A Vintage Weekend away in Manchester

To have family who are as bonkers about vintage as I am is wonderful. So to have a weekend away, mixing family time with not one but two vintage shows was a true delight.
Being in Manchester I of course had to start my stay with a curry on the famous Curry Mile – So nice!

The next day was shopping time. Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair was heaving with stalls and shoppers. I have been to vintage fairs before but never in a university city. So many students buying vintage! They have very good taste. We came home with goodies including a vintage Levi jacket and a small leather case that might end up as a new sewing box.

Shopping galore!
Homemade cake on vintage china
The following day was my first ever visit to the Textile Society’s Antique Textile Fair in Manchester, (organised by Decorative Fairs) and I was not disappointed. The range of goods for sale was everything from buttons to hats, quilts to hair pins. My only two problems were not having enough money or a large enough suitcase to take it all home with me! Next year I think I will be better prepared and take my car (don’t let me husband know). The whole selling space was one big bag full of inspiration – colour, textures, pattern, worn & aged and everything had a former life (which I love – if only the pieces could talk!).

 

 

 

 

 

By the end of the day I had bought a coverlet top from County Antrim in Ireland, lots of small quilted pieces and a huge safety pin. I had talked to some wonderfully knowledgeable people and made some new friends. A truly, perfect day.

 

The Mister Finch Exhibition, London

Following the launch of his very first book earlier this year, the fairy tale-inspired world of Mister Finch has touched down – for a very short time – in the beautiful Anthropologie shop on the Kings Road in London, where it will be on display until January 4th 2015. The bay fronted shop is crammed full of huge vintage books, curiosities and  beautifully-crafted fabric creatures.

Inspired by the Parisian taxidermy
shop Deyrolle, the show comprises 15 pieces of soft sculpture: a crowned swan,
suitcase- carrying toadstool and seven-foot fox, among other creatures.

Here are some of the pieces from the collection and they are much larger than I thought they would be.  Sit back and enjoy.

 

Fabulous pin cushion crown

 

Over-sized Textile Moths

 

 

This piece is for sale for £1,800

 

 

A closer look at the spider
The shop windows are a magical delight.
A panoramic picture of the exhibition space.

Kaffe Fassett Exhibition 2014 at the American Museum, Bath

The colourful collections of Kaffe Fassett have been on exhibition at the American Museum in Bath all summer, in a detached building set away from the main museum at Claverton Manor.
When I visited in early autumn, the building was partly hidden behind a large tree covered in textile ‘lanterns’ and shrouded in mist. It was a mystical treasure waiting to be discovered.
Entering the building I felt an immediate assault on my senses of COLOUR!
The main theme running through the entire exhibition was colour, colour and more colour detailing the knitting, needlework and patchwork of Kaffe. His mind must be in a constant whirlwind of colour.
Although I found his large pieces stunning and the level of stitch and design involved in their creation fascinating, some of my favourite pieces were his mood board displays, detailing his journey of ideas, from initial inspiration through to the final designs and collections.
Here are some of the photos from the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Privacy Preference Center

Necessary

Advertising

Analytics

Other