Going Nowhere

It's summer and most people are out and about travelling around visiting places, but I'm going nowhere. My van is not running and I haven't left Ilchester for almost two weeks!

I have to walk everywhere, as my beloved bicycle needs a new inner tube.

Luckily the Ilchester street fair was at the weekend and I got to buy some lovely local Water Buffalo sausages and rib eye steak. It's my annual treat. The buffalo farm is only a few miles away and I pass the shadowy creatures on my way to Yeovil . They were originally bought for milk to make mozzarella cheese, but buffalo meat is low in cholesterol and has a string of other health benefits, so the farmers started selling the meat. If I want to see the cowboy and native americian indian style buffalo I only have to travel to West Coker. (If only....)

My shop was full the day of the street fair. It's not really laid out for hordes of people, but I was pleased to see them all. Many of them hadn't been in before and some promised to come back when they had time to browse.

I've been visited by loads of dragonflies, not surprising living so close to the river Yeo. There is even a street named after them.


Although the allotment is at the other end of the village, my shop is at the half way point, so that breaks the journey up.

Of course I can get many things from my own garden like these raspberries.

I've come to terms with having a microwave now and used it to make some jam, as you can make a jar at a time with ease. I even sterilised the jar in the microwave.

The family were very happy. We don't usually have jam in the house. Since there was a jar and a bit I made a batch of scones to try the jam out on.

I've walked to one of the village garages and booked my van in to be fixed. I usually go to the motor museum, but I didn't think my van would make it. The water pump has gone and it could over heat. So hopefully my van will be ready for the weekend and I will be free.

All the fun of the Sythe Fair

Green Sythe Fair Somerset

Not the best place for a hay fever sufferer, but there was so much to do that I really enjoyed myself between sneezing fits. I stayed away from the grass cutting competitions and concentrated on the other green aspects of the fair. I had a stall here last year and did really well. Stupidly I didn't rebook in time, so missed out on a great opportunity for selling my eco friendly wares to double the amount of people who came last year.

This gave me more time to visit other stalls, enjoy the live entertainment and queue for the lovely food on offer. There was a real festival feeling and the fair is only a few miles from both my home and shop adding to the green aspect. There were spinners, weavers, blacksmiths, thatchers, and look - giant knitting needles! I had to have a go.
There were plants for sale on several stalls. We went home with some purple sweetcorn with instructions to report back to the Monkton Wyld sellers to let them know how they do in Ilchester.

Mc had a good look at the bees. He hasn't kept bees for over a decade and it looks like he might be lured back into it. The parish council have given the go ahead for hives on the allotments, but as most of his equipment has already been given away, we wont be having a hive any time soon.

I went to the car boot first of course

The fair was on a Sunday, and we did a quick sweep of my village car boot sale, before we set off. I was lucky enough to get some hand made items directly from the makers. Not all the handmade items in my shop are made by me. The prices were far too low, but the sellers were clearing out and didn't mind even when I explained I would be reselling their hard work. It still seemed wrong, and I was standing next to customers who haggled the price of a brand new handmade fully lined pegbag down to 40p!

I raced up to the Mr.Men bag hoping it was a curtain or duvet cover, but it was a nice well made bag with a lining and pocket.

Peg bag Syndrome

It's peg bag weather again and I have a wider variety of peg bags now thanks to a lovely lady who was in the mood for sewing and had a wide selection to choose from.

There's an old complaint in this area among crafters that's called the peg bag syndrome. When I used to do craft fairs pegbags would either fly off the stall or be completely ignored for weeks. I get people asking for them when I don't have them, but some people have come back again when they saw one hung up in the window, so there's hope.

Strode College End of Year Show
I attended Sophie's art collage end of year show preview and still have Tony's to go. It is all very well polished work presented very well. There was lots I loved especially Sophie's yarn bombed bicycle. Students love vintage things and I spotted some items from my shop put to very interesting use. I don't know who's work this lampshade thing is I will find out, so I can put a credit on the photo.

A Rummage in Lyme Regis

Since I will be spending my birthday dismantling a shed, we decided to go on a pre-birthday jolly. The logical direction to travel was away from the Bath & West showground. It took a while to dispatch the children to various locations, so mid morning we headed towards Lyme Regis via Yeovil. We never know where we will actually end up when we point the now newly welded and re-MOT'ed van out of Ilchester. The plan was to take the picnic basket to Asda as it is on route, and stop off somewhere on the way to eat whatever we bought to put in it. It all went to plan!

