Jan Constantine

I love all of Jan's cushions. Yes they are quite expensive but they really are so beautifully crafted. Its like having a work of art on your sofa . These have just arrived in the shop and the small credit cruncher Union Jacks are also on their way. Tomorrow I will show you her fabulous embroidery book.

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Home Sewn

Sewing Sisters, I have to draw your attention to the most beautiful book ever published.

I was whiling a good half an hour away one very rainy day last week in Waterstones. I was waiting for thirty book tokens to be scanned when I spied a rather comfortable looking chair sited right next to the craft books. So I just had to linger awhile and that was when I saw this and fell in love. Home Sewn by French General. Oh joy! Oh rapture! In the front is a beautiful envelope full of patterns and each page has a scanned image of the original french vintage fabrics used for the projects. I may never make anything but the quality of the book is amazing and all for £14.99. Put it on your wish list girls.

Boot loot

Is there anything more pleasurable than mooching around a daisy strewn field filled with potential treasure spilling out over the grass and sprawling hopefully across an assortment of tables and blankets, blazing sunshine and the smell of burgers and bacon vaguely in the air?The discovery of something beautiful or nostalgic. Something no longer loved. the 'unfound' just waiting for you to rescue it and cherish it. There has to be nothing more quintessentially English than the Car Boot Sale with all its different tribes from the genteel to the downright gloriously'Chavtastic'.I spent a wonderful couple of hours with my sister on Sunday delving,rummaging,bartering and chatting to some really lovely people and feel so happy that I can rehome all these lovely things and cherish them once more. Here you can see just a few things that I rescued....

The Sisterhood

My sister Julia's beautiful beaded knitted and crocheted corsages

More crocheted purses and corsages by me and Jules

My crocheted cushions

Zoe's Cushions and hearts made with vintage fabrics

Karen's gorgeous tea cosies

Zoe's lovely badges

My mum Dawn's cuddly tea cosy, perfect for hugging a tea pot

Cheryl-ann's exquisite crocheted corsages

All these lovely things have been made with love in North Yorkshire and are available in our shop

made-and-found.co.uk

Bloggers

I am a keen reader of other people's blogs and have many on my favourites list which I hope to add to my blog when I have got the hang of the technical side of things. I am entering uncharted waters at the moment and have to say, I feel a bit nervous about writing anything that would be of interest to anyone else.I have wanted have my own blog for quite a while and hope that it will keep me intouch with customers and friends. I thought you might like to see some pictures of my shop to start with. It's all put together with saleroom finds and none of the furniture,shelves etc has cost me more than a few pounds or has been made by my long suffering but very supportive husband, John. I have many unique treasures which I have found or sourced and I sell lots of things that have been made by myself or my very talented friends and sister, (which I will post later). So that is really how the concept Made-and found.co.uk was born.

Addiction

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Kirsty's Homemade home on Thursday nights and I think that the wealth of talent sloshing around is amazing. It's so interesting and humbling to watch so many talented people who are passionate about their craft. However I did shriek out loud when Kirsty was standing in the antique shop buying that beautiful quilt and she said ' For some people it's shoes.for others it's handbags, but for me it's antique tablecloths and linens. They are my drugs'. They are my drugs too, along with pretty china tea sets,cakestands and tea cosies and eiderdowns and crocheted throws .....I hadn't actually realised the true level of my addiction until I did a head count today and I am the proud and embarrassed owner of 39 embroidered linen tablecloths, 28 traycloths and 45 crocheted doylies. I am always buying them with the intention of chopping them up or dyeing them then I can't bring myself to wreck precious handiwork which may have taken hours to complete So I will probably have to open a tea room any day now!