Monthly Archives: November 2013

Mirrors galore

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At this week’s auction I added to my gilded mirror collection by spotting a thin, metal-framed oval mirror which cost me £16 before commission. It is similar to others I have found on my bargain hunts and could make a lovely bedroom addition.

I now have eight mirrors if I include the two I bought some years ago and one my grandmother gave to me. Maybe I should dedicate the entrance hall wall to my collection? Make a feature of them? Do leave a comment if you have seen this successfully done anywhere. In the meantime I will take a look at my favourite app – ‘Houzz’ – which is full of interior photos, design ideas and advice.

What else did I buy at the auction this week? Oh yes, an incredibly practical fold-out  table that can be used inside or outside for parties or crafts. It has white legs and a sturdy top which will blend into a room once it has a table cloth on it. Otherwise it can be used in the craft room / workshop as a work station. When it is folded, it has a carry handle and will fit neatly away in the barn, cellar or attic. I paid £30 for the table – one of my pricier items!

The last thing I bought was a little side table for £8. Someone had painted it cream and stuck a piece of modern wallpaper under the glass top. It wasn’t initially to my taste but I figured it would make a useful, neutral piece of furniture simply painted cream. Take a look below and decide for yourself! SCH

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This week’s auction highlights

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Definitely a week that ticked all the boxes!

The normally crammed auction hall was quieter than normal which meant the demand for furniture and sundries wasn’t that high which in turn meant some items were making silly money! At the same time there was a catering auction in an adjacent barn which I thought might be interesting in terms of equipment for the kitchen at The Little Grange: it’s usual to find stainless steel work stations, fridges, freezers, cookers, professional knives, industrial mixers, bulk crockery, glass ware and serving dishes.

Auction successes included:

– A ballon-back chair for renovation (with webbing and hessian only). The perfect re-upholstery project once I’ve finished the little stool.

– A painted wall mirror.

– A selection of wine glasses and baking dishes as well as a range of board and word games including Cleudo, Jenga, Brainbenders, draughts, playing cards, etc.

– A Kilner enamel jam pan with handle.

I paid just over £14 each for the chair and box of sundries; £12 for the mirror and £18 for the jam pan. SCH

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Fabric-covered foam cushions for the Adirondack chair

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I am happy to report that I have finally finished the two seat cushions for the outside chair I began at the beginning of the summer! It wasn’t the mission I had envisaged and of course, afterwards, I wondered why it had taken me so long to get round to finishing them.

Measuring the chair was the first task. I took care to make sure the repeat in the fabric to the front of the arched back matched the sides (it would be easy to cut a piece from the same fabric – in the same direction – only to find it ran the wrong way when viewed from the side). To do this I had to cut two strips along the length of the fabric (vertical) thus creating a seam from front to back along the top of the cushion.

Next I made up the correct length of piping using strips of fabric cut on the bias and piped through with cord. I sewed the piping to the front panels of each cushion before attaching the zips on the relevant rear/bottom panels. Next I sewed the side panels to the front panels (enclosing the piping).

Once the front panels were finished I sewed the remaining piping to the back panels, opened the zips (important!) and then sewed the front sections to the backs (again encasing the piping).

At each step I pinned the fabric in place around the foam and then took out the foam and sewed the pieces in place with my sewing machine. When it came to sewing the front to the back, the zip needed to be open so I could easily fold and remove the foam before sewing the final pieces in place.

Here are a few pictures of work in progress and the finished result:

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It’s just a shame I didn’t manage to finish the cushions before Autumn set in. SCH