Once upon a time when we were friends

Thanks for all your suggestions about helping volunteers to spot vintage donations; I'm going to write up some ideas for the retail managers, and hopefully we can plan a We Love Vintage campaign!

It shouldn't, but it still surprises me when people recoil at the mention of the 1970s.

I was discussing vintage with a volunteer in the shop, and she thought no one could possibly want to buy anything dating from that decade. (I did happen to be wearing a 1970s dress at the time, which made us both laugh.)

1970s German-made maxi dress - Ebay
1970-80s Wallis cropped fur jacket - Kinky Melon
1960s tapestry/vinyl bag - jumble sale
Boots - retail
Vintage Austrian crystal necklace - charity shopped

Oh well, each to their own.

I'll take my Seventies Chic over to Patti's for Visible Monday. 

I have to admit, I don't look as good in fur as this lot.

Jess' fur was being buffeted by the wind, and she does not like that.

She always sits on this particular bit of fence, but both my neighbour and I have noticed that she falls asleep there and sometimes slips off, followed by an unseemly scrabble to cling on and haul herself back up.

My lovely neighbour is such a softie, he's made a little platform for her by nailing on a wider piece of wood. Now she can catnap without losing her dignity.

On Saturday, I had a delightful evening with my dear friends Sally, Claire and Martin.

First - pizza;

then ABC!

The Lexicon of Love remains a favourite album of mine. The lush strings, funky horns and basslines, Trevor Horn's shimmering production, and lyrics full of wordplay dissecting love and relationships all combine to make an epic set of songs.

Released in 1982, it coincided with my arrival in Sheffield, so it's part of the soundtrack of my youth, and accompanied my transition from living at home to being away at university.

So the opportunity to see Martin Fry with the Southbank Sinfonia (conducted by Anne Dudley, who played keyboard and was also responsible for the orchestral arrangements on the original record) was a real treat.

He was in great voice, as were the audience who sang along with enthusiasm, especially to The Look of Love. How wonderful it must be to have written songs which a hall full of people sing back to you over 30 years later.

Of course, the Sheffield crowd were always going to be partial; although Fry is a Manchester lad, he came here to study English Literature at university (the same course as me) and formed ABC with fellow musicians from Sheffield.

And after the gig, as we were deliberating where to go for a drink, who should come and introduce herself but Diane, who features her incredibly fine photography on her blog Heart Shaped. We've been blog and Facebook friends for some time, so it was really good to meet her at last.

Of course, just as there are 1970s-haters, there are those who sneer at the 1980s too. I wonder why some people feel the need to write off whole decades? Ten years; that's a long time, and so much can change socially and politically, and in terms of popular culture, music and fashion. 

For me, both decades were formative, they provide the backdrop to my childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.

And any decade that produced The Lexicon of Love is alright with me!

xxxx

   

I know it's out of fashion and a trifle uncool

I've been both working and playing pretty hard of late. 

 

I like having plenty to keep me occupied, but I must confess I reach a point where all I want to do is curl up under a blanket on the sofa with a mug of tea, and catch up on the X Factor auditions.

 

I'm so rock'n'roll. 

Most of this outfit is newly acquired. 

I had an abortive attempt at buying some Lotta from Stockholm clogs earlier this year (they are cheaper than Swedish Hasbeens, and you can buy slight seconds at an even more reduced price). However, when I tried them out by wearing them around the house, they hurt my feet so much, I was glad to take them off. The foot bed was clearly all wrong for the shape of my foot, and although I got a refund without any trouble, I was sad at not being able to wear them.

 

So hurrah for finding these suede Gudrun Sjoden clogs in a charity shop for less than a fiver! I love the colour, and they are comfortable enough to wear for a day at work when I am on my feet for 8 hours. 

Excuse my rain-tipped toes.

Ooh, a leather skirt! Modern, but it's got a cool Seventies A-line vibe which I like.  

