the green gal

Pretty and planet-friendly finds: Love Eco

I first came across Love Eco years ago and bought my mum one of their chicken doorstops. One of the things I love about this online store is that you can always find ethical and eco goodies that you don't see anywhere else, the three pictured are perfect examples. 

T-shirt, vinyl record clock, socks

The T-shirt looks so comfy and cool and is made from a new eco fabric called Eucalytus Tencel. It seems there are lots of uses for vinyl records, besides listening to the music on them, but this record clock can be sat on a desktop with its folded edge or hung on a wall. And as for these socks, they come in several gorgeous colours plus, when you buy one pair another pair is given to a street child in Mongolia. Feels pretty good to me. 

I know what's going on my Christmas wish list…

After the clean-up

The riots, looting and general deranged mayhem that happened a few weeks ago in several cities around the UK may have dropped out of the news headlines but those affected are still coming to terms with what took place. Lives were lost, homes destroyed and businesses burnt down. As a small business owner myself I wanted to find some way to help those independent businesses whose shops were mercilessly trashed and looted.

So, when a twitter friend, Zoe, announced she was organising a raffle to raise money for the independent businesses affected in the riots I jumped at the chance to join in.

There are around 100 prizes to be won in the Riot Raffle and all you have to do to enter is buy a ticket for £1. All the prizes have been donated by small business owners, my contribution is this framed print:

Every penny raised will go to the Retail Trust, a charity who will make sure that all the funds are used to help the small businesses and shops so badly affected by the riots. 

I don't usually ask for favours but if you could spare just £1 to buy a ticket for the Riot Raffle you will help the innocent victims and possibly win yourself a prize in the process. You can see all the prizes and find out more on the Riot Raffle website, and buy a raffle ticket at the Just Giving page. 

Thank you so, so much.

The Challenge is over

In February 2010 I set myself the challenge of not buying any new clothes for a year. I allowed myself to buy secondhand clothes from charity or vintage shops, or make my own (that never happened), you can read my original post here. 

So, a year and a few months on, how did I do? Well, since the official end of challenge on 23 February 2011 I have bought a pair of tights. Yep, that's it. And that was only because I felt I should buy something (why I don't know), plus I fancied wearing plum coloured tights. 

A year of not going in clothes shops and recycling catalogues without opening them seems to have retrained my brain to just not think of clothes shopping. I don't buy the usual women's mags so I don't get tempted from that direction either. 

So, what have I been wearing the past year? I won't bore you with numerous snaps of jumpers and tops and dresses, but I thought I'd show you a couple of nice little outfits I found secondhand, just to show I've not been walking round looking like a slob the whole time:

The dress, belt and cardigan all came from charity shops, the leggings are a few years old, the boots were a brilliant find in a Monsoon sale about seven years ago (not sure how many more times they can be resoled), and I bought the vintage necklace at the Bath handmade and vintage fair I had a stall at last Christmas. The dress was too big and needed taking in but this is now one of my favourite outfits to wear.

This is a piccie from last summer. The belt is from a charity shop and my lovely friend, Kirsty, found the dress in her local charity shop and kindly redonated it to me. A little bit of adjustment to fit and it's a perfect summer frock.

And lastly, a little bit of glamour (I know, I'm trying and failing to pull of the Audrey Hepburn look)! I found this 1950s shift dress in my local vintage clothes store, called Shrewd, and it fits so perfectly I just had to have it. The brooch was found in a charity shop, as were the shoes – I had to have them because they're green and they fit but the heels are a bit scarily high for me. I love this outfit, even if I struggle to walk in the heels!

Thanks for your support and encouragement over the past year, it definitely helped to know that the wider world knew about the challenge I set myself and would hold me to account over it! If you're thinking of doing something similar I say go for it! If, like me, you're not a big new fashion buff you probably won't find it too hard. 

The challenge has really raised my interest in vintage clothing and, knowing I've given a second life to some really lovely clothes that also only cost me a fraction of their original cost, and that I've saved them from possibly being landfilled, has made me smile a lot over the past year. I'm sure I will end up buying the odd item of new clothing but my attitude towards clothes shopping has definitely changed for good.

Cake stands are not just for cake

I've been looking for a way to display/store the jewellery I regularly wear and this weekend I happened across the exact thing…

Yes I know it's a cake stand, but I can't eat cake all the time, can I? But I can display my favourite necklaces, pendants, bracelets, brooches, rings and earrings on a pretty thrifted cake stand. I've no idea if it's vintage, but it looks pretty! And it was a bargain from one of my local charity shops.

And in case you're interested to seeing it in its natural habitat in my bedroom, it lives on top of a chest of drawers, surrounded by a wedding photo, perfume and a pretty glass bottle given to me as a present years ago:

Do you give household objects a new use? I'd love to know, and see pics if you have them!

In other news, on Thursday you can find me at daisygreenmagazine.co.uk with a little tutorial on making a map picture present. It's the first of six monthly articles I'm writing for the brilliantly stylish eco magazine so do check it out if you get a mo. 

Best foot forward

I'm not a shoe person but when I found these in one of my local charity shops, I squealed inside.

