People of Norwich, thanks for all the stuff!

Hi all,

I am currently taking some time off at the moment, and have escaped that big smoky city of London and come to stay with my family in Norwich. Naturally, I have done a little secondhand shopping and picked myself up some delights!


Now first and foremost is my very favourite buy, and probably my most bizarre!

 

I picked up this vintage St John's Ambulance anatomical diagram wall hanging (almost as tall as me) for £25. 

Although I was trying not too spend too much money and I rarely buy things at such a price, I just couldn't let this one pass me by! I have been obsessed with old anatomical diagrams for years and been desperate for one of these. My excuse it that we were desperately in need of something to fill the void on the wall behind the tv. So if anything, it was a necessary buy....right? (I'll keep telling myself that)

This little vintage felt tilt hat cost me £5. It needs a clean and a bit of a steam and reshape, but it has lots of potential.

 This morning me and my friend set off to our favourite carboot for some very cold bargain hunting and these (along with a couple of presents for people which I cannot show you but am very pleased with) are the gems I picked up:

 

This skirt looks to me to be a vintage military skirt, possibly Navy? I'd guess this judging by the style and the nature of a lot of the other items on this same stall. It cost me £2! Very happy.

 

 The skirt has a curious little asterisk stitched into the inside of the waistband! I wonder why. Puzzling!

 

I am very pleased to have found this framed Lord Kitchener mirror, which probably dates from around the 70's. My Dad picked one up from a carboot previously and I found myself greatly jealous. So when I came across this one for £4 I snapped it up.

The grey box bag is a fabulous size for carting around all the rubbish that inhabits my handbag and even has little pockets for the things that so often get lost and tangled...lipstick, kirbygrips etc. A steal at £3.

The orange/red beads were £1, as were the clip on suspender straps still in their packet!

 

I am very pleased with my purchases and can't wait to get my mirror and wall hanging up in my flat on my return to London!

Pip pip xx

I'll Be Darned! recent vintage mends.

So as you all no doubt know (due to my wittering on about it, sorry lovelies!), I have a business that deals with vintage clothing alterations and repairs. 4 months in and I am so happy to be doing this!

I have been getting the most beautiful garments coming to me for work, and I thought that maybe I ought to share all these beauties with you....what do you think? I gets lots of inspiration from other vintage bloggers' wardrobes and secondhand finds, so I thought that you ladies might also take some inspiration from these lovely garments.

So this evening I have some wonderful vintage to show off to you....just try not to get too jealous (I have to try rather hard myself, there's lots of things I'd love to own)!

 

L-R: A beautiful beaded bustier, green lurex capris (part of a two piece).

 

 A vintage child's western shirt.

 

 Gold lurex trousers (part of a two-piece).

 

L-R: A 1940's gown with illusion neckline and embroidery, and a silk fronted bathing suit.

 

Red chiffon dress with gold trim and shoulder drape.

  

 

"Nettie Vogues" chiffon maxi dress with blue drape.

 

The back of the above dress, before and after!

To find out exactly what I did to each of these beautiful garments, you can pop over to the IBD Facebook page and read more.

Pip pip xx

Sew What?: 1940's pinafore skirt in the last days of Summer!

Oh my, have I been away a long time! Doesn't time fly when you're...err.....working really hard!

Now I hadn't realised just how long it was since I last wrote a post, and I wouldn't blame you for thinking I had dropped off the face of the earth. Or taken a wonderful, lengthy summer holiday. However, I have not.

I have instead just been working really, really hard. In June I started my own alterations and repairs business (plus a sideline in vintage inspired hair accessories) and took the scary leap to self-employment which has left me feeling tired, busy and a little bit all over the place. That, and rather poor. So with not much time and very little money, you'll forgive me for not blogging for *GASP* almost two whole months. It's hard to know what to blog about when you aren't buying wonderful things/going anywhere exciting!

My lack of funds has left me pining after lots of pretty things but unable to afford them....so last night I got a little creative with my sewing machine and took a little bit of time to sew something for myself! I decided to make myself a 1940's style pinafore skirt because it is one of those items I have been pining after for goodness knows how long. Being thrifty, I dived into my stash and made use of some of the fabric I already had; I used a chunky black linen, and some vintage deep orange buttons.

Ever the impatient sewer, once I'd started it became something I simply had to finish immediately. I sewed into the night, and went to bed  one 40's style pinafore skirt richer!

So when I got up this morning, remembered my skirt-making success of the previous night and saw the sun shining (although there is a definite chill in the air) I of course threw on a bright and colourful enseble as I decided to celebrate the dying summer days.

Please excuse the terrible self-taken photographs, my chap wasn't around to take any for me!

 

 Yellow chiffon headscarf and hair flower, made by me (available here); Peasant top secondhand, originally Topshop); 1940's style pinafore skirt, made by me; Nude seamed stockings, What Katie Did; Coral sandals, a present from my chap and purchased from Clarks.

On the skirt, I made the straps attach to the waistband by way of buttons, as this means it can be worn in a multitude of ways: straight straps, crossed-over at the back, or even strapless as a simple skirt!

 

I covered up with a little blue wool bolero, part of a repro two-piece from Ebay.

1950's handbag, secondhand shop.

 

Outfit details:

Beautiful vintage brooch, gift from a friend.

A detail shot of the waist of my skirt, look at those lovely buttons!

Bamboo and green wooden bracelets....and dream shoes.

Hair accessories made by me, find them on my Rosie Alia Hair Accessories Facebook page.

I'll try not to stay away too long this time, promise!

Pip pip xx