Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts

Saturday, 16 October 2010

New old purchases

First off, I feel crapola for not having blogged for ages - there is so much I want to write about but I've just not been in the right frame of mind over the past weeks; the combination of a sick kitten, a sick self, a Mad Men addiction and a house guest haven't helped urge me on either, so this is just a small post to ease me back in.

My guest and I went charity shopping today, taking the bus from sunny Crackney all the way to...North London.  Golly, I'd forgotten what the wilds of Seven Sisters Road were like, and it was a football match day so all the beer drinking and loudly swearing burly blokes ended up giving me quite the headache after a couple of hours.

Anyway - I had some shopping success and managed to purchase for myself a really beautiful biscuit barrel which I shall use to keep my teabags in (I know I should use leaf tea, and I do have some, but I prefer PG Tips and from a pyramid bag by jove!).  It really is a pretty little thing, off white with a gold floral design and wicker handle, with the original lid, and only £2!  I'm very happy with it, as is Marlon:








Egad!  In that first picture you can see my chipped nail polish.  I'll have to fix that this evening!

The barrel is made by Sadler, a UK based teapot manufacturer.  The company started in 1882 and is still making its famous "Brown Betty" teapots to this day.  The mark on this piece dates it to the late 40's.  Hurrah!

There was another lovely pair of biscuit barrels which I considered buying too, but they were £17 for the pair and while lovely I resent paying that much when thrifting and left them behind.  I am slightly regretting it now though as I'd like one for sugar and one for coffee (not that I drink the muck but still, its good to have it in for guests and the like).

In another shop on our trek back eastwards I found a lovely wool tweed skirt - probably 80's I'd say but it looks incredibly 40's on.  Its a brown check with dark red, mustard and blue accents, mid calf length with large wide top-stitched pleats.  It is from Kinloch Anderson and, having looked at their website, my £3.50 was a bargain.  I'm at a bit of a loss at what I've got to pair with it - might knit something.  Any ideas welcome.








Finally, this wasn't a purchase today but I'm just thrilled with it  A knitting bag.  Its huge and so contains all three current (and neglected) projects.


I do so love shopping.


Thursday, 23 September 2010

Anyone for tea?

Well, I bought the set I was after and it arrived this morning at the undignified hour (for a day off anyway) of 8am.

It is beautiful, a cream background with tunning and somewhat loosely painted orange, yellow and grey flowers.

I've got a teapot, 6 trios, 4 side plates, 2 cake plates a jug and a sugar bowl. Gorgeous! I also picked up some lovely silver tongs and a 4 matching teaspoons for 50p recently so I'm all set in the tea party department.

Here is my new baby in all her glory!


  I've tried to find more of that rugged yorkshire dales pattern but there isn't a bean on the 'Bay.


Anyway - my yellow pattern is called "Sunburst" and while there are a lot of tea items available there isn't much in the way of dinner sets.  Infact I saw a tureen on eBay with aprice of £119!  It must be quite rare.  I might try and find something complementary but easier to find for my dinner service.


I also treated myself to a lovely new (old) sewing box today - and have totally tidied my craft cupboard.  Look at this lovely thing.  I think its possible the cats like it even more than me!  It was from my very favourite second hand shop - Past Caring on Essex Road in Islington - an absolute treasure trove of vintage lamps, glassware and sewing paraphernalia.





I also had a fantastic hair day today - but that's all part of tomorrows post!

Sunday, 5 September 2010

there is always something more I want...

Yep, I'm never satisfied me, and following Helen Highwater's recent post on her vintage china collection I've decided I really need a pretty tea and dinner service.  I've persuaded myself that this is OK because it means I'll invite people over for tea / dinner rather than meeting them at the pub and drinking.  That is blatantly an excuse though and I just want to buy pretty things.

Thing is china is such a new thing to me that I just don't know where to start.  I've been trawling eBay looking at china patterns and one I like is Paragon "rockingham" which featues incredibly over the top filigree type decoration and pictures of birds.  It comes in both red and green and there seems to be a fair bit about.


I've even seen a few pink and yellow pieces though these seem to be much rarer.

Probably too grand for me but I've enjoyed looking at it.

On the other hand, I also love this deco design.  Its more homely and yet much rarer.  It makes me smile just looking at it:

I think this might be the one.