They're green – tick, they're a little Mary Jane-esque – tick, they're secondhand – tick, and they were the bargain price of £6 – tick!

I'm having to learn to walk in such high heels as I'm more of a flats girl, but my, aren't they pretty?

So, what do you think?

Hello lovely blog readers, I've been thinking.

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I write on a wide variety of topics on this here blog: from vintage and charity shop finds to growing veg to my no new clothes challenge to photo mosaics to sewing pieces for my little handmade business, and the list goes on! Plus, on the odd occasion, I create mini tutorials and pretty little things to download and print.

1. Anne of Green Gables quote print, 2. How to make a drinks coaster, 3. Challenge charity dress, 4. Clean Georgie, 5. Sneaky peek, 6. Vintage threads&wool 2, 7. Heart paper bunting, 8. Ribbon corsage, 9. Blossom close-up

So, this leads me to ask:

What would you like me to write about?

Are there topics I cover too much or too little? Would you like more of one but less of the other?

I'd love to know what you'd like to read more about so please do leave a comment and let me know!

The kettle's boiling and I've a plate of biscuits to hand…

The Challenge – the new not-new dress

As you know, I've been just a little bit busy getting my handmade business, the green gables, off the ground, so it's been a while since I have written about my no-new-clothes-for-a-year challenge.

Well, I've not had much to say about it! All my time, energy and cash has gone into the green gables so I've not even stepped into a clothing shop in weeks. By not visiting clothes stores I don't think about, or miss, new clothes or fashion. Even during my charity shop browsing I've been far more interested in the housewares section than the clothing rails.

However, courtesy of my dear friend Kirsty, I have a new not-new summer dress.

The clever girl spotted this while wandering around her local charity shop and bought it for me. She knows I'm partial to a pretty summer dress, I love wearing green, and most excitingly it still had its shop tag so had never even been worn. A spot of pinning by my sister and a few minutes on the sewing machine and it fits me perfectly. The chain link butterfly belt is another charity shop find.

My charity shop and secondhand shopping has become so habitual to me I don't think I actually think about it any more. A comment from a friend recently proved to be quite telling. At my little birthday garden party last week, one friend remarked, while giving me her gift, that she was "sorry it's not from a charity shop". I don't know if I've ever heard someone apologise for buying new rather than secondhand! Obviously anything someone has been kind enough to give me is always very gratefully received, however old or new it is.

Still, it does make you wonder, when did 'new' come to mean 'better' for some people? Of course, not everything I spend my money on is new but really, I love a charity shop gem, don't you?

I have a new nook

 

This weekend has been an exciting one for me as I moved into my new studio at the end of the garden! When we bought this house two years ago we knew we wanted to transform the brick built shed into a studio and my frustration at working on half a desk in the spare room was the motivation to get it done. The shed was solidly built but needed everything doing to it – new roof and ceiling, new window, brick up doors, replace other window with double doors, new electrics, plumbing to fit a toilet and washbasin, build a wall to make a cloakroom, insulate and plaster walls, insulate and lay new floor, and furniture! 

I love seeing and reading about other people's workspaces, nooks and studios so I thought I'd give you a tour of my new space. I only moved in last night so there's a lot more for me to do to make it feel like home.

 

The chair, table and bookshelves all came from Ikea. My faithful brother sewing machine was a birthday present from my husband a few years ago and serves me well. Leaning against the wall you can just see Gabs of the green gables created for me by Kirsty, as soon as I get her a frame she'll be in pride of place on the wall. Under the table is a picnic basket a friend found for me in a charity shop and of course there's a length of bunting hung up!

The suitcases were used by my aunty to tour Europe decades ago. I think my mum then went to college with them. The mannequin, wearing a mini pinny, was an eBay bargain bought from a school PTA. I think the kids may have named it as the underside of the stand reads Ben! The little bag in front is my sewing bag, yet another charity shop find, and the basket full of yarn and needles is a secondhand gem I found on eBay. You can see one of two ancient wood and wire birdcages here, they came from a charity shop too, not sure if birds were ever kept in them (I hope not). Are you getting the idea I like secondhand yet?

My fabric is a mix of charity shop shirts, remnant bin finds, vintage fabrics and new cotton fabrics bought locally. Scraps get chucked in the basket to be used at a late date. My storage is a strange mixture of baskets given by a friend, plastic Chinese takeaway boxes and crystal brandy glasses. If you can see my embroidery threads, they're in a Singapore Sling glass I bought from Raffles Hotel in Singapore! You can just see the gorgeous old Singer sewing machine peeking through the bunting, still haven't found the time to get it working…

The sofabed was given to us by a friend a few years ago, and with the studio having its own toilet (you can just see the cloakroom door on the right) and running water, the room can also be used as an occasional guest bedroom. The coffee table is actually an ingenious invention that can be raised to different heights, the top spun round and flipped open to make a dining table. My parents gave it to us as a wedding present when we lived in a little flat in London where furniture needed to multi-task. The cloth on the coffee table was beautifully embroidered by my aunty about 60 years ago. Oh and that's my dog, Georgie, on her blanket. She knows better than to come anywhere near my work or fabrics.

