Hazy purple vintage fabrics at Rag Rescue

Just a quick message to all new customers trying to create an account on the Rag Rescue website. I have been alerted to a fault on the 'New Customer' part of the site. We have been having a large number of spammers creating accounts and my web designer has been trying to stop this. I think that somehow the solution has created an error in the above area. I do apologise for this and hope that the problem will soon be resolved. 

Just had a message from my web designer he has fixed the fault and everything is working again. What good service, I only got in contact five minutes ago and look at the time.

Vintage French and German fabrics in lilac will be listed tomorrow at Rag Rescue

Make you own cushions at half the price of the Laura Ashley purple haze collection prices.

Lovely squares of vintage fabric on Tuesday

Rag Rescue website Tuesday 30th March

Vintage fabric scrapbag Monday

More lovely vintage fabric scrapbags will be listed tomorrow - Monday 29th March at 7am BST.

Am I going mad or what.

Well if you looked at my website today you would have seen that the items in the 'New Listing' category are NOT what I blogged yesterday. Oh!, I suppose there is always a first time for everything. I think it was because I had been looking after Molly all morning, then taking her to nursery and fetching her back again etc. etc. Well that is my excuse anyway. 

So above you see the lovely vintage postcards that were placed on the website today and the vintage fabric patches will be listed tomorrow (previous post)

Don't forget to put the clocks forward.

If you live outside the UK we change from GMT to BST tomorrow  so the items will be listed at

7am BST

Vintage fabric hexagonal patches

At RAG RESCUE WEBSITE on Saturday 27th March

Larger lengths of vintage fabric c. 1930s

Larger lengths of beautiful lilac printed rose designed French and german vintage fabrics - c.1930s.

Being listed tomorrow at the Rag Rescue website

Thursday is vintage fabric squares day

All can be seen at the Rag Rescue website tomorrow.

Vintage fabric scrapbags for Wednesday

 

All will be revealed at the Rag Rescue website tomorrow.

What a hectic day. I've been multi tasking all day and am now so exhausted. A local auction house is so small that on auction day we have found it to be rather an unpleasant experience. We therefore now view the day before and I sit at my computer all day listening to the auction on the computer and bid online. Today I thought whilst I was waiting for the lots to come up , I would catch up on some paperwork as the end of the financial year is within sight. This was OK except that at the same time my web designer was making alterations to the Rag Rescue website and kept emailing me and then having had problems with the server I had to get in touch with them, wait for and an answer and pass it back. All this following a sleepless night meant that I was working so slow and didn't get all my paperwork done. Still there is always another day or night and at least I have a much more efficient admin site making the time I spend on the computer far less. I did also win a handful of lots for the antiques side of the business so it was all well worth it in the end.

Postcards from the past

Lovely postcards will be arriving on the Rag Rescue website tomorrow. 

There is a whole variety, Victorian, Wartime Sweetheart card, Vintage Easter cards and cards sent from Germany.

Mondays antique and vintage lace

Well my customers have certainly kept me busy this week, a big thank you. I have been so busy that I have only finished writing the pre-listings although there will be 10 days continuous this time. The fairs are on the horizon for beginning of April so I thought that as I have so much to do regarding the antique side of the business I had better give myself a few days of extra time before we set off on Easter Sunday.

Tomorrow is the first of those 10 days listing and will show antique and vintage lace, collars, large and small pieces with some very pretty designs.

Rag Rescue Website

Well my working day is not yet over as I have two very large orders to sort out before I can relax.

Beads, embellishments and quilt fabric

All will be listed tomorrow at the Rag Rescue website

More vintage fabric squares tomorrow

All at Rag Rescue website

We have bought so many antiques for the fairs at the beginning of April that I am going to sort out my older boxes and leave some behind as we won't have space to show everything. I'm hoping to do this at the weekend and put some vintage goods on the site next week. I am sure that I have lots of lovely items that will wet your appetite.

Japanese mon

Listing tomorrow morning at the Rag Rescue website

In case you are not familiar with Japanese 'mon',  I have copied the following from Wikipedia.

'Mon' add formality to a kimono. A kimono may have one or three or five mon. The mon themselves can be more or less formal; more formal kimono display more numerous mon, and frequently in a manner so as to make them stand out more. This may help dress up or dress down the formality of a kimono at the wearer's discretion. In the dress of the ruling class, the mon could be found on the kimono on both sides of the chest, on both sleeves, and in the middle of the back.

It is thought that mon originated as fabric patterns to be used on clothes in order to distinguish individuals or signify membership in a specific clan or organisation. By the twelfth century, sources give a clear indication that heraldry had been implemented as a distinguishing feature, especially for use in battle. It is seen on flags, tents and equipment.

Like Western heraldry, mon were initially held only by aristocratic families, and were gradually adapted by commoners. On the battlefield, mon served as army standards, even though this usage was not universal and uniquely designed army standards were just as common as mon-based standards. (cf. sashimono, uma-jirushi) Mon were also adapted by various organizations, such as merchant and artisan guilds, temples and shrines, theatre troupes and even criminal gangs. In an illiterate society, they served as useful symbols for recognition.

Japanese traditional formal attire generally displays the mon of the wearer. Commoners without mon often used the mon of their patron or the organization they belonged to. In cases when none of those were available, they sometimes used one of the few mon which were seen as "vulgar", or invented or adapted whatever mon they wished, passing it on to their descendants. It was not uncommon for shops, and therefore shopowners, to develop mon to identify themselves.

