have I left it too long?...

Hello (waves tentatively)...I'm still here!  I really don't know why I have fallen out of love with blogging...it's not you, it's me...it's complicated.

I'm putting this picture in to avoid that dreaded beast, the text-only post. It has nothing to do with what I'm saying, but I made it, and it is pretty, so I thought you might like it.

I have been lurking, catching up with some of your blogs, but mainly just getting on with life, which has been the usual mix of delightful and dull, fun and frustrating, creative and crap...though always, on balance, far more of the good than the bad, thankfully.  There has been plenty going on that has been worth sharing, but I just haven't felt like sharing it...here are a few of the reasons why.

1. I am really not that interesting.  I know, I'm still the same person I was last year, when I was blogging  away like a very bloggy thing.  But I am somehow finding myself far less fascinating than I used to (this is probably a good thing).  I think it partially stems from coming across a few amazing and inspiring blogs, which are being written by people going through immensely challenging times.  Blogs like this one.  Somehow, wittering on about vintage fabric just doesn't seem that important after reading about stuff like that.  That's not to say I don't still enjoy reading your blogs about all those lovely vintagey, interiory, lifestyley, scandi-y things, I do.  This sense of mild pointlessness is directed squarely at myself, possibly because...

2.   I feel like a fraud.  I am starting to wish I had called my blog something different.  Like, um, my tiny messy home.  Or my teetering pile of crap.  Or my disorganised life.  Don't get me wrong, my house is full of lovely, colourful vintage things.  That bit is true. But it is even more full of the daily detritus of 4 messy people living in a tiny house.  I am not a tidy person; I do not like housework.  Although I love looking at gorgeously spare, airy interiors, I know that after a couple of weeks of me living in them, they would look a lot like my home does now.  MESSY.  I can aspire to minimalism, but I know I am incapable of achieving it.  This results in my life feeling quite un-blogworthy sometimes!

3.  I am a rubbish blogger.  Not just in terms of posting regularly, and writing interesting posts, but in terms of joining in all the lovely bloggy things that make blogland such a great place.  You know, linkys, awards, sharing the blog love, all of that.  It's not that I don't want to join in, it's that I am either too lazy, or too disorganised, or too shy to join in, so I don't.  And then I feel a bit crap about that.

Here's another picture to reward you for reading this far...it's not even a very good one...I told you I'm not much good at this!

4.  Most importantly, I was getting the balance wrong.  Too much time at the PC, not enough time living in the moment with my  gorgeous kids.  My youngest will be going to pre-school in September, and I did not want to waste my last few months at home with him sticking CBeebies on and farting about on Pinterest, or Blogger, or bloody Facebook.  I love all those sites dearly, and my Rainbow Vintage Home facebook page has been keeping me busy with fabric sales and likers and making lovely new online friends.  But I needed to take a step back. 

So we have been playing, and singing, and camping, and cooking, and making, and I've been buying fabric, and selling fabric, and making stuff with fabric (like the quilt at the top of this post).  But I have been very crap about keeping in touch with you lovely readers, and that has made me feel sad.  Because I genuinely like you, and have really enjoyed meeting you, and sharing with you, and I'd like to carry on doing that. I'm hoping that now I've got all this mildly discombobulating stuff off my chest, I will find it easier to just pop in here a bit more regularly, and share stuff with you without it feeling like a big deal, you know...'Oh now I need to write a blog post about that, what shall I say, oh it's too late now'...

If anyone has stuck with me all the way down to here, thank you, and here's another nice picture for you... 

As you can see, I'm as crap at ironing as I am at blogging!

I really hope you're having a lovely summer, and enjoying this amazing weather that we've been having.  I am going to go now.  But I'll be back soon.  

Rachel xx

Happy Weekend!

Hello lovelies! Just popping in briefly to share some happy pictures with you, I hope they'll brighten your day a bit as they have mine.   

Here's my latest happy-making fabric purchase, I saw a picture of this design on Flickr years ago and have been hoping to find a bit ever since, and yippidy-doo-dah I found it!! I'm such a sucker for these cheerful naive 70s kids designs, sourcing this totally made my week.  

as you can see I haven't ironed it yet...

or taken very good pictures of it!

It only arrived this week so I haven't taken  my scissors to it yet, it tends to take me a while when I love a bit of fabric this much!  As I can't bear to cut into it yet, today I am playing with some other lovely bits...

I could spend all day arranging and rearranging fabric like this, but at the end of it I feel guilty for not having actually achieved anything...so I'm off to get the scissors and sewing machine out.  I've got a couple of commissions to do, and I haven't done any sewing for a few weeks, so I need to polish my stitching skills!  

Just want to say welcome to new followers, thanks for reading and joining me here.  And to everyone who comments, thanks so much...I am struggling to reply to all every message but I love reading your comments and will try to get over to your blogs to leave a message for you there!  

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Rachel xx

I feel lucky, oh so lucky...

Hello, and happy Saturday!  The sun is shining, the sky is blue; I love these bright, crisp autumn mornings.  We're off for a walk along the harbourside in a bit, it'll be lovely to get out in the fresh air.

It's been a funny week, lots of busyness getting ready for the arrival of Floyd next weekend, and lots of germs being brought home from school...R has a rotten cold and M hasn't been feeling great either,  though I think he's mainly just tired from getting back into the school routine. 

One of the most lovely things that happened to me this week was the arrival of a parcel for me...I won another giveaway, over at The Custards...

Jenny had made 3 beautiful purses, and I had put my name 'in the hat' for this one...and I won, yippee!!  Isn't it gorgeous?!

