From Old to New.

 So the following 2 fabrics were my weekend purchase at Fabricabrac. The above one a brand new design by Melody Miller, vintage portraits on a linen cotton mix.
They were sold by a stall ( Stitchbird Fabrics ) specializing in modern prints with a hint of retro,  It's only a fat quarter, but enough for a panel  or pocket on a bag. I really liked it for myself.

                                                                                                                                                                   And then I saw it...

 Yes ! It was Smurf fabric!  From 1981. Sooo retro, and happy, and suitable for kid's clothes.
 I was smiling all afternoon, and still am!  Are you?..
It's o.k. if you are laughing at me, too!
Let's face it ; a 40-something woman who is whooping for joy over a bit of fabric with smurfs on it.....!?

      There was 2 meters of it in excellent condition. I can't wait to make something cute with it.

  It's the little things that make my life happy!

This is a little desk/cupboard that I bought a few years ago and used in my studio in the old house. Now I want to use it as my sewing table in the middle of the dining area / workroom.
It's really very ugly and darkly stained, so dark it seems to suck up the light in the room.

   2 weekends ago I sanded it all over, including the back, and it is all finished now, ready to use. I painted it in the same white as the drawer unit, 3 layers of it. The top has been left blond wood with some of the white rubbed over it and then varnished several times in a satin finish. It looks so much better, clean and light. And strangely;  newer.

Now I can put my sewing machine on top, and put my collection of notions and threads, ric-rac and bias binding, buttons and zips and other tools into it's little drawers and cubby-holes.

And that will leave the big work table for cutting and pinning, and hopefully the occasional felting work.

Of course I will have to be a little disciplined in keeping it looking fairly tidy. 

All my fabric and wool and fibre stash is downstairs in the small spare room. Still very un-organized.

 I dare not show you a picture...