A special find & a plea for help...embroidered RAF nightdress case!

Now I picked up this incredible little beauty just before Christmas for a princely sum of £8. I wasn't meant to be spending on myself pre-Christmas, but how exactly was I meant to resist such a find? Especially when, the previous week, my trusty leather pyjama case split. It seemed fitting to replace it with this lovely piece.

 

Fantastic Mr Fox insisted on popping his head into the frame. I think he has done a pretty fine job of posing in this, don't you?

 

Just look at the lovely embroidery work!

I immediately thought of the amazing RAF embroidery that the darling Tickety Boo Tupney has both aqcuired and  been working on herself.

Now, as with practically everything else I acquire, I wish so much to know the back story behind this case. Often items featuring RAF emblem embroidery was either worked by a gal and then given to her WWII serviceman, or given as a gift by a serviceman to his sweetheart (purchased whilst away from a local, or embroidered himself to keep him occupied in any spare time). 

Now, I scratched my head a little with this one. A gal couldn't have made this for her RAF darling (I'm not sure a nightdress would have been his sleepwear of choice), and all that ruching detail just seems a little too feminine to have been worked by a serviceman.

So, a souvenir bought on tour and sent back to his sweetheart seemed the most fitting explanation, no?

Then I stumbled across this image on a website selling vintage homewares....

 

Image from Steptoes Dog.

 

Huh? It's EXACTLY the same. A pink version of my beloved nightdress case.

For sale on a website called Steptoes Dog, this is the description:

"Vintage 1940s Pink Royal Air Force Night Dress Case. This is a really pretty vintage nightdress case, dating to circa 1948." 

So now I am scratching my head far more vigorously. With this hand embroidery I assumed it was a one off piece, handmade as a souvenir by a WWII RAF serviceman on tour. So how come these two are EXACTLY the same?? And I wonder how the shop arrived at the 1948 date?

So, this is a plea to you clever and much more informed souls out there in the world of the interweb, please help me shed some light on this, for else I shall be forever puzzled!

Pip pip x

A nifty little find...

Whilst on a quick-before-the-shops-close little trip to buy baking supplies, I happened upon this little beauty in the most unlikely of places.

This is a reprint of a 1944 Good Housekeeping guide, giving advice to newlywed women, about to embark on a move across the oceans to join their new in-laws. This includes sections such as 'Making friends in a small town', 'Homemaking', 'American humour' and even a glossary of English words and phrases and their American  equivalents. It also includes poems, stories and excerpts from wartime editions of Good Housekeeping.

Thanks...POUNDLAND!
(Yep, you heard me right)

Pip pip xxx

Ahhh. Blog, sweet blog.

Bonjour, hello and hola my dear readers!

... I am back (at least partially) from my terribly long absence!
The last month and a bit has been utter madness, involving two jobs, a freelance dressmaking job of two bridesmaids dresses (during which my sewing machine packed in), physiotherapy, and moving flats. PHEW!
It exhausted me and left me feeling a little bit frantic, to say the least. Plus, I have also had no internet in my new flat. Which is almost really a good thing, as it has given me a bit of time to settle in/unpack/defrost my brain.

So I do hope you'll forgive me for my absence?

But as I begin to settle into the new place, I can't tell you how different I am feeling! Life is good again. Me and Mr Mike have moved from a little studio flat full of mould and other problems, to a TWO BEDROOM; that's right, we now have a spare room! A spare one. Just spare. I know!? This is a massive change, and once sorted and unpacked properly, the spare room will be great for me to sew and craft in, and Mr Mike to geek out in.

Photos of the new place will follow at some point, once we are a bit more settled and out of cardboard boxes and bin bags, I promise.

In the meantime, I am back with a post about "stuff". Yes, one of my ever impending "stuff" posts. Because, I am back in Norwich with my fam for a few days for my birthday, and of course, Norwich is an amazing place to find wonderful things to purchase!

Today me and my step mum scurried around the city, in the sweltering heat and during this time we popped into the old Loose's for a spot of treasure hunting, obvs. And, as it was saturday, the fleamarket was on upstairds. HUZZAH.

This is what I came away with:

 

Clip-on fur earrings: fleamarket, £5.

Think of all that winter outfit potential.

 

A WWII era pincushion with Hitler hand-embroidered. 

So you can stick pins in Hitler.

A piece of amazing history and a total bargain.

Hitler pin cushion: fleamarket, £2.

And then I came across this wonderful dress! <3

A 1940's, cream wool dress, with brown leather-covered buttons, and brown wool pom-poms. I had seen this in Loose's a long time ago, and at the time talked myself out of even trying it on as I had already bought some other things and it was more money than I'd usually spend (not to say that it was expensive, as it definitely wasn't). But I went home pining for it and wondering if it would have fit me or not.