1980s jacket (part of a culotte suit), leather skirt, tights, clogs, and vintage Austrian crystal necklace - all charity shopped 

It seems appropriate to give a nod to the early Eighties, since I was reminiscing about my time at university again last Saturday. 

I attended a reunion event with these lovely ladies; we were all at university together, 1982-5.

L-R; Me, Sally, Rebecca, Claire J and Claire H.

 

We laughed and gossiped, caught up on what's going on now as well as reminding each other of what happened 30 years ago. (What's wrong with me, I seem to have forgotten so much!) Rebecca lives in New Zealand now, so it's a rare treat to see her, and Claire H is in London; the rest of us are still here in Sheffield. 

We danced to all sorts of music, but yes, there were some Eighties classics in the mix. Of course there were!

 

For once, I had to be sensible and was the first to leave as I was working on Sunday. 

There is a quarterly Farmers' Market in Nether Edge, the suburb where my shop is located, so we open on those Sundays to capture the passing trade. It coincided with the final day of our end of season sale, and all clothes, shoes and bags were £1. It was very busy; I loved it, and we made lots of money. 

It's been good to have a day off today, pottering in a damp garden with my cats.

Charlie is always the one causing bother; Minnie does not want to engage with him, especially when he's showing his arse. And who can blame her?

The girls co-exist in reasonable harmony.

I'll be joining the always harmonious get-together over at Patti's for the welcome return of Visible Monday. 

 

 Looking forward to catching up with you all!

xxxxx

Midweek maxi

Weird weather we've been having; I'm finding a maxi dress, ankle boots and a jacket are my best bet. Cool enough when the sun shines, sufficiently layered up when the wind and rain set in.

 

 

The rough winds have been shaking the darling buds of my cherry tree...

 

 

until the lawn is confetti-strewn.

My friend Joanne and I have missed our customary Thursday meet-ups for the last 2 weeks but made it out today. Four charity shops and a vintage emporium later, and all I bought was...

this set of 6 glass tumblers. They are beautifully cut with fancy bottoms, and have a satisfying weight to them. There's no mark and trying to identify their age is tricky, but I think they have a 1930s look. 

Anyway, it doesn't matter what they are, they cost 25p each and we'll use them everyday for juice and water. Glasses don't seem to last long in our house (and I'm laying the blame at Simon and the kids' door for that) so there's little point in paying more. 

 

 

The groovy black and white 1960s enamel saucepan and Oriental-style tin came home with me from the charity shop this week. I rescued them from the scrap metal bin, so I was allowed to have them for nothing.

So that's a whopping £1.50 spend. Thrifty? I'd say so!

1970s C&A maxi dress - Ebay

Denim jacket, necklace and bangles - charity shopped

1970s Peter Bettley hat - flea market 

 Ankle boots - community fair

The cats always like to accompany me during my photo shoots in the garden. Charlie was showing off by shinning up a tree...

an escapade which soon turned into a rather panicky shuffle downwards, as he hung on by the skin of his claws.

I laughed. He didn't.

Minnie is above all that nonsense. 

I have finally heard that I have an interview for the charity shop deputy manager post I applied for a few weeks back. It's next week; I'm excited!

Any thoughts on possible interview questions? I want to be well-prepared, and I know you lot are seasoned charity shoppers. What are the most important things to you about a charity shop? What adds value and makes you likely to visit/return, and what puts you off?

All ideas and opinions welcome.

And now I'm off to sort through my sewing patterns and decide on my next project. I'll chant fabric choice is key as a mantra to avoid another dressmaking faux pas...

xxxx

Sew Seventies

This Bank Holiday weekend has been delightful; all three kids have been away at Cub/Scout camp, so the adults have been out to play.

Leisurely lie-ins, browsing the charity shops and Record Collector in Broomhill, a lovely meal at Thyme Cafe, which never disappoints, watching films and over-indulging on wine - what better way to spend a child-free weekend? 

 

 

Oh, and some sewing too.

At last.

As you can see, I made the shorter version of this 1970s pattern with elbow-length sleeves, as I didn't have enough fabric for a maxi dress or long sleeves.

