Vintage european grain sacks...........

I have quite a few old grain sacks and manglecloths that I have collected but I can never decide what to do with them.
I looked them out a few days ago and had a look on the internet to get some ideas for things to make....people have done some really beautiful things with them......I have lots of inspiration !!

Lots of gorgeous cushions...........I think the more varying stripes you have the better.











I think using them to upholster chairs and sofas is a marvellous idea....although it might be a bit ambitious for me!

I was thinking about making simple big pillows from the sacks and using them as beds for my dogs; Molly and Isla. That way I could just unzip them when they get dirty and wash them.......... I will put on some photos if I have any time to do any sewing this week.

The Shabby Chic Look

I love the shabby chic look.... anything with flaking paint, rusty metal and worn edges.
Euan always jokes with me that if something looks like it has seen better days then I want it and it has taken me years to convince him that the charm lies in the shabbyness and that I dont want him to sand it down for me!!
The trouble is that as much as I love that look, I think you really need the right style of house to make it work, otherwise things just look like they belong in the skip.
You need to have a period house with high ceilings and lots of space with a clean white interior as a backdrop. Am I wrong??

I have bought a few lovely things over the years that have paint flaking from them or are really rusty but in my cottage I can never find the perfect place for them.
And whenever I have found somewhere to put them that I am happy with, usually a well meaning friend or my mother-in-law spoils it by saying something like- "and when are you going to clean up/paint/strip/varnish that??" and then looks horrified when I reply that I have no plans to change it- I like it 'tatty.'
I dont really have anyone who visits my home who 'gets' a lot of the things I do with it-they think my home is strange I am sure. I think thats why I love blogland so much-I can always find someone who likes the things I do- actually there are hundreds of people who do!!

But for now, I think this look will be strictly enjoyed by way of pictures in books, blogs and magazines and not attempted by me.

www.dreamywhites.blogspot.com

Cant see any of my friends wanting to eat off that table!!!

A Sewing Room

Most girls dream about one day having a house with a walk-in closet or a swimming pool; I dream about having a sewing room. A room all to myself where I can finally decant all my drawers and cupboards full of fabrics into. I would have an inspiration board on the wall and vintage sewing machines on display....there will be little drawers full of scraps and pretty jars full of vintage cotton reels, buttons and ribbon....an ironing board, an antique manneqin and absolutely NO pet hair !!!!

Armoires filled with lovely things........

Is it wierd to lust after a piece of furniture???
I have a growing collection of beautiful vintage quilts (which I will take some photos of when I can figure out how to best use my fancy camera) and no proper place to put them.
At the moment they are just in piles all over the house and some are even packed away because there is no space........ I long for a beautiful armoire to display them in. But in my small cottage, there isnt really enough space.
Here are some gorgeous pictures of armoires I found, displaying quilts and other lovely things, just the way I would have them.

They dont have to be just for quilts though, I wouldnt mind one in a dining room filled with crockery.....or drinks and glasses like these ones.....





One day, when I get a bigger house....................an armoire will be mine.xx

Country Style Living Rooms

This morning I have been thinking about country style living rooms.......
I change our little one around a lot (Sorry Euan.) I would love a big living room one day, with big squishy sofas that I could pile so high with pretty cushions there would be no space for anyone to sit on them. I would also love an invisible TV that only comes on when you watch it (lets face it they are ugly and just dont 'go')
Maybe one day we will one day have a living room that looks one of these........

****Note the lack of muddy pws in all those pictures****

And here is a picture of our living room ( its never usually that tidy but I dont think anyone wants to see a picture of a pile of newspapers, a chewed sock and some dirty mugs)

Writing a blog reminds me of making scrapbooks when I was a little girl.........I would cut out pictures from Mums magazines and stick them in with my favourite birthday cards, postcards and photographs......This is just like that.xx

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Hogmany and that Santa was good to you! He bought me a fantastic new camera so I can at last take some pictures for the blog -there will be no stopping me now! Here are some pictures that inspired me this year
when it came to decorating our home for Christmas. Best wishes to all for 2012 xx