Pretty Pastel Style

 

For those of you who are makers/designers/creative potterers will understand my feeling of exhaustion when I say that I have just come back from exhibiting at a fair.  But my tiredness is softened by a layering of lingering excitement still present from attending Selina Lake’s launch for her new book Pretty Pastel Style.  

Selina has used a selection of my makings in her styling projects over the last eighteen months or so and I am so thankful to her for the magazine features that have come my way from her styled shoots and one of my decorated hoops features in the book too.

The event was an intimate affair, full of colourful details, design and hand mades, laughter and smiles, friends new and old were greeted with hugs.  Echoes of eeeeks and ohhhmyyy’s were rebounded around my little table as I met industry folk who I had known for years but had never ‘actually’ met in person.  I lovingly enjoyed seeing profile pictures from Facebook and Twitter approach me in all their three dimensional sparkling glory.

As a designer maker who works from home (and whose social life evolves around the school run) an event like Selina's is so good for the soul.  To receive feedback about your work and brand, to discuss ideas, to share your passion in design and making and combined  hoarding habits, to make new contacts and most importantly form new friendships. 

Most importantly, this beautiful event, re-affirmed my approach to exhibiting at fairs.  Yes, you hope that you sell a selection of your makings, and it is good to do just that, we all need to earn a living, but how many of us can become trapped into the ‘sales’ of product and forget about selling ‘ourselves’, our little characteristics our excitable animations that make us who we are.  The personalities and smiles behind the businesses I met were equally as decorative and joyful as their products, so much so, that not only did I want to take lots of object d’art home with me but I also wanted to pop a few people in my bag to take home too as the room was full of the most amazingly friendly, creative and inspiring ladies.  The icing on this pastel cake was that I got to spend the 550 mile round trip with my very dear friend Jane from Tea With Ruby and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for the laughter all the way down the M1 and back again and for helping me construct and de-construct my table space (I never do anything simple at fairs, which Jane discovered, after the fifteenth  unloading journey from the car in sleet)

So I will waffle no more and let you breeze your way through my little diary of images – I would love to know what you think, please stop by again and say hi and I will plump the cushions on the chair for you and pop the kettle on……..milk? one lump or two?

 (this little set of images above of The Vintage Drawer is thanks to 

Sally Crane Photography)

 

 The rather candy colourful Clover's Closet

 It was an absolute delight and pleasure (and I was a little bit star struck) to meet Love Lane Vintage (especially after being inspired by Lucy Haywood's hoarding journey for the last few years).

 a wonderful discovery meeting Mia Fleur for the first time

 

 Peach Blossom, Felt Mountain Studio, Mabel and Bird, Anna Wiscombe (sorry Anna my photo of your beautiful work was blurred) if there is one thing you do over coffee is pop over to these ladies stores - so much to 'need' and 'want'.....

 Now where do I start when finding words to type for Nicky Grace - absolutely love her energy for life, her styling, her home, her fabrics and one day I will own one of her patchwork throws and live in her summerhouse without her knowing - an absolutely lovley lady whose personality is as vibrant and colourful as her work - I hope to meet Nicky again very soon on my travels....

and Nathalie's (of The U in Cute) pattern filled table top was just an explosion of delightfulness

 

Oh my!! Oh my!! The intricate detailing of Sesame & Lilly - whom I have known as an internet buddy for nearly a year and it was sooo so so good to finally meet her - a maker with amazing style and skill and she is also a very beautiful lady who wears rather fabulous necklaces - who I hope to meet again with Jane very soon for a spot of car booting in York.

Yvestown - didn't get a minute to be able to learn how to crochet a coaster with this beautiful lady...

And Abigail Warner - I have no photos of your stand but it was so fabulous to finally meet you after all these months of working together on 'snippets'....

Image credits: Vicky Trainor of The Linen Garden and The Vintage Drawer

Facebook Page: Vicky Trainor Stationery

Pretty Pastel Style

Firstly, I hope you have your Mollie Makes calendar displayed...ooooh you have? - Fabulous! That means that you are looking all month at one of my lovely linen hoops - I know - exciting isn't it!!!