Rules regulating the choice and use of mon were somewhat limited, though the selection of mon was generally determined by social customs. It was considered improper to use a mon that was known to be held by someone else, and offensive to use a mon that was held by someone of a high rank. When mon came into conflict, the lower-ranked person sometimes changed their mon to avoid offending their superior. The mon held by the ruling clans of Japan, such as Tokugawa's hollyhock mon and the Emperor's chrysanthemum mon, were legally protected from unauthorized usage.

Occasionally, patron clans granted the use of their mon to their retainers as a reward. Similar to the granting of the patron's surnames, this was considered a very high honour. Alternatively, the patron clan may have added elements of its mon to that of its retainer, or choose a completely different mon for them.

Antique and vintage fabric squares on Tuesday

Click the picture to enlarge.

All at Rag Rescue website tomorrow at 7am GMT

Happy mothers Day to every mother out there.

I'm going to pamper myself this evening. My wonderful son sent me a Marks and Spencers pamper set. I shall lie in the bath in the delicately fraganced candlelight, drink the champagne and eat the fruity chocolates. Then cleanse myself with rich and luxurious body wash and afterwards soften and moisturise my skin with a rich body cream with the delicate fragrance of magnolia, jasmine,rose and Summer freesias mingling with sensuous woods heliotrope and patchouli.

He knows how to spoil his mother, thank you Daniel .

Until then though, there is work to be completed. So here is a taster of what is being listed tomorrow 

on the RAG RESCUE WEBSITE

Last year's celebration of all things vintage and homemade is set to continue

RAG RESCUE WEBSITE tomorrow.

What is taking the market by storm this year?

Interest in sewing, dressmaking and home decor continues to gain momentum.

Last year's celebration of all things vintage and homemade is set to continue, with traditional patterns, such as red and white checks, flowers and beach-style prints, very much in favour. 

Colour-wise, anything girly will be in vogue, with light pinks, yellows, blues, purples and white all in fashion. However, two-tone pieces will also be popular, particularly ones featuring similar colours in a range of different tones, such as pinks and oranges.

Animal prints are also going to be huge in 2010, with leopard, cow, tiger and zebra-inspired pieces set to be particularly popular over the next year. In terms of colours, black and white designs are definitely worth looking out for, as are fabrics in varying tones of orange and brown, including deep ambers and mahoganies with slightly red undertones.

Old-fashioned patterns will also be making a comeback, with polka dots, stripes and tartan-inspired fabrics boasting a very strong presence at the show. Black, pink and blue fabrics with large white polka dots will also be particularly popular, as will tartan-style pieces in deep purples, dark greys, orangey browns and navy.

Lady Gaga-inspired pieces are also going to be very much in favour, so anything bright pink, sequinned or shiny will be in huge demand, particularly beads, gems, embellishments and feathers in vibrant hues. Sequins will be huge in 2010, especially pink, red, black, gold and silver-coloured ones, as will boa-style feathers and Strictly Come Dancing-inspired designs.

(Taken from Craft Business)

So I'll be searching for vintage finds that are in trend this year.

Vintage fabric squares and new life

At Rag Rescue website tomorrow

The big day arrived and my grandson Oliver was born this afternoon at 2.30pm. He weighed in at 7lb and 9ozs, a good size to say that he was three weeks early. Mother and baby are apparently doing well.

More 'Signs of Spring' scrapbags today

RAG RESCUE WEBSITE

I don't know what is happening with blogger. I listed the post last night and it isn't showing so I'm trying again. Also I'm also having difficulty placing the photo's in first, just have to go back and put them in afterwards. Is anyone else having problems?

Tuesdays vintage fabric squares

 

RAG RESCUE WEBSITE

'Signs of Spring' vintage fabric scrapbags

 

Monday 8th March

at

RAG RESCUE WEBSITE 

Lighter mornings, blue skies, bird song, it makes you good to feel alive. Mind you I could have done without having to scrape the ice off the car windows this morning at 7am on my way to look for stock. Still the view across the bag made up for it.

Vintage lace, embroidery and braids on Friday

RAG RESCUE WEBSITE

Thursday is vintage haberdashery day

Rag Rescue website

Website Spring cleaning day

More larger vintage fabrics tomorrow at

the Rag Rescue website 

I've been a busy bee today. I've made a lot more vintage fabric scrapbags which I am calling

SIGNS OF SPRING

This is mainly because I woke up this morning early to hear the birds singing and I saw that the lambs had been released back into the fields. The vintage fabrics within the scrapbags are so pretty and I hope that they will cheer you all up after such a dreadful cold and dreary Winter. I've also prepared a large number of vintage fabric squares which I hope will  brighten you up also.

After doing all of this I decided that the website needed a Spring clean and set to to clear out over 350 items that had been sold last month.

I am feeling pretty pleased with myself today not only because of the work I've managed to get through but also because my daughter went to the hospital today to have another scan and was told that they are bringing her section forward from the 19th of this month to next Wednesday the 10th. So baby Oliver will soon be here. Molly his sister will be really pleased, nine months is a long time for a little 4 year old girl to wait. I must complete the mobile Molly and I have been making over the past few weeks. Just got a few more felt balls to make and put it all together. I'll show it on my 'Feltissimo' blog when completed.

What a joyous day.

Vintage fabric scrapbag Tuesday

 

OOps! I forgot to post these. Not very good photos on here I'm afraid. I'm using a mosaic maker and the scrapbags photo's I've taken seem to be chopped off. I suppose it is because the scrapbags are long and the mosaics are square. Still as it is 6.20 am only 40mins until they are listed on the website

RAG RESCUE WEBSITE 

Now I must go and travel a way to view an auction.