My Anne of Green Gables quote poster adds a much needed splash of turquoise and dose of inspiration.

The transformation of the little building at the end of our garden has been so successful and it makes me super happy. It's gone from being a place to dump stuff to a useful space that has added a whole extra room to our home. In case you're interested, those are my veg beds on the left hand side, the green stalks you can see are onions and you can just see some salad leaves in the corner. Several packets of wildflower seeds have been sown in the bed on the right so hopefully that won't stay a boring patch of dirt for long. 

I hope you enjoyed the tour around my new nook (and veg patch). What do you love about the space you create in?

Month of May

Well, it's been quite a month and it's not even over yet. My month has been so packed already I felt the need to stop and look back at it so far. So, this month I…

• have been laid low with a stinking cold which became a hacking cough which turned into a chest infection

• had family and friends to stay, before, during and after my lurgy – lucky them

• took part in Copy and Paste's first birthday blog party, a rip-roaring time it was too, if you didn't pop in at the time you can still read all the posts

• held a little competition to win something I made, and people actually entered! The lovely lady who won the string of bunting seems v pleased with it and sent me a piccie of it hung in its new home

• managed to correctly predict the coalition government outcome before it was officially announced so we could create and print the weekly newspaper for children – First News (that's the day job)

• finished my Challenge Inspiration Thursday posts with my favourite colour combo, but that doesn't mean the end of turquoise for me!

• was told I needed new glasses so went for a new style

 

• met 11-week-old George – the little poppet – new baby of my friend Libby and her husband Richard

• spent 2.5 hours on a tractor learning all about farming courtesy of Richard (above) who's a dairy farmer. Here's an observation: when I go to into work I find the usual office furniture and co-workers. When Richard walked into his workplace – the silage barn to be precise – one day last week he found a mallard had made a nest and laid several eggs. You tell me, who has the most interesting start to their day?

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• saw several cows receive a manicure. Not that it ever occurred to me before but it makes sense that cows' hooves grow continuously as humans' nails do, and so need trimming. And there's an entire career to be made as a hoof trimmer

• tried on loads of my mum's clothes from the 60s and 70s. Came away with a cosy knitted shawl plus two fantastic shirt dresses circa 1970 (post three of my siblings being born but pre-me) – hurray for a hoarding mum!

• also tried on a bunch of clothes my brother-in-law's girlfriend is giving to charity (sorry, charity, I intercepted) and took away a never-worn top, a wraparound cardigan and a pair of linen trousers – thanks for the cast-offs!

And a trip to the Isle of Wight is yet to come!

So, how's your month been going?

The Challenge

So, I've decided it's high time I set myself a new challenge. A proper one that will take a decent amount of effort and last a while. 

When I was nine years old I gave up sweets for Lent without telling anyone. I wanted to see if I could go without for six weeks and by keeping it secret I didn't have the added help of my mum keeping a beady eye on me. After the allotted period I emerged on Easter Sunday brandishing a carrier bag half full of confectionery, having stored it under my bed. My family were suitably impressed and my mother insisted I took the bag into school to show and tell, and probably so that I'd have to share the stash and so not OD on sugar.

Three plus years ago I turned veggie. The main reasons being health and environmental benefits and animal welfare concerns, but a little part of me also wanted to see if I had the willpower to do it. After all, crispy duck pancakes and bacon sandwiches were two of my favourite meaty meals. But nearly four years on I'm as committed as I always have been and have every intention of staying meat-free forever.

So, I have will power and previous record directing it at abstaining from various foodstuffs. My latest challenge doesn't involve food but clothing instead.

For one year I will not buy a single new item of clothing. Starting today (although I could have got going a while ago as I haven't been stocking up on new threads) I won't buy a single new item of clothing. Instead I will make do and mend items I already own, buy secondhand or (I'm the most nervous about this one) make my own.

Some might say I could go further and eschew the purchase of all clothing for a year but I'm not about winning rosettes for extreme behaviour. To totally rule out taking ownership of a new or not-new item of clothing isn't particularly practical or realistic. After all, even cave folk made themselves a new loin cloth/toga/whatever you call their garb from leftover animal skin from time to time.

Plus, by boycotting all clothes I may turn off readers and be dismissed as too idealistic. I'd like to take this opportunity to show others, as well as myself, that buying £3 outfits from Primark, just because you can, or changing your wardrobe every season isn't needed to look and feel good about yourself. When it comes down to it, most of our purchases are suggested and decided by someone sitting in an office a long way away and their highly-skilled marketing company. And then there's the labour used to make the cheap clothes so many love. However much we might not want to believe it, no high street store is guilt-free of using cheap labour – people who work incredibly long hours in harsh conditions and don't even take home a decent enough wage to live on at the end of the day. We can't keep buying and binning clothes and not think there's a catch.

Over the next year I'm going to find out just how well I can be dressed without the use of virgin clothing. Hopefully it will benefit my wallet and the local charity shops I support, it will mean I don't contribute to the misery of many garment workers, plus improve my sewing skills and leave a few items out of landfill. 

Now, where did I put that pattern for handmade knickers…