 ...this is how my studio looks at the moment - washing lines of lace, this month, are being over run with washing lines of printed fabrics from scarves, handkerchiefs, samplers and furnishing delights. It is how my year is starting to develop in style. A mixture of varied scaled florals on heavy and whispering silk fabrics. All will be making the journey with me to Kingston on Thames to the 'Pretty Pastel Style' Book Launch of stylist and author Selina Lake. I will be exhibiting my own making collections of The Vintage Drawer as well as lots of lovelies from my vintage and haberdashery store The Linen Garden.

So, it would be rather lovely to meet you all and say hello, I am travelling all the way from the north to the south with my lovely friend Tea With Ruby to exhibit all my hoardings and makings - I will be at Selina's book launch on Friday March 22nd at Market House, Market Place, Kingston-on-Thames, 11am-6pm.  More information can be found here.

something a little painterly for you...

 

As the queen of list making I have just composed a masterpiece of all the makings and tasks to potter through for the exciting month that is March, orders, exhibitions and haberdashery stock to be re-loved for the shelves of The Linen Garden store.  

This year I am allowing myself the freedom of becoming a maker of all things to please my own eye, some I may sell, others I will keep.  The need to throw myself into painting again is becoming rather overwhelming, when the warm days return and I can sit in my garden again with beautiful thick watercolour paper and dyes and paint and pencils.

This is my week so far.  Has yours been a colourful one?

 image credits: please click on images.

s p r i n g i s c o m i n g

the studio looks rather pretty today and I have only 

just realised that the daffodil has such a divine scent..

Decorate It Yourself - PROJECT ONE

 My love of old linen and lace took a new direction in January when I opened up my own on-line haberdashery store.  As a maker myself of The Vintage Drawer, my studio becomes a little overwhelming at times with my obsession to hoard - I also love to encourage to make too, so the two go hand in hand with the store and a diy project or two.  So if you browse The Linen Garden shelves feeling inspired and wanting to play but  not too sure what to do and make - then let me be the first to set you a project this February. There will be a project for you to follow each month.

Decorate-It-Yourself - PROJECT ONE

'VASE COLLAR/PINNY'

Not only do I hoard linens but I hoard vases and vessels too.  There is nothing more pleasing than coming in from the shops armed with a cluster of colour or popping into the garden to collect a few seasonal snippets, choosing the right vase, arranging and then working out where they will look just 'fabulous'....so here is another layering for that decoration to be complete - a pretty home made 'vase collar'.... 

You will need:

scissors

antique cuff or collar or selection of wide lace

ribbon for ties

cut flower pack from The Linen Garden shop

a few extra haberdashery details also from The Linen Garen shop

cotton thread

embroidery thread

needles and pins

a comfy chair and inspiring background music

 STEP 1: Choose your background, a straight edged antique cuff or lace panel, you can also sew a lovely selection of lace together to form your ground.  If a collar is used with a slight curve then a more frill  effect will be achieved where the vase collar will stand out from the vase (I call these 'vase pinnies').  

Both methods are lovely (you can see a pinny version below)

STEP 2: Attach your ribbon of equal lengths, you may want to test the length first to ensure you will have enough ribbon to make a tie. Two 50cm lengths will be a good start - you can always cut down later if they are too long for your vase.  Use a few tidy straight stitches to attach, you can always place a pretty crochet flower or fabric flower over the join for extra decoration.

  

STEP 3: Arrange your cut flowers and haberdashery into varied compositions until you have a design you are happy with.

STEP 4: Pin carefully in place and using small stitches sew each panel and piece in place.

STEP 5: For extra detail take some off cuts of lace and crochet and hand sew down detail for the centre of your flower(s) with embroidery thread - lovely varied size seed stitches (small running stitch) in different colours would look perfect.

 STEP 6: Treat yourself to something special in bloom or lovely cuttings from teh garden - find the perfect vessel - tie around the straight vertical edges of your vase - pop the kettle on - sit back with a cuppa and admire your work.

 ...and here is the pinny version - a little more 'frilly'....

Please note vintage haberdashery, cut flower packs and lace potter & sew packs are popped on the shelves every few days - so if you can't find what you are looking for on the shelves at The Linen Garden then please send me a message at info@vickytrainor.co.uk and I will be happy to help.

I would also love to see your creations made with The Linen Garden products - please send me your images too to the email address above.....

H A P P Y   M A K I N G

Vicky
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