INCREASE YOUR VINTAGE STASH

Lots of lovely vintage items are being added to the RAG RESCUE WEBSITE tomorrow.
They include a number of stash bags - quilt pieces, quilt patches and new 'Create a picture' stash bags.
There is also a lovely piece of dress fabric, some buckles, lots of vintage hankies and hair nets as well as bells, French linen and 1950's net.
Also
THE PICK OF THE DAY
A superb 19th century French large tassel and matching braid.

This beautiful tassel and its matching braid were from the centre of the underside of a 'corona' above a bed. The fabric was attached to a wire hoop and the braid was stitched around it. The tassel hung from the centre. Unfortunately the fabric was too damaged to re-use but thankfully the tassel and braid are still in excellent condition with very little fading. The tassel is made from wool and the carved wooden shapes are covered in pure silk threads.

This would create a focal point over any bed in a corona or equally superb at the centre of swagged curtains or even on the end of a cushion or frame.

What ever its final destination I know that you will be pleased with this wonderful tassel and braid.
The top has a diameter of 6cms and the tassels hangs down12cms.

The braid is 98cms long and 3cms wide.

This is the last day of this weeks listings. The new items will go on-line at 7am BST tomorrow - Friday

VINTAGE HABERDASHERY

RAG RESCUE NEW LISTINGS ON THURSDAY

Just to let you know that Rag Rescue website feedback system is now in operation. If you enjoy looking at the site or indeed have had experience of buying from me, then please leave feedback.

VINTAGE FABRICS, BAGS AND HABERDASHERY

There is nothing nicer than a pretty Summer bag for those special occasions. Tomorrow I am listing three such bags, an Edwardian linen bag embroidered with violets that can be hung around the waist and a beautiful 1930's crochet bag lined with pink silk and embellished with ribbons.
I am placing these three bags in the 'Crafted Goods' category which soon will have its name changed to 'Vintage items'
For all you crafters out there that love to make there own bags I'm including some very large Victorian press studs and hooks and eyes. These are still in perfect condition as they are brass based and rustproof. I use the large press studs myself when I make felt bags.
Also included are some old boot buttons, ideal for toys, some beaded lampshade fringing and some more of those lovely scrapbags plus a pack of Victorian quilt fabrics.

VINTAGE FABRICS - SQUARES AND SCRAPBAGS

Tuesday morning will see a variety of vintage fabrics listed. Lots of six inch English fabric squares and gorgeous French and English fabrics in the form of scrapbags. there is also a wonderful needlecase made by Kirby Beard & Co. Ltd. Redditch.

RAG RESCUE NEW LISTINGS

Listing at 7am BST as usual.

ANTIQUE LACE AND VINTAGE ROSES

These items will be listed tomorrow morning at 7am BST

Sorry folks, this evening's blog post is short. I've been listing all day and have prepared 76 new items for listing this week.

Excitement at the Rag Rescue base camp

I have spent all yesterday in contact with my new web designer who is an absolute star. As you know I list every day for a week but have been having to list the items the previous day in order to upload them all at a set time the next morning.
I suggested that it would save me time if I could list and save the weeks items all in one swoop and somehow just itemise certain ones to list on a particular day.

Well, now I can do that.

In fact it is better than I imagined. Once I have listed and saved all of the weeks items, the computer does the rest, I don't even have to be near it.

Its magic!

No more getting up at 6am to get ready for listing I can stay in bed and know that my days items have been listed and if any orders have come in they will all have been put on hold.

How cool is that.

So today is the first day of this weeks listings. I haven't prepared too many just in case there is a hitch. For that reason I haven't done a preview photo - sorry.

There will be some more scrapbags and some hexagonal quilt patches for starters.

If everything goes well then the listing will start in earnest on Monday. I have some lovely vintage made items from the 1930s as well as vintage fabrics, haberdashery and embellishments.

COMBINED POSTAGE - 'WISH LIST' reduce you postal costs further.

ONE WAY OF REDUCING YOUR POSTAL COSTS FURTHER

I tend to list new items on alternate weeks.

Why not join our 'WISH LIST' scheme.

During a listing week you can place items on your 'WISH LIST' by ordering through the checkout system but instead of paying by Paypal immediately, select the 'Bank Transfer' option. Then just email me through the contact page to tell me that you would like a 'wish list' that week.
If you see items on further days during that week, follow the same process but there will be no need to email me again that week.
I will move any further orders onto your first one of the week.

By logging into the website, you will be able to keep a check on your weekly order in your account. At the end of the week I will send you a paypal invoice for your total including the postage cost.

I have been trialling this with a few customers and they are very pleased, how easy this is and grateful for the amount of postage/shipping they have saved.

Every little helps.

ROYAL MAIL increases are not affecting Rag Rescue shipping.

I thought I'd let you know the good news.
Although Royal Mail have increased their costs for postal services, I've decided that for this coming year anyway I will not increase the postal costs for UK buyers of the shipping costs for overseas buyers. The reason for this is that I try to keep my overall charges low, for both goods and postage, especially in these hard times.

New Image facility on Rag Rescue

I am so excited about my website. My new web designer has not only completed the automation of the site, giving me far less work to do but has also started to enhance the site. Previously when you went to a photograph of an item and clicked it to see a larger image you was taken to a new page and the image was on the left. I was never happy with that. Now you will find that the background fades and the pictures centrally and all on the same page.
Have a look and send me your thoughts please and any other ideas that will make your viewing easier. I have a few of my own but ideas coming from the other side of the fence, so to speak are always a help.

