Thursday 16 February 2012

Rag Market bargains

Hi Marie,

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your day in the big city - it makes such a change when you spend most of the time out in the sticks like us doesn't it? Your Rag Market finds look gorgeous. I thought you might like to see the bargains I found there last week - nothing as sumptuous as your brocade but lovely cotton jersey irresistible a £1 a piece!


The black discharged one is finished (actually I'm wearing it as I write this!) and the grey one with black feathers just needs its neck finished. Took about 20 mins to make each top up on my trusty overlocker.


Annabel, you have to go with an open mind rather than a set shopping list. There's an awful lot of rubbish there too but if you keep your eyes peeled you can find some treasures. And remember there's always the Fancy Silk Store opposite and Jamie Oliver's for lunch!

Love Linda

8 comments:

  1. I love those tops Linda ... isn't it wonderful when you get a pattern that is just right for you? I can picture you so easily in those ... still don't know how you find the time for it all mind! - Hilary x

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  2. Jamie Oliver's?? When did that sneak in?! I'd also forgotten the silk store (need new curtains) so will have a ball I think! I'll post if I come back with some open-minded gems, although with G in tow,(who's after a new jacket) we could end up with rolls of tweed.....in grey probably.

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  3. Hi Annabel,

    It's been there a while, but right in front of it they've just built two new restaurants which have spoiled Jamie's aspect a bit! If you need new curtain fabric make sure you look on the rag market first (outside and in). I bought miles of stuff to reupholster my settees with much cheaper than in the Fancy Silk Store. Needless to say the fabric's gone in the loft and the settees are still shabby (no chic), but who knows, we might have a quiet day and the courage to start ripping the old stuff off! Depending on your toe, if you fancy a leg stretch and you're walking across town don't forget to go in St Phillips to look at the Burne Jones windows and then if you're really on a mission, keep going to the RBSA (St Pauls Square) where I think a new exhibition of work by tutors from the RBSA has just opened. Stephanie ought to know all about that one!!

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  4. That's fabulous, thank you for all those wonderful ideas. I've just got back from a mega stint of guerrilla gardening and my toe is a bit sore, but hopefully will be up to all of these things by next week. Re-upholstery is such a useful skill - they charge a fortune for doing it these days. I'm afraid I've just had to buy a replacement Ikea sofa for an old one of mine. It was delivered yesterday - in bits of course - and I was quite amazed (and a little horrified) at how simply it was built. It's got memory foam and strong springs in it so is quite comfortable, but the rest of it is just chipboard and staples!!

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  5. Linda,
    Those T-shirts are wonderful, clever old you.
    The restaurants in front of Jamie Oliver's are an eyesore! How did they get past planning?
    The curtain material in the rag market was fantastic. Thank goodness I don't need to make curtains.Spent the day deciding how I could make a book case from Mom's house fit in my studio, now the book case is in but the place looks like a bombs gone off, better go and try to tidy a bit.
    Annabel, do you mean real guerilla gardening, as in planting in the streets?

    Marie

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  6. Hope the studio tidy was successful Marie!! Yes, planting in the streets. Guerrilla gardening just means gardening without permission and we do little bits around the town, clearing, picking up litter and replanting and maintenance. We also look after a biggish park but that's with permission and everyone knows about it so it isn't really guerrillering! We like to recycle as much as we can so we raid skips and compost heaps. Been doing it for over 6 years now - there's 4 of us.

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  7. HI Annabel

    l haven't been back in the studio yet today, lunch out celebrating a friend's birthday and a visit to the vets put an end to the tidy, must get back to it now.I have never met a guerilla gardener before, how exciting.

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  8. I hope you enjoyed the birthday and didn't end up paying too much at the vets!

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