Asda isn't a hotbed of Artisan food, but with almost two aisles of crisps and a decent 'free from' corner we managed to select a nice spread. Mc and I split up to pick up odd things, and it wasn't until we unpacked that we noticed the tropical citrus theme. Tropical drink with lime, lemon olives, lemon and coriander humus and lemon zest cookies.

Even the delicious desert was fairly tropical too.

On our journey we travelled through a beech wood and looked out for a lay-by or gateway, when just as we reached the end there it was. A driveway to a National Trust location. It was just the place for a stop-off. A proper carpark and lovely beech woods. It was Lambert's Castle the sight of a hill fort, so there was open space too. We have often driven past and not noticed the entrance. We will definitely be stopping of there again.

We are quite familiar with Lyme Regis, so it was wonderful to find a new shop has open up. It was the first shop we visited as we walked down the hill towards the beach. (We always go via the high street). Brilliantly named Rummage it is run by Gaye and has been open for 5 weeks.

There is lots of lovely stuff outside and inside.

I can't resist looking through the buttons.

I end up buying some.

I zigzagged across the road to visit A touch of Vintage. I was lucky enough to wonder in on the day it opened two years ago. It has changed a bit since, but is still lovely. Upstairs they have some delicately designed welsh tapestry cushions that are adorable. I hadn't asked if I could take photos before I went up, so I didn't take any.

I have recently had a run on tea cups in the shop, so I'm on the lookout for more. Everyone seems to be having tea parties, and everyone seems to have different tastes. Roses and violets are popular as well as spots, but fruit and leaves take some peoples fancy too.
I looked round the charity shops and managed to find this lot.

All thirsty work, so we go into the place where we usually get take away tea, and decide to sit inside for a change. The tea room has almost Alice in Wonderland dimensions, getting narrower towards the back. The open door with view to the beach saves anyone feeling claustrophobic.

After that refreshing break it was finally time to hit the beach. The well populated beach was just as expected and there was a happy vibe about the place. We walked a bit, Mc went to a little bookshop while I had a look in the emporium. I always have a look, and sometimes even buy something, but not this time.

We had a bit of a paddle and just sat and did.. well nothing.. (I took some photos, and threw some stones) I had to poke my nose into the beach huts as always.

The town and beach had a lot of visitors and it's not unusual to bump into someone you know. Just when we thought it wouldn't happen we saw a group of people from Ilchester winding their way back to the carpark ahead of us.

We went home in a mini VW convoy only parting when we approached the allotment.

Watering and weeding are easier later in the day when the heat has abated. It's just a matter of deciding what to do all day until then.

A glorious weekend and Donna's open house

I have often tried to get to one of Donna Flower's open days and have always been thwarted. Double booking, prior commitments, freak weather etc have always got in the way. Not this time though. I finally made it albeit at the last minute on the last day. Mc drove me and Sophie all the way through scenic Somerset and Devon ( I was doing crochet, so I didn't actually see any of the scenery. I had to unravel most of it though, because I was reading out the google map directions and kept getting the octagonal pattern wrong.)

We discovered that we had matching cloth tape measures!!! I often wear mine when I'm doing shows as there is a place to keep your scissors and pins.




I was tempted by all the lovely fabric, but what I had my eye on was the lovely twine that Donna sells. It comes in a variety of colour-ways, but I was after the white with red to go with my vintage twine holder. I should have measured it or taken it with me to insure a good fit, but look it fits perfectly! With 300 mtrs I should have enough for parcels, and making price tags for items in my shop. I might even try crochet or macrame and make a string bag.





















By the time I arrived stock was depleted, but there was still plenty to feast my eyes on. Look at these snugly quilts, blankets and eiderdowns. I'm surprised I didn't find one of Donna's cats sleeping in here.


















I've seen Donna's gorgeous kitchen in a few magazines, and it was lovely to see it first hand. It is huge in real life.


Sophie took the photos in this blog post. After choosing a dress and a pair of shoes from the clothing section.

When we first arrived in the village and I popped in to tell Donna we were there, but on our way to lunch. She sent us to Tea on the Green a lovely vintage themed cafe in Westward Ho! We popped back to Westward Ho! to visit the beach after we left Donna's

Then it was back home to Ilchester where the glorious weather continued. Sunday morning's car boot sale was a big one with sellers happy to get up on a warm morning with no sign of rain, and sell their unwanted stuff.


