Vintage Haberdashery Love Fest...

Its all been happening this week at Polka.Button HQ!

First of all I now have an official Headquarters! Yep, I (with some help from my mum) finally sorted my spare room into an office/craft room. Its so nice to just simply have a big table to take photos on and have my laptop out all the time ready to blog at a moments notice! I am currently in the process of researching registering as a business... which is terrifying but exhilarating at the same time, but who knew there was so much to think about?! Tax, VAT, Book Keeping, Sole trader, Ltd co, Wholesale, consignment... ekk the list goes on!

Any way on a more breezy topic... this weekend I had a ridiculously fruitful trip to my local charity shops. It was heaven and I only spent about a tenner! I know your just dying to know what curios I purchased... How about a massive photo fest of the loveliness? Yes? Oh ok, if you insist!

Vintage dress patterns? Check.

Vintage buttons? Tick.

Vintage anchor buttons? In abundance!

First edition book on needle craft from 1938!? Don't you just know it!

It smells the way books should smell... when they were made of really heavy paper.

When I get a chance to have a really good rifle through this gem I will scan in a few pages for your pleasure.

Click image to enlarge.....

I also found a good few pieces of vintage china which I will post on another day else you overload on pretty, fabulous things! Now I'm off to buy three quarters of a yard of silk....

Success!!

Yesterdays Fayre was incredible, even the rain managed to hold off for most of the day! The EDP were covering the event and have a Photo Gallery online of the day (See if you can spot me!).

I hope that those of you who made it had as good a day as I did, although its always a shame that I never managed to actually wonder around much and experience the fayre in all its glory but it was lovely meeting all the people who popped along to Polka.Button and a big thank you to those who purchased something or took a card and found your way to my little slice of the world wide web, I hope you enjoy my blog!

I managed to take a few pics of my stall and new products before I started selling...

 

 Vintage embroidered tablecloths. These went down really well, which I am very pleased about because they are so beautiful I wish I could keep them all, but I don't have enough tables! Remaining tablecloths will probably make it onto Folksy shortly.

 Vintage china trio stands, these beauts got a lot of wonderful comments and a couple of sales to boot, I will be putting the rest on Folksy today. Promise!

 'Say it your way' cards. Beautiful fabric covered cards to personalise. I'll be doing a post about these soon, so stay tuned!

 

Haberdasery table.... Vintage china pincushions, one still remaining, on Folksy today! The vintage dress patterns sold brilliantly once again and I even got a few offers from people asking if I would be interested in buying some. The answer is YES. Always yes!

Right better get photographing and Folksying... Don't forget, you can follow me on Facebook for the most up to date posts, news and offers and also have a look at some of my 'likes' while your over there for some of the best shops and designers Norwich has to offer!

Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre 2011

So over the last month I have been working on preparing my stall and stock for the Lanes Summer Fayre this Sunday! I still have a few little bits to finish off but I'm almost there and I have lots of new goodies available like these teenie, weenie, mini, polka dot button earrings... Available in 20 gorgeous shades!

One pair for £3 or 2 pairs for £5

Click on image to enlarge

So if you made it here to my blog and your planning on coming down to the Lanes on Sunday then I reckon you deserve a little treat... So if you see something you like at Polka.Button then for one day only you can receive 10% off all your purchases! Just quote the password...

'MAGENTA BUTTON'

It's that easy...

St. Benedicts street is open from 11am til 5pm so I hope I will see some of you lovely folks there!

Time for Tea?

This weekend has defiantly been a crafty old weekend! Today I started turning my ever growing collection of vintage tea sets into cake stands....

But maybe tea parties are not a common occurrence in your life, yet you adore vintage china and the nostalgic charms that are associated with it? Well who says cake stand are only for cakes?!

Why have a beautiful stand of vintage plate and get it out only for the occasional tea party when it could be out on your dressing table for ever more looking pretty and oh so very practical! Store jewellery, trinkets and even make up on these little wonders. The tea cups on top are perfect for holding makeup brushes and pencils or whatever your heart desires!