 

 

Mind you, it very nearly didn't get made at all; the pattern instructions were so confusing that I was ready to have a major tantrum, hurl the bloody thing in the bin, and give up.

I'm glad I persevered; the pattern is by far the most complicated I've attempted, and I managed to do things I haven't tried before, like gathering, inserting sleeves, and making the fitted bodice with square neckline front and back. It was the bodice paneling and facings which nearly defeated me; the diagrams on the pattern looked - to my untrained eye - nothing like the fabric pieces I had in front of me. So frustrating!

 

Now I've made the dress, I feel rather sad that I don't really love it. 

 

It's pretty enough, I just don't much like it on me. The gathered skirt adds bulk to my hips, the sleeves look too long (though I could shorten them), the crisp cotton fabric doesn't flow, and the puffed shoulders seem too much. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong fabric; this pattern required something softer with more drape. 

 

But here's what I do like.

 

I struggled to understand the instructions, but eventually, I worked it out. The fit is good. The sewing is neat. All the seams match up, the zip went in properly first time, and the back edges either side of the zip are in line. I also made a contrasting sash. 

 

It's a decent piece of sewing, and even if I don't wear it much, making this dress was an achievement. The fabric cost £2, the pattern £1, the cotton and zip were already in my sewing box, so all I've lost is £3 and some time, while gaining valuable skills.

Jess and Min agree. They both like to sit on the tissue paper pattern pieces. Always so helpful.

The kids came home this afternoon, very tired but having had a brilliant time.

This was how they set off - they looked a little grubbier on their return...

Dress made by me from a 1970s pattern

Flower, necklace, bangles, and 1960s straw bag - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale)

I'm determined to find time for more sewing once we're back to the routine of school and work, I really enjoy it when I get going (and get over my bad temper at not being sufficiently expert).

If I'm not too late, I'll pop over to Judith's Hat Attack with my hair flower, and join Patti and co for Visible Monday.

And I'll be catching up with your blogs soon, I promise; a couple of unplugged days and I am woefully behind!

xxx

The flowers that bloom in the Spring

I'm not quite sure where that week went but it's flown by, and here we are at the weekend again. Yippee!

This is what I wore on Wednesday; a customer in the charity shop admired my dress, and told me I was very on trend with my florals. She'd clearly read the same Observer fashion article as me, so we had a bit of a laugh about that. 

 

 

 

I must say I like my dress far more than the pieces selected to accompany the article (above) and at 99p from Ebay, it was a great deal cheaper. 

(Incidentally, that blue top on the right, the polo shirt with the hardly-floral-at-all print? Topshop, £85. Can you believe it?)

 

 

1970s maxi dress - Ebay

1960s jacket, shoes, belt and bangles - charity shopped

1960s carpet bag and necklace - gifts

1960s brooch - The Queen's Drawers

 

 

No one puts on a big blobby rose pattern before striding into a boardroom and closing a billion dollar deal, writes Alice Fisher. 

 

She might be right (although there are a whole load of assumptions begging to be questioned in that sentence) but since boardrooms and high-flying deals aren't really my thing, I'll happily continue to wear my beloved floral prints. 

As it happens, the world of employment, if not exactly the boardroom, is beckoning; I've applied for a job as a charity shop deputy manager. I'll keep you posted.

What else is new?

Well, this dress is - new-to-me anyway. It has glittery gold lurex stripes, huge sleeves, and I love it. 

Thanks, Em, what a great gift!

1970s Dumarsel maxi dress - gift from Emma

Hat, necklace and bangles - charity shopped

1960s beaded bag - car boot

Ankle boots - community fair

 

 

This little Wade cutie was too sweet to leave in the 50p basket in a charity shop. 

He's Scamp, from Disney's Lady and the Tramp (1956).

 

 

I found a vintage sheet for a couple of quid which would make a lovely dress. If I ever get round to doing some sewing...

There are forget-me-nots all over my garden...

and tulips...

and cats.

Just how I like it.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xxx