welcome to my blog!!!!

Thank you for dropping by....i will be blogging about my life in Devon by the sea-side, decorating my 1926 home, vintage treasure hunting from auctions, charity shops , recycling centres and the good old british car booty!! One mans rubbish is another mans treasure! baking, sewing, painting and probably the weather!!!! enjoy!
claireljinks@hotmail.com


Thursday 27 January 2011

You wait 46 years for a quilt to come along....and three arrive at once.....

Hello my friends, here is quilt number three, which I have managed to finish. Its a belated Christmas present for a dear aunt. I did complete most of it before my hands got bad, and as this good patch seems to be lasting I thought I would finish it!
It's another lap quilt , this time with a more contempary feeling......
Its in a light brown to pale green palate......hope she likes it!! x x
Been enjoying my cake again after falling off the dieting waggon......suddenly I am using my china a lot more!
What do you think of this roll of wallpaper that has fallen into my lap...it's very 1950's and heavily embossed! I am sure that someone out there would love it out there..........I am going to list it on my other blog Sidmouth Poppy Treasures.
I also made two denim flower corsages......
Just have to buy some brooch backs off of e-bay......will try making some from my stack of vintage fabrics next.
Am a bit frustrated as my last operation on my right hand has been put back from the very beginning of March to the very end of March, which may interfere with my planned Royal Wedding High Tea Party!!! I may have to ask my guests to help prepare everything!!!

Please don't forget my giveaway explained on this post...it's run over from December! Good luck and please tell your friends about it x

Tuesday 18 January 2011

My Second Quilt!

I have just finished my second quilt ever! A rosy lap quilt! It's only taken me a year due to manky hands interuptus!



I am waiting for my last hand op and going through a bit of a good patch so I got my sewing out! It felt so good to be doing something!!! Although I have to take it steady and stop as soon as I get fizzling (pins and needles) slowly but surely I managed to finish her...my Winter Rose quilt.



Fiver loves sitting on it and often jumped up while I was sewing!


It's so lovely and snuggley.It's quite a heavy weight quilt as its made from upholstery or curtain fabric samples, but its thick and warm and will be robust enough to be taken to picnics and beaches in the summer and used as a rug!

I have always dreamed of making quilts and now I have finished two!!!

One I sewed completely by hand....but this one , I did the patchwork by hand and the quilting by machine........
Although I bound it by hand............it's been a long hard slog due to my bad hands......
But well worth it and I LOVE IT!!!!!

Saturday 15 January 2011

How Trendy Are Granny Squares!

I have been wanting to learn how to crochet for years now...and have finally ordered some books from the library to teach myself..
I fancy learning granny squares to make a thrown for the beach and flowers, and snowflakes...
Didn't realise how uber trendy I was till I saw this picture from Paul Smiths collection


Mmmm a bit far out for me!!! Who knew granny squares could be so trendy and probably so very, very, very expensive!!

Thursday 13 January 2011

Oh these dark days......

Oh its so hard to get motivated with these dark days and early evenings......I always seem soooo tired!

Today I sat snuggled beside the lamp.......sewing.....


It's so nice sewing a quilt as its draped across your lap keeping you all nice and snuggly....



The only thing missing was a pot of tea and a cake! I am desperately trying to loose weight, I don't think I ever ate toooooo much but rather my diet consisted of all the wrong things...infact it was 75% cake!!!! I am afraid I am having rather severe cake withdrawal symptoms!!! Somehow a banana just don't cut it!!!! x hope you are all getting through these long dark days in your own way x

Tuesday 11 January 2011

More Finds!

Look what The Hubster came home with today!!!
Four beautiful tea pots!!
A beautiful Sadler willow patterned one...........


A very pretty rose one....
A yellow beehive shaped one , I think it looks 1930's but if you know better please let me know x

And big brown Betty.... she is a beauty!
If you know anything about the history/age of these tea pots , I would be very grateful if you would let me know x

I was also faced with a bit of a dilemma! As The Hubster also brought home a new Kenwood.....


And a Kitchen Aid, I must admit I was very tempted...........


But really could not bear the thought of giving up my retro Kenwood!!!!!! x Till next time x

Monday 10 January 2011

Hello friends........I haven't blogged much since Christmas because New Years Eve we all caught the horrible sickness bug that was going around! We were in Wiltshire when it started so had a nightmare car journey back to Devon where we collapsed into bed and spent two whole days there!!!
It left us all feeling weak and wobbly and gave us hot flushes for a good week afterwards!!!
Anyways enough of the doom and gloom, hope you all enjoyed Christmas and the New Year...I got so many presents I couldn't begin to show you all of them as I had over 70!
But here are a selection .....
Knitted cakes and flowery tea cosy!!!!
Yum yum, the only kind of cake I can admire as at the moment like many of you out there I am hoping to loose some weight!!!
I was so chuffed with my tea cosy...knitted by mother x x x
I just can't stop looking at them!!

Got this lovely blue jug, just right for custard!!
A lovely little rosebud trio..............
Father Christmas must have thought I had been a very good girl as he got me these wonderful vintage hair pins.........


A lovely colourful watering can......

and dibber for my garden.....I am going to practically have an allotment out the back this year as we are building three huge vegetable beds!!!
A wonderful journal..............
Quite possibly one of my favourite pressies...these hairgrips!!!
And last but not least an amazing vintage broach from my daughter Poppy x
Well I hope you have all enjoyed seeing some of my Crimbo pressies......hope you all got lovelies too!!!

Due to being away and ill I didn't get a chance to remind everyone to enter my December give away so I am extending it to the end January! Read all about it here x x