I went home with quite a stash. I bought a box of knitting needles without looking through them. I was thrilled to find an illusive afghan crochet hook in there. Here it's pictured here against an amazing pouffe that is hiding behind everything else in the picture. Also hiding is a cute little folding wooden step stool. Oh yes that is a pair of purple Dr. Martins - size 6 which means they might even make it into my shop as we are all (including No1 son, but except Mc) size 4/5

If you can't find me I'm down at the allotment

I made it to the top of the waiting list, and now have an allotment in my village. You can see it from the 303 as you zoom past the Ilchester junction and smell the sewage works.

I decided that this bed was far too big, and wanted to split it into two smaller beds or make it L shaped. This is why I have been so quiet lately.

I took over a small plot which has had some work done on it already, but the last tenant was moving out, so, the shed, gate, bench and wood from the raised beds were eventually taken away.

One thing I have noticed is how obsessed the English are about potatoes. Everyone wants to know 'Where are you going to put your potatoes?' 'How big is you potato bed going to be?' 'Will you be sowing earlies, late earlies and lates?' ...um well actually I wasn't going to grow any spuds at all!! We eat carrots and broccoli, some beans sweet potatoes, pasta, couscous, and rice at home. Why would I want to grow potatoes?

Mc has taken over the general direction of the allotment and if you haven't noticed he is Irish, so we are growing Charlotte and Desiree who as far as I knew were two of Elvis' girlfriends, but are actually potatoes.

We have now got a microwave cooking box thing in the kitchen and I have heard that you can put potatoes in it and wait for a ting noise and then they come out a bit like baked boiled potatoes. I think it is as much a waste of space as the similar looking TV box thing in the other room.

We have been working the allotment for a month now and I notice that we should start taking notes. We forget what we have sewn where and when. This info would be useful now and next year.

I've missed some good fairs due to having my head in the mud (that's another thing apparently it is called SOIL). I will have to visit a few blogs to see what I missed.

Rook Lane Retro Review

I've been visiting other blogs reading about Rook Lane Retro Fair. Even though I was as there selling it's still nice to see things through other's eyes and camera's. I've seen some lovely photo's of my stall and items people have bought from me. Also I've seen pictures of other stalls showing stuff I bought home with me! Alan's photo's on Suzy's Vintage Attic are wonderful. I took along a Mexican themed tin to keep my Toni Raymond Mexican Man sugar shaker company and it is now in the celestral company of a dog named Tog. I haven't seen the photo's Sophie (pictured here) took of the fair yet, she is busy with course work, so I won't distract her. I was going to just use everyone elses, but I do have some of my own. Look....








My stall was just inside the door with light from one of the large stained glass windows illuminating my stuff. The little doll behind one of the oxo tins now lives here

Toni Raymon Mexican Man sugar shaker renewing his aquaintance with the Toni Raymond Owl scissor and string holder.

I usually leave something or things behind (this time I left lots). I usually forget the airing rack, but not this time. I love things that unfold and can be put to many different uses.
Visiting this fair was just as much fun as last time perhaps even more fun. #1 son didn't come along this time, so I didn't have to keep nipping to the car park to see if he was still waiting in the camper. I just have to thank my two helpers Sophie and Mc and of course all the customers, organisers and café staff. I welcome cup of coffee and melting moment was provided at set-up. I'm beginning to think this treatment is normal. Stall holders got similar treatment at Bridport rag market. I'm sure it wasn't like this when I used to do craft fairs in the Taunton area...

New Diary

I'm very disorganised, but I like an interesting diary. Last year I had a Dodo diary and the year before I had a Benrik Diary This year I only have a basic supermarket own label affair. The first thing I do when I get a new diary is stick a pocket in the back if it doesn't already have one, so I was pleased when I found next years diary. It has a very substantial pouch fitted inside the back cover.

I don't usualy order the next years diary in March, but while I was ordering limited edition Liberty fabric from the V&A I noticed that they had a diary celerbrating their impending quilt exhibition. The photo's are sumptuous. Lovely shots of the back of quilts, haberdashery etc.


Of course I had to buy fabric . To make lovely things with.

There are great advantages to being prepared I can enter next years dates for the cat's flea treatment!!! I'm only worried that I might loose the diary before next year.