Charleston

While we were in Sussex we walked along the South Downs Way to visit Charleston House which was the home of the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. The house is filled with their artwork, which is mainly painted directly onto the walls and furniture and rooms furnished with their textiles and ceramics. It was also the country retreat of the Bloomsbury group.

 

 

We also went to Monk's House, Virginia Woolf's weekend home....all very

educational!

 

The gardens were so beautiful. It was bliss just strolling around taking photos.

in the city

When we went to London for the day last week it was just like spring,clear blue sky and warm sunshine.

It seems like ages ago now, especially as it's sooooo cold today!

I can never visit London without a trip to Liberty. I love their little florist shop which is full of Hydrangeas, Roses and Hyacinths. As usual I spent ages in their haberdashery deciding on which Liberty fabric to buy, but went for this one in the end.

 

As the weather was so lovely we walked (for miles) over to Covent Garden then on to Bankside, the Thames looked beautiful as it sparkled in the sunshine, everybody was out and about listening to buskers on the riverside.

 

The final stop was Alex Monroe's jewellery shop in Snowsfields which was very inspiring, everything was beautifully displayed in vintage glass domes and cabinets alongside old pictures and china. I loved it all.  

teacups & roses

I treated myself to a bunch of roses from the farmer's market, they won't last long, but I couldn't resist their beautiful butter colour and they smell amazing, plus with this autumnal weather we are having lately, it reminds me that it is still summer! 

What is it about vintage china that is so appealing, I love the rose patterned plates, but amazingly I managed to walk past without buying anything!

prettiest shades

I love mixing vintage lace with soft gentle colours especially pinks, like the dusky pink satin I've used on the clutch purse above. Vintage underwear is a great source of inspiration for colour and design. I look through all my scrap books of things I like before I start any new work. It really helps to look back through these torn out pages and bits of fabrics to come up with new ideas and designs.

I'd love to know where you get your inspiration from....