And being the lovely person that she is, she had put a few extra goodies inside....

It took superhuman effort to take photos before unwrapping the parcel...

to reveal such fabulous vintage goodness inside....

2 lovely hankies, a lovely soft linen place mat, a gorgeous pillowcase, and a vintage children's book!  That Jenny knows how to do a giveaway, it felt like Christmas!  

So huge thanks to her for cheering up my week no end, if you're not familiar with her blog (but surely you must be?!) do pop over and have a look, but please don't 'pin' any of her images onto Pinterest if you're a 'pinner', she very politely requests that her images stay just on her blog where she chose to put them.

I hope you have a lovely weekend, wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

Rachel x

vintage treats...

Helloooo, how are you today? I've had a busy few days, making the most of the weather to get out with F and the boys - hurrah for the sunshine!  

We all went to a car boot sale at the weekend, we haven't been for ages because M always gets carried away and we end up bringing a load of plastic tat home. But I fancied a rummage in the sunshine so off we went, and in fact the boys were great, each choosing something small and then getting engrossed with playing with their new toys.  Meanwhile I scanned the tables, looking for that elusive treasure...and then....

well, I do like tins, though I usually go for a bolder design, but it's pretty...

 

the designs around the sides are a bit more my style... R likes the 'funny dancing boy'...

I love the crazy pointy beards...

how much was it? £5 with the contents - I don't usually spend that much on one thing for myself at a boot sale, it doesn't really feel like a bargain price, but I could hardly say no! 

 

Most of the reels are wooden, and apart from their obvious use they are just beautiful objects. 

These 3 are proper strong button thread, the blue and brown are linen...

these 3 are the smoothest and shiniest cotton thread I've ever seen...

and this one you don't find in every sewing kit!

I never used to haggle at boot sales but I tend to pick up a little extra something and see if I can get it thrown in...in this case, I think I did quite well...

3 rather gorgeous pairs of knitting needles.  I don't really knit - my Grandmother taught me a bit when I was little but I could never remember how to cast on or off!  But I'd love to learn properly someday...

I found the background fabric on holiday, in a little vintage shop in St Ives called Beatengreen Boutique (I don't think their website's been updated in a while, but I always like to provide a link where possible).  It's a very bright and psychedelic pattern, here's a close-up:

If you like it I'm going to be listing a cushion-cover sized bit of it on Ebay soon, along with a few other favourite bits of fabric; I'll let you have a sneak peek at them soon!

Before I go I must just welcome my newest follower; I had an odd thing happen the other day when 6 followers just disappeared - did I lose them down the back of the sofa?! maybe they didn't like photos of flowers?! - but having the super talented Jane of teawagontales more than makes up for that little mishap!  If you've never perused her lovely blog or Etsy shop I recommend it, especially if this applies to you too...

Isn't that just perfect?  I so need that somewhere on my wall!

I hope you're enjoying your week , 

Rachel x

fabric, fabric everywhere....

...no, I'm not complaining, it makes me so happy!! Saturday brought me 2 lovely parcels, both presents from lovely bloggers....

a stack of vintage sheet fat quarters and vintage wallpaper pieces from the totally delightful Ada, aka Vintage Sheet Addict...

and, totally unexpected and stunningly generous, a piece of fabulous Dekoplus from my friend Jenny of The Custards...

big thanks to both of those lovely ladies, I am one lucky blogger!!

And inspired by all this gorgeousness (and by the need to make some space in my stash cupboard for these new arrivals) I rummaged in my piles of fabric today and pulled out some summer brights to play with...

Yum!!  Looking forward to getting my sewing machine out soon.  If you feel the need for a patchwork cushion cover, send me a message on this blog or e-mail me at rainbowvintagehome@gmail.com - I love putting fabrics together in unique ways to create one-off pieces for people, maybe you'd like one for your home or as a gift for someone?

Hope you're having a nice day. 

Rachel x

more vintage loveliness!

As promised, here's a few pics from the Vintage market last Sunday - I'm trying to be careful with the cash at the moment (after getting a tad carried away earlier in the year - damn you, Ebay!) so I was actually quite glad that I didn't see anything that made my heart flutter.  

There was enough prettiness there to be a treat for the eyes though, my favourite stall was called Vintage Village, which has a permanent base at Lye Cross Farm Shop, Redhill in Somerset.  I stupidly didn't ask the name of the lovely woman behind the stall, and I wish I'd taken a pic of her daughter too, who was wearing the most fabulous 70s jumpsuit ever - a totally vintage loving family! Here's a bit of eye candy from her stall...

some pretty patterns (none of them cotton, thank goodness - I only buy natural fibres!)...

some nice china bits and pieces, I was particularly taken with the green Staffordshire mugs...

this lovely little basket was in mint condition, and beautifully co-ordinated with the doll's dress...

and lastly, I am kicking myself for not buying this 7" just for its' sleeve - what was I thinking?!

I definitely took my economising too far there, and I just know that I'll end up vainly looking for it next month!  Ah well, I just have to accept that I can't buy everything with a rainbow on it, even this little gem found on Etsy by the lovely Lou and included in her latest treasury....imagine playing a rainbow record on a rainbow record player!

Thanks for popping in.

Rachel x

a visit from the postman...

I love the postman, look what he brought today...

some yummy cushion covers and lampshades will be made very soon, hurrah! 

And for those of you with slightly more grown-up tastes:

another recent purchase; each repeat is happily just about the right size for a rather wonderful looking cushion cover.

Hope you're all having a happy day.

Rachel x