More vintage china plate stands will be coming soon and added to folksy very shortly, alternatively you could pick up one of these beauts at the St. Benedicts Summer Lanes Fayre!

Also today I took a little trip around some of my local charity shops, and although I didn't find what I was looking for, it was well worth the trip because I found vintage buttons so delicious I cant imagine how I will ever use them to their full potential!

Oh my... these little mint green flowers are definitely the most beautiful buttons in my life!

On top of all this excitement I also found a new (to me) magazine which is relatively new to all as the current issue is only the 2nd. 'Mollie Makes' is possibly the most beautiful magazine I have seen in my life! With a beautiful mixture or crafts, thrifting, vintage and interiors it is really so worth the £4.99 (subscribers save 25%!) I promise I'm not being paid to say these things, but I am definitely going to look into subscribing because I am absolutely gutted I've missed the first issue! Check out their website to find out which stores stock the magazine near you and have a sneak peak at the pages of Mollie Makes, I promise you won't regret it!

Booties on Demand

The knitted booties have proved to be a hit again at the fair today and they've also been sold at The Hub Gallery in Sleaford. They are the perfect present for that special newborn baby in your life or indeed that special baby coming into your life! The pattern suggest they are size 0-6 months but as with all baby clothing, this can vary greatly from baby to baby, so if you have any queries please do contact me.

My mum does the knitting (it would take me at least a month per shoe!) while I finish them off with the signature polka dot buttons. The yarn used is wondersoft pearl double knit which is an incredibly soft acrylic yarn, perfect for babies. Whats more they are completely washable (40 degrees) and can be tumble dried!

They can be made to order in these 5 different colours (or I will try my best to source a yarn to match your needs) with buttons to match. Ivory booties can be made with which ever colour buttons you would like (as indeed can all the other colour booties).

Colour samples. Click on image to enlarge detail.

If you would like a pair of booties made to order or have any special requirements please don't hesitate to contact me. I will then arrange payment and delivery as soon as possible, Booties are £8.

Polka.Button is BACK!

Today Polka.Button relaunched after a few months away (in which time I moved twice!), I apologise for the massive absence, but sometime life just sweeps you up and the time flies by, but I am back. With a vengeance! I spent the day at the 740th annual Great Hockham Horn Fair with my little stall and it was wonderful to be back out selling and chatting to customers. (Thanks to Mama bear for all the help and the flask of tea!)

Thank you to everyone who bought something or took a card, I hope you found your way here to my blog. Welcome to the new and welcome back and thanks for sticking with Polka.Button to the old! As my listings on Folksy have expired (they only last 6 months sadly) I will be getting round to re-listing some of the stock I have left this week.

The big news at the moment is that (all being well!) Polka.Button is going to be holding a stall at the delectable and scrumptious St.Benedicts Summer Lanes Fayre 2011! Last years fayre was such a huge success and surely in its second year it can only get better?! So save the date 10th JULY! Great food, music, crafts and arts. Basically its a hell of a day out in the fine city.

Its certainly been a while...

Blimey, it’s been literally months since my last blog! Where did the summer go eh?! I have been rather busy with non button-y things, although buttons do still feature daily in my life! I moved into a new house, got a job and then I got a better job and I managed to squeeze in a trip to Paris too!


Phew. Well I guess I’ll start with the house... My boyfriend and I moved in July into a lovely little cottage smack bang in the centre of Norwich. Right behind my favourite fabric shop and 2 minutes from my favourite pub, does it get any sweeter?! The first job I won’t even talk about, not good at all, but it paid the rent in my lovely house for 2 months so I can’t really complain too much. The second job is much much MUCH better and I only started Monday. Visual Merchandiser at the House of Fraser thank you very much, not too shabby at all! It’s so nice to be doing creative things in every aspect of my life again.