I will listing new items again towards the end of the week. This gives me time to sort out customers 'wish lists' and get them posted.

1960's fabrics and more.

I have heaps and heaps of 1960's dress/skirt/blouse making fabrics in my stash and I've just got around to listing it. It will appear in the 'New listings' category tomorrow morning at 8am BST.

You can mix and match it, use it for yourself or make children's clothes, dolls clothes, use it for cafe curtains, anything really. There are metres of it so you can buy just one metre or a whole length. Some of it is layered with the fabric separated with lovely vintage cotton lace and some has edging lace as well.

VINTAGE TASSELS,SEQUINS AND FABRICS

Tomorrow I will be listing a selection of vintage tassels and vintage sequins that came from an old haberdashery shop that closed in the late 1950's.
With these there will be vintage squares of fabric and superb Victorian fabrics sourced from old quilts.

Listing will be at 7.30am BST

Thank you to all of those customers who bought from me today, it makes getting out of bed early, worthwhile.

Friday morning new listings.

Here is just a sample of the 24 new items I will be listing tomorrow morning at 7.30am BST

I am sorry that I have not had the time to do a block picture of more of the items. Today has been another busy day working on correcting the website.
The great news it that it is fully automated now, thank goodness. When a payment is made by paypal, the items are put on hold immediately and your invoice shows up in your account. This means I will have more time to prepare new items and find them for you.
What a relief.
If you do have a problem please let me know as soon as possible so that I can get it corrected.
Thank you for your patience.

What a busy day I've had. Up at 5am to go to an auction, returned home and listed many items for tomorrows listing, in between testing the sites automation system for hours.
So now I am ready to list lots of lovely items tomorrow at 7.30am BST

A PREVIEW OF SOME OF THURSDAY LISTINGS

Sorry no listings tomorrow. Two reasons, the first is my memory or rather lack of it as I had forgotten that I am at auction all day tomorrow. As you probably know I have had great difficulties with my site with regard to placing sold items as 'sold' and therefore I don't want to risk someone paying again for an item which has already been sold whilst I am away from the computer.
The second reason is that we have been testing the new logic on on the site today and the first part is successful when ordering by cheque although we haven't put it into operation at the moment because we want to get the paypal side tested.

The good news is that I have been taking many photo's today and the photo's above show some of the new items that will appear on the website on Thursday morning. I'm not sure at what time but I will give an update tomorrow evening on this blog.

I've had another piece of absolutely brilliant news today, totally unrelated to Rag Rescue but I'm bursting to tell you all.
A few years ago my mother had ovarian cancer a huge one, the size of a rugger ball. She had this removed and amazingly ,as she was 80 years old, she survived but of course as is usual, there is always the doubt that it would return. Three weeks ago the doctor did some tests on her pancreas as she had been unwell and lost yet more weight. We were all concerned that the cancer had returned BUT today she was given the all clear. It was just the pancreatitus again, not just but you know I mean. Phew! we can all relax again.

I think I good stiff drink is called for.

LISTING NEW ITEMS BEGINS TOMORROW

I'm starting this weeks listings with Vintage Fabrics. I've bought so many fabrics lately that I thought it best to reduce some of my stock. I know that scrapbags and squares are many of your favourites, so I'm starting tomorrow with a selection of these.
Listing will be at 7am BST
Don't forget that I put a preview of some of the listings here on this blog on the eve of listing day.

Busy preparing for more listings.

The fairs were very busy, I've never seen so many people visiting them. I'm not sure what happened to the recession, it certainly seem to be around last week.I did however manage to find time to go out buying and found some wonderful old fabrics which are now drying ready for ironing and being organised into scrapbags, squares and stash bags. I also came across two boxes of haberdashery hidden amongst a pile of furniture. It contained loads of tassels and packets of old sequins amongst other odds and ends. I also found some more old lace, collectors will be pleased to hear. All will be revealed in due course.

The other interesting thing was that I spotted a furniture dealers van from Scotland. I recognised the the name as we had seen the advert for them at the side of the road on our holiday last October. My husband spoke to the owners as we had spotted outside their stall, a wonderful carved wooden bear stool. Unfortunately we didn't buy the bear as he was over a thousand pounds but we did find out something interesting. During the course of the conversation my husband told them that we were looking for old fabrics and to our delight he said he had cases of old fabrics stored away. A trip to Scotland is now on our list of things to do very soon, I can't wait to rescue these fabrics from their storage. Fingers crossed that they are just wonderful and still usable.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS AGAIN.

Ludo is glad to be back home again. He will probably sleep for the next week and hardly eat anything as he is so spoilt at the fairs. His favourite American lady bought him his usual bag of goodies and treats and he was petted and stroked to almost oblivion by his new friends from Prague. Ludo is well known at the fairs and everyone knows his name even if they don't know ours.

The fairs were great this time and I've never seen them so full of people, buying, buying and buying. The weather was kinder also so I was able to go out hunting for goodies for the website and for those items that my customers asked me to find.

I think I've managed to cross off all of the Rag Rescue sales so
THE
WEBSITE
IS NOW
OPEN AGAIN.

I am hoping that we will be fully automated sometime this week so if you have difficulty at any point this week getting on to the website, please email me as we may be testing.
When this is all completed I will be listing more items once again.

Thank you for you patience during the closure time.