few weeks ago by my Nanny. (She always gives me cool stuff!)

It details a huge number of needlework methods and includes some beautiful colour plates. I was hesitant to read this book since I was afraid it might fall apart, but to my delight it has been digitised--find the book in its entirety at http://encyclopediaofneedlework.com/

Charity Shops: Hidden Treasures Within!

This is an edited version of 'Charity Shops: Unexpected Treasures Within', originally posted on thefabulouscake@LJ

You may have passed charity shops by without a second glance, believing them to be full of bobbled knitwear and frumpy polyester dresses. You may have stopped for a moment to eye the chipped knick-knacks in distaste before going on your way.

But as you walk on by, you could be leaving behind a hidden treasure.

 Recent charity shop finds

Each and every charity shop is a goldmine in waiting for someone.

From the outside they may well look boring and full of quite rightfully unwanted tat, but once inside you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Coming up after the jump: why charity shops are so great, plus shopping tips.

Charitable Cushions

These cushions were all made with fabric that came from a charity shop! Recently some really beautiful fabrics came into my local charity shops, so I had to buy some! Most was fabric for upholstery and curtains/blinds, but I ended up buying lots of it with the intention of making a skirt. The skirt itself is yet to be made--watch this space!

The two cushions above were made using a combination of the aforementioned upholstery fabric, and some purple cord that I bought around 8 years ago. Originally I made a basic skirt from the cord (hand-sewn, since it was in the days before I owned a sewing machine!) for a fancy dress costume. The cord is actually part of a Clothkit for trousers, so has pattern lines printed on it--this makes the fabric a little more interesting than plain cord!

This last cushion is a Christmas present for my Nanny! She loves things with sentimental poems on, and she loves cushions, so after I saw the poem I decided to combine the two!
Again, the fabric came from a charity shop.
I embroidered the poem on with chain stitch, making use of an embroidery hoop (again, from a charity shop!) to keep the fabric taut.