Lovely little Maggie Cottage

And then there was Paris, which you may remember was a gift for my 21st from my lovely parents. It was a lovely few days, the weather was a delight and the shopping was most certainly there to be done but it came at a very high price! I did however manage to buy a few vintage buttons, trims and magazines which I will get around to photographing eventually. Oh and Italian Vogue in 3D! That’s right...3D.

I spent last weekend in London with my grandparents and mother dearest, a little trip to the Ally Pally for the Knit and Stitch show was most definitely in order! I love the K&S show, I’ve been a couple of times in London and Harrogate and it never fails to deliver (except on the parking!). I think I’ll do a little post tomorrow on my treasures bought back which include quite possibly the world’s smallest iron, intrigued?

All that is left to say is sorry for my absence, I am a bad blogger! But to make up for this I have finally started listings on Folksy, Hazzah! Take a little trip over there if you like, more will follow this weekend if I can manage to take some decent photos without the sun.

 

Norwich Lanes Fayre

Yesterdays fayre was a roaring success, the sun was shining (unbearably at some points as we had no shade all day!) and loads of people turned up for what was a great day of shopping and entertainment! Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of the fayre as I was on my stall most of the day, but what I did see looked lovely! It was pure Norwich at its independent best!

Here's my little corner of the lanes, looking a bit wind swept!

A little selection of my wares and displays.

I still have a bit of stock left over from the fair, which I will put up in my Folksy store this week with any luck. I also had a bit of interest in my bunting that was being used as display so I have decided to set up a custom bunting service, where you can choose colours, fabrics and length to fit your needs! So if you're interested in this service then send me an email with what sort of thing you're looking for and I will get back to you with some fabric options.

This is the stall with which I was sharing a space, the lovely ladies (and Will!) of Amity Vintage, who made an absolute killing on the day with all their lovely vintage treasures! It was so great to share a space with them and I can't wait to do more fairs together! They will be stocking their online store very soon and I will let you when they do!

Thanks you so much to all friends and family who turned up to support us and help out behind the stall and keep us company and thanks to Martin and Will who helped us a lot with the setting up and packing away aspects. Finally thank you to everyone else who came down and made the day such a success and for all the kind words and encouragement! I hope those of you who purchased from Polka.Button or took a card found your way here! Please keep checking back for updates, you can follow the blog in the right hand column and find my facebook page and contact details in the 'Contact Polka.Button' page at the top of this post!

Baby Booties

My mum knitted these booties for Polka.Button, which will be on sale tomorrow. I finished them off this morning with some polka dot buttons (naturally!) and tied them together with some pretty polka dot ribbon. I love the colours, very 'Polka.Button', and they are machine washable and go in the tumble dryer! Pretty and practical!

Now to finish off some of my pin cushions and aprons! See you tomorrow!

New stock

Wow 3 weeks is a long time with no blog! I've been so busy making more jewellery and sewing that the time has just flown by! Preparations are well underway for the Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre this Sunday, I've even got some tasty little things to share with you this morning before I chain myself to the sewing machine for 24 hours!

I finally got around to turning my polka dot buttons into pretty little earrings! The buttons measure 13mm and come in 14 different colours, all as lovely as the last! Each pair is £4 but if you come down to the fayre this Sunday you will find these little beauties on offer, 2 pairs for £6 while stocks last! Perfect if you cant decide which of the 14 colours to choose from! But if you can't make it on Sunday, any left over earrings will be up on my Folksy shop next week!

These two colours are my favorite as they match perfectly to my Polka.Button colours! Yum.

Introducing... Polka.Button's handmade buttons! I've made a small range off button packs using some truly scrumptious fabrics including some vintage, Cath Kidston and Liberty fabrics! Packs of 6 19mm buttons with metal backs and shanks only £5! Again, what I don't sell Sunday will be on Folksy next week!

Well I'd better get on with today's sewing! Hopefully see you Sunday!