Mid-century sideboard, mine. *Note: no mirror

If you've read other posts, you might know that my friends and I are rather keen on old things (and that I am a master of understatement).  

A friend, who lives quite close by, was out on the trawl for treasures when she came by a mid-century/late deco wooden and mirrored dressing table, alone in the back room of the house which was being cleared. She forked out the requisite dollars (not very many) and hauled it back to her burrow, where she and a friend unloaded it into the garage.

A lick of paint, a bit of sanding, and it was looking very schmick indeed, so my friend and her mate hauled it up into the bedroom, where it faced the bed.



This is Tasmania, it was winter. My friend was complaining that she couldn't warm the house, even with the wood heater and the gas heater and the sun shining through the big windows. Like my house, it has big windows to catch the sun and it isn't a cold house. She started to have aches and pains in her knees.  She started to be woken in the night by a great weight on top of her, or pressing against her, in her bed. She was alone.

My friend's young grandaughter came to change for netball, but wouldn't change in the bedroom any more. 

Chest of drawers, spare room.  No mirror.

Discussion ensued with someone we shall call "Friend 2", who has a certain sensitivity to such things.  Her immediate response to the knee aches was that religion was involved - prayer on the knees and so on.

Further research by Friend 1 showed the dressing table had been owned by a pastor, of the old fashioned brimstone type. 

She decided that the dressing table should leave her possession pretty urgently.  In the meantime, she wanted to move it out of the bedroom. The friend who had helped her carry it in came by to help move it.  Without anything in it, they could barely lift it. They managed to drag it into the hallway, with difficulty.

It was advertised super cheap on Gumtree and Facebook, but no-one who expressed an interest turned up.  After a night, the girls gathered their strength and managed to drag it out onto the front veranda, where it sat, mirror to the wall, sulking.  

Occasional table, no mirror

I went there for dinner on the Friday night, and I can confirm that it was definitely sulking.  I did not want to be standing on that veranda, I felt very uneasy while I was waiting for the door to be opened. My door knocking had a certain frenetic edge, especially since the veranda light wasn't working. There may have been scratching on the door. But inside, it was toasty warm. My friend's knees had returned to full working order.

It eventually sold for a pittance and was removed. It either wanted to go or the people were very strong.  Or it had found out about the plan to drop it into the pit at the tip, where it would go one on one with the big bulldozer.  My money was on the bulldozer.

I still can't look at furniture involving mirrors. 

Corsets, Shards and Seam

I haven't had much to say for a while.  After my trip, I thought I'd spend some quality time sulking at having to be at home.  My sulk continues but I'm slowly getting back into the routine, with only mild residual resentment that I can't see the Eiffel Tower or the Shard from my bedroom window.

I can see the beautiful Princess Royal Harbour, which is pretty amazing.  So I mustn't grumble.  Much.

Last weekend I went to White Rabbit Vintage and Handmade, at the local Torbay Hall.  It was a long weekend here - which meant the Albany Classic car race, right in the main street. We escaped the relentless 'zoom zoom' and public address system, for the green serenity of the cutest little hall, amongst the trees.  Lots of people obviously had the same idea.  Its a great venue, the kids can scamper about (outside), people ate their lunch under the trees. I met some really nice people, caught up with some old friends, and had a great day out.

It did remind me that I haven't really been working on any fish for - oh - six months.  So I  managed to focus a little bit and so here's some work I prepared earlier.  Just a little bit earlier. Last week. Yesterday.

I've also been playing with my photographs from Paris and London, but I'm not ready to share those just yet.













I did find a couple of interesting things on the interweb this week.  Actually I found quite a lot of interesting things, but that's another story.  While I was stalking Spitalfields Market in London,  I saw a popup shop by two designers making really clever garments and bags, and I noticed that they have opened a shop, Seam.  Here's a link  where they describe their work, including corsets made from upside down pinstripe suit jackets, skirts draped from tuxedo trousers, and dresses cut from jacket lapels, cuffs, and colour-contrast prints.  There are also high quality and locally made leather and sheepskin goods, specialising in bags, jackets and coats. Highly original and highly desirable.

I also found a blog, via a Facebook page, called Charity Shop Chic - where opshop clothes are upcycled into fashion garments.  In this case (unlike many others) it's real tailoring and design, the blogger is a seamstress of considerable talent. She gives clear step by step instructions, with pictures.  Highly recommended.