New Year, New Start.....

Happy 2013 all (or 2012+1 for the superstitious amongst you!). New Year, new start. I've moved into a gorgeous house with a gorgeous man, Dave. As the name suggests 'The Old Coach House' is in fact an old coach house! 

I've decided to use this change as inspiration for Rebecca's Room and share my attempts at turning the 'Dave Cave' into a cosy, inviting family home. No major building work, the emphasis is on the homely touches...second-hand finds and projects anyone with opposable thumbs can have a go at.

The first second-hand find.....a dolphin pin tray by Fosters Studio in Redruth. Perfect for keeping my earrings safe overnight. Now I just need a bedside table!

(Like my style? For a limited time this tray is available for purchase on ebay...)

Surfing......

Oh I do like the occasional surf. It's so cold and miserable outside I've indulged in a little internet shopping therapy....well window shopping anyway. I suppose that would be 'screen' shopping?! Anyway.....came across this gorgeous little site, would love a couple of big lampshades for the living room....a girl can dream!

lush designs

Display preparation....

This display of my work was put togther by Debbie Flowerday during a very informative meeting with the Maltings Makers Textiles network. I was really pleased with it! What a difference a professional visual merchandiser can make - I would never have thought to do this myself. Thank you so much Debbie!

This is my photo for the Festival of Crafts at The Maltings in Farnham. It's quite exciting! (The festival, not the photo). I do enjoy a bit of photography, scrambling around on the floor feeling all creative and getting a bit grubby - all in the name of art darhling! I love this little quilt with it's designer fabric (Lotta Jansdotter) combined with the lilac panels from a vintage tablecloth. Every piece is individually cut by hand to fit together like a jigsaw - but you don't have a picture of the finished article, and the pieces are all the wrong size to start with! It's a time consuming process which results in a different, tailored, quilt each time. The pom-pom trim is a touch of 3-D whimsy! 

Flushed with success (ok, that's a bad one!)

Who knew you can change the sound of your toilet filling up after you flush it?! I'm stupidly excited about this. The new toilet didn't have the 'gubbins' it was supposed to in the cistern - and the replacement that was provided was er, 'insert a suitable toilet word for rubbish'.
This inlet valve (from your local DIY superstore - the plumbing bit, yes I never go there either!) fills the cistern so much more quietly than the usual one (useful in an en-suite or loo near your bedroom). I'm so impressed!!! It actually makes the toilet sound more expensive (well, car manufacturers spend a lot of time working on how the shutting the doors sounds.....so I'm not THAT weird.........

Another 50 shades of grey....

When I bought the crackle-glazed grey bathroom tiles, I knew matching a paint with them would be challenging. I love grey. I think it's got an understated elegance. It's so often used in the set for 1940's-50's films and looks stunning. A great backdrop for showing off other colours. Trying to match greys however - is a different matter, some are pink-y based, some are blue-y. It was an issue I'd already come across picking the fabrics for this quilt (opposite), trying to match the plain fabric with the printed branches. It takes great care and viewing in a variety of lights (daylight, artificial light, even different times of day). 

After very careful perusal of the colour swatches I invested in a paint tester, fairly confident in my choice. How wrong was I?! Five tester pots later....(this is getting expensive - why didn't I just settle on 'cream')...and my bathroom walls now resemble one of my patchwork quilts. I have to say, reading 50 Shades of Grey was much more enjoyable than watching paint dry! 

A day on the tiles...

I've bought some lovely Laura Ashley (who's sponsoring the textile group I'm involved in setting up at The Maltings) grey tiles. I bought them for £8 sq metre instead of the full price of over £30! I love a bargain.



Laura Ashley photo - not my bathroom.

I braced myself to lift them from the trolley into my car, aware that a chap was watching me. To my surprise he quickly stepped up and offered his help (chivalry is not dead!).

"Cor these are heavy!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth as he lifted them.
I thought, 'Yeah I know' a) I'm stronger than I look b) I'm not stupid - that's why I accepted your help mate!