So today when I went to Loose's, I was absolutely astounded to see it was still there. I grabbed it and headed to the changing rooms. 

To my disbelief, it fitted me. Almost perfectly. So of course I decided to purchase it; it is my birthday on tuesday after all. Early birthday present to myself, that's all!

 1940's wool dress, £40.

 Isn't she a beauty? 

I am having all sorts of visions of wearing her with my fur earrings, and my brown suede winter boots, and my 1930's brown fur handwarmer.

A perfect wintery outfit!

I know I shouldn't be thinking of winter on such a hot day, but I'm pretty sure any girl would find it difficult not to with this dress in their possession.

What are you lovelies thinking of wearing to take you through winter glamorously?

Pip pip xx

Home sweet home...

Well hello there lovely people!

I do hope you are all having a lovely easter weekend! I took the rare opportunity for a few days off to come home and have some lovely easter family and friend times.

Last night my dear friend Jo stayed over and this morning we woke up to this event going on in the garden...

This is apparently world war II, according to my dad who was very excited about his new garden soldiers!

We then set off for the Antiques and Collectors Fair at the Royal Norfolk Showground, where we had bacon sarnies, met some nice people, and bought plenty! I'm yet to get some photos as most of the purchases are out in the car at present.
But, I adopted a new piece of taxidermy from the fair, and am looking to name him. He is already like a child to me, so of course I need to name him as soon as possible!

Any ideas?

This is what I wore today, for visiting the fair and having an adventure.

TU dress: £1, carboot.

1940's bolero: £1.30 (+£2.50 p+p), ebay.

Hush Puppies sandals: 50p, carboot.

Macrame bag: £7.50, vintage/antiques shop.

And I'll leave you with a picture of me and my chum in front of her amazingly pink  house!

Pip pip! xx

A visit to soho for some vintage shopping!

Now, my usual haunts for clothes are predominantly charity shops and carboots and ebay...but I'm not that often one for shopping vintage shops. In London they cost a bomb for the things I usually like. And there is generally a whole lot of 80's and 90's stuff that I hav no interest in to sift through in hope of finding something I may really want anyway. 

But on payday last week, after work a group of us took a trip to a couple of the soho vintage shops. And I must say, I was rather sucessful.

First stop was Beyond Retro, where I actually managed to find two things I really wanted!

  Embroidered cotton peasant top, £18. Hand quilted, cropped peach satin jacket, £25.

 Now, this is certainly more than I had been intending to spend, but when it came to it, I just couldn't put either back. The white cotton peasant top has hand embroidered cross-stitch all around the neckline; I can just imagine all the time that went into this when it was made! And I have been searching for a nice peasant top for so long (though, now, with its bright green running through it, I'm not sure what I have that is suited to wear with it just yet). I'm guessing it's maybe a 50's item? But I'm not sure, it could be 60's?
And then the shrug, well what can I say. It has been hand quilted with running stitch and has sating frog fastenings. I just thought it would be beautiful with the right tea dress for summer evenings out. Again, I'm not sure the exact date of this. And is it even an outer jacket?...it looks like it could even be a bed jacket (though if so, I think it needs repurposing as an evening jacket as I can't bear to hide this away from the world!).  Any guesses?
I am head-over-heels with these items, so although I was spending a fair amount in one go, they are unique things that were worth the investment.

So we toddled off to another shop and I swore I wouldn't be spending ANY money in the next store. We went to a shop on Berwick street that I'd always walked past but never thought to go into. Turns out it has a bargain basement where I just couldn't say no to THIS:

Vintage polyester blouse, £5.

WVS brooch: ebay, 99p (£2.00 p&p).

I was doing my best not to look at the rails, when my friend pulled out this blouse, handed it to me, and told me I had to have it. She was right. For one, it fit me (it is very rare for blouses not to gape at the front, but with this one's neck shape and small button and loop fastening, it was ideal). Also, it is just such a gorgeous, and now quite rare 1940's looking shape, with a small waist and peplum bottom. IT's 100% polyester and I can't quite work out when this would have been made- EDIT: it is a 70's item, thanks Vintage Vixen for your incredible knowledge!

And yes, thet is an original Womens Voluntary Service brooch you spy on the blouse, another ridiculous ebay bargain!

Yes, I am beginning to realise that it appears like I never stop spending, but I generally am quite good, honest!

Pip pip xx

Songs that won the war.

 

Thank you Sainsbury's!

I just picked this CD up from Sainsbury's for a meagre £1. Ridiculous!

Featuring Glenn Miller, Doris Day, The Ink Spots and The Andrews Sisters...Amazing!

Pip pip xx