Wednesday, October 28

feeling grannified...

i finally plucked up the courage to unpick my 'love at first sight' granny curtains, snapped up in a frenzy of 'have to have you right now' moment, a few weeks back on a thrifty jolly out of the shed.
(and if you actually managed to read that sentence first time and understood what i was saying then i give you a gold star, the sort we had as kids, not the fancy smancy ones given out now at school. after you have adhered your gold star upon yourselves, you may feel most rewarded for the rest of the day... come what may, complaints or otherwise from people in your lives, you can glance down at your little imaginary gold sticky star and 'smile a smile' to yourself knowing you are 'a okay')

and so it was, after a few weeks of just admiring them, checking on them and generally 'cooing' to them, i finally located my missing unpicker that had mysteriously disappeared, at the same time as all the creatures in the shed started to look a little 'shifty'.
i did have grand plans on making a new slip cover for the daybed in our lounge, but that was until little olive discovered she could make a mouse hole at the bottom of the 'slip cover of the moment', and spend her time racing in and out playing 'squirrel nutkin' with used dog.

this told me that i would be positively, certifiably insane to use my fabulous granny bark cloth for a slipcover that eventually would end up with mouse holes at the bottom.
after all my unpicking, i then thought "crap". perhaps i shouldn't have unpicked them, but left them until i found my 'forever home' by the sea and hung them at the window there...
and so i folded up the washed fabric and pondered a while...


it took a fab find at Fremont Vintage Mall with Debbie, to spur me on, to give me the guts to wield my scissors in the direction of my granny fabric.
a wonderful little stool (yes, i know... i do believe i have become a collector of stools. that really does sound a little 'iffy' to say the least, especially if you are still in elementary school)
a perfect little granny stool, never been used by the looks of things and covered in vinyl of the mustardy yellow variety. 'peachy perfect' to say the least
i am fast running out of 'stool' appropriate space at the shed, but that did not stop me bringing this beauty home. i popped it by my fireplace for all to admire. the only admiration i have witnessed so far, apart from Debbie's kind
"oooh Tif, that was a lovely find"
is little olive and her licky tongue...

and so it came to be last week, as i sipped my tea sitting on the floor with little olive on my lap and used dog laying by my side, all three of us admiring the most recent granny stool to enter the shed. it dawned on me that my granny fabric was an exact match for this little stool and then it dawned on me how lovely it would be to make this little stool a cushion of it's own so it may feel 'admired' and 'loved'.
with a hoppity quick jump, i got up (actually it was more of a groan and a creak for used dog and myself, little olive did the hoppity quick bit). we scurried through to the studio, noting time was not on our side as school was soon to be over and got to work with an old pillow insert from the cupboard, a small tasteful amount of vintage lace and THEE granny fabric.


i am most happy with the little cushion,
little olive is most happy too,
as when i turn my back, the little cushion becomes hers.
and i am most happy as i look upon my fireplace to see all the handcrafted thrifty things that abound...

and on that note she will be back tomorrow with an update on her handcrafted thrifty challenge ~ Tif

16 comments:

Elicia said...

perfectly lovely.
i've always thought stool was a rather awkward word.
i think i shall make a cushion for the stool that i found at our next-door neighbors garage sale. that is, if i clear it off the stuff that there resides.

A Bun Can Dance said...

Hello Dear Tif
That surely is a very beautiful cushion and I am green with envy over your newly discovered granny stool ! I would love one of those ....
Funny to think of your parents visiting the flea market too. I bet your Mum is the one who gets the best fabric before I reach it! If she ever goes browsing in blogland, send her my way. There are a few pics of Mr Bun, and with his Autumnal shade of hair he's always easy to find in a crowd. I'm the manic shopper by his side, piling goodies into his arms for him to carry. Any, the point being, tell your Ma and Pa to say "hello!" - we'll share a cup of hot chocolate or steaming tea courtesy of our Ruby Campervan, if they like!
Oh and one more thing - I don't think I commented to say how TRULY BEAUTIFUL and MOST DESIRABLE are your cards.... Just glorious....
Happy days to you!
Denise x
PS: How uncanny is this: My word verification is MUUMS !!!!!

Lola Nova said...

I believe you already know my feelings concerning this gorgeous cushion and all the rest.

I thank you for the gold star, I have been wearing it happily in the middle of my forehead for all to see!

Carol said...

and very lovely doth the little cushion appear on her very own sweet little stool. Perfect use for your granny material.

Sam said...

I adore your new stool. It's the perfect color!; I must say I need one just like it...but thrifting doesn't work that way...sigh.

I'll keep thrifting anyhow :)

Rubyred said...

Such a perfect match! I would admire it for hours!
Rachel x

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

No probs at all with your first sentence and I am now wearing my gold star with pride. Thanking you very much for it.

I think your little cushion with the most beautiful piece of lace imaginable is just perfect for your new stool. I also think the fire screen is rather magnificent and very colour co-ordinated indeed. Well done Tif!

I found a lovely hall table table this week, old and worn looking. Now tell me when does such an item change price and become antique? $650 they wanted for it!!! It's just a painted thing with two drawers, but saying that, it's rather perfect apart from the price.

Bee Designs said...

I have had a really rubbish few days. My beloved cat went missing on Sunday and after searching and making posters I don't know what else to do. I've been reading your blog for a while and love it, the way you write is just wonderful. Today however you've made me smile for the first time since Sunday and I realised that the way you write remind me of my alltime favourite writer, the amazing A.A. Milne and his fantastic Winnie the pooh stories that I used to make my Mum read to me over and over again as a child.
Anyway after that I just want to say thank you for making me smile and I love your blog and the beautiful things you create.
X

Purrfect Haven said...

ah, what a beautiful combination of old and a re-constructed new, (of the vintage kind).. I love your blog. Helen, D&B x

sarah said...

oooh nice blog! very different to my style but very very nice...love all the vintage-y bits...that pillow turned out great

sarah

Cat said...

I would love to do a photo shoot in your house. Ahhhhh, I can dream!

dottie angel said...

thank you my lovelies for the 'little cushion' hurrahs...
and
bee designs, so sorry to hear about your cat's disappearance, it must be just heart wrenching. i hope she turn's up safe and sound very soon :)

Jules said...

Ohhhh thank you Tif for mentionning Used Dog in this post, I can now happily imagine the three of you. I can also happily imagine (having recently had a puppy of my own) ::
a) the cheeky happiness on Little Olive's face when the gorgeous new cushion becomes hers (presumably sneaked off the stool by the corner)
b) the look of resigned "what can you do" look on Used Dog's face while watching this
c) the half smile and mock horror on your face when confronted by Little Olives cushion nicking game

Such fun!!!!!!!!!!

dottie angel said...

jules,
you are spot on with all three :)
especially the look on used dog's face, sending signals to little olive that "this is not the way one should behave"... and little olive not taking a blind bit of notice!
Tif x

Debbie said...

Dear Tif
Could you please ask Dottie whether or not she has (as I suspect) done a deal with the Thrifty Devil? Has Firstborn been handed over in exchange for rocking thrifty finds?? It really isn't fair at the amount heart-stopping, jaw-dropping loot you find. Things that take me years to locate by chance are tripping you up on a weekly basis!!

And on that note, can I come and live with you for a month as you show me where all these goodies are hidden in Vintage Mall heaven, whereupon I can fill several large suitcases to bring back to ghetto land with me??

Much appreciated
D
xx

Jules said...

Hurrah for Dogs!!!!!!