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

I fell off the edge of the earth...

...and landed in a big pile of fabric!  No I haven't really disappeared off the map, though blogging-wise I might as well have.  It's been too long!

Things have gone a bit crazy over on my facebook page, where I recently announced a plan to sell some packs of fabric squares for patchwork & quilting, and I was inundated with enquiries and orders.  I've spent the last week using every spare minute to cut fabric, I had thought I'd cut enough to have a few spare packs for future orders (for instance, in case any of you lovely lot wanted one) but people just kept asking for them, and if everyone who asked for one confirms their order (most already have) then I'm all sold out!  

I will cut more in future and I think next time I will announce it first here, I feel bad that my lovely bloggy friends have missed out...sorry, it wasn't intentional!  

Here are  a few pics of the fabric mountain I've been climbing for the last few days...

 

 

So, I've finally finished, though I wish I'd cut a few extra - I think I could have sold them twice over!  I'm sure I'll do it again soon, but my cutting arm is tired out so not for a while.  And some of the fabrics that I've included are now running out, so will be going into my personal stash, which means I'll have to buy more fabric for next time - what a hardship!

I hope you're well, and that you have a lovely weekend.  I'll try not to leave it so long next time! 

Rachel xx

to market to market...

...to sell lots of lovely vintage fabric!  

I'll let you know how it goes...hope you have a lovely day!


Rachel x

so very lucky...

Hello lovely friends!  I hope you've had a great Christmas...ours has been very nice...lots of relaxing at home in our PJs watching films and munching delicious treats.  I seem to have been living mainly on brie, mince pies and port!  I have taken a break from the computer and also apparently from my camera - realised earlier I've hardly taken any Christmas photos!  I'm a bad blogger...

But we still have festivities to come...my sister is visiting from London so we are gathering at my Mum's today for Christmas round 2, and are then heading east to Sussex for further fun and games at New Year with much-loved-not-seen-often-enough extended family.

As I have been neglecting my camera I don't have much to show you...but I would just like to share one gift with you which has made me very happy...

This is a detail of my new bedroom curtains!!  I haven't hung them yet because our bedroom needs some work...decluttering, some more shelves, a lick of paint...but when these are hanging at the window I will be beside myself with joy.  They are 60s, Swedish and stunning.  

There are many reasons why I am lucky - some deep and profound to do with love and family, some basic and fundamental to do with having a home and enough to eat...but today I feel lucky for the frivolous-but-important-to-me reason that I have beautiful new curtains.  I hope that you have also received gifts that make you feel lucky, if you share them on your blog let me know so I can pop over and have a peep!

Rachel x

I did some sewing, yay!!

Hello lovelies, how are you today?  

I have had a bit of a rollercoaster week, my Dad has been ill and urgently needed major surgery, which was really nerve wracking.  He is recovering and his health should be improved after a period of recuperation, so in the long run it's a good thing...scary though.  And then just when I was having trouble sleeping cause I was worrying about him, the rain started dripping through the ceiling...

But!  This Saturday we are collecting our new baby, Floyd the Miniature Schnauzer.  The excitement level in our house is reaching fever pitch - only 2 sleeps to go - it's like an early Christmas present for our whole family. 

In the meantime, before I bombard you all with pictures of Floyd, I thought I'd show you something I managed to make...yes, I made time for some sewing, and it felt good!   I've been playing with these bits of fabric for a while...

 

I love these fabrics so much, and some of them I've only got a little bit of - there are barkcloths, and collectible fabrics from Heals, and Scandinavian fabrics.  I wanted to try something a tad more ambitious than my usual squares or strips, so I went for a rectangular log cabin type of arrangement...and as with most things I make, I planned it carefully, but I still got to the end and saw things I might do differently if I could make it again.  But that is ok, that is how we learn...and now instead of having to open my cupboard to look at all these gorgeous patterns and colours, I get to enjoy them every day, which makes me really happy.   

Before I go I'd just like to welcome my new followers, and anyone who has popped in to read or comment...it still amazes me that people spend time here, reading my ramblings...thank you, you're all totally gorgeous. I just have to give a special welcome to my newest follower, Donna Flower(!) who if you love vintage fabric (and if you don't, what are you doing here?!) you will surely know of - she sells the most fabulous vintage fabrics and haberdashery, both online and on her stall at various vintage fairs.  I actually bought the top bit of the cushion cover above from her, and now she's following my blog! Sorry, I'll stop now...just had to get a bit excited about that!

I hope you're all having a good week, and haven't been ill, or flooded, and have maybe managed a moment or two of creative fun...

Rachel xx

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

Woohoo, Ebay shop is go go go!!

Wow, I have been grateful for the sunshine today, the boys have been busy playing in the garden which has meant I got a moment to look through my fabrics. 

It didn't take me long to realise a tipping point has been reached (well, passed a while ago...) - I can't buy any more till I get rid of some of what I've already got!  So I decided to just crack on and get started, and take it one step at a time...no time like the present!  So here's what I've listed in my Rainbow Vintage Ebay shop so far....

some pretty 60s floral barkcloth (hmmm, slightly creased I notice!)...

 

a gorgeous 70s Scandi DIY cushion cover (if you're not into sewing, I take commissions!)...

and my favourite ever Dekoplus fabric (not all of it of course, but I do love to share fabric joy!) ...

so there you are, if you are a vintage fabric addict like me, maybe it's time to treat yourself?

I will be listing a few more pieces over the next week or so, so keep an eye on my Ebay shop!  

My Etsy shop is still in development, it takes a bit more time to set that up, and when that launches there will be a little giveaway here on the blog.  In the meantime if one of my lovely followers orders from my Ebay shop, I will waive the postage charges...so get in there and snap yourself up a postage free bit of loveliness, and please feel free to share this on your own blog if you think it's the kind of thing your readers would like to know!

Thanks for popping in, hope you're having a lovely day.

Rachel x

sunshine yellow

For a while this morning the sun was streaming through our dining room window, and it encouraged my thoughts to turn again to my growing love of yellow.  I found myself noticing some lovely yellow items around our home, and was inspired to arrange them against one of my new bits of fabric:

the sunshine's long gone now, but it brought with it a taste of spring, and the daffodils that will soon be appearing on all the green spaces that we will be revisiting with the warmer weather. Yay! 

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