Bargains, Books and Advice Needed!

Hi everyone!

Whilst I was in Leeds City Centre this week, after finally having my dressings removed at the hospital (yay!), I happened to pass a charity shop and decided to have a lil' nosy inside (well, its almost rude not to, isnt it,?) and I couldnt wait to show you the bargains I came home with.
This mahoosive length of cotton fabric (that reminds me of the circus, and of deckchairs for some reason!) was only £1.99! Maybe I could add a few squares of this to my patchwork quilt? (Which I have finally started, pics to follow soon!)

Next up from the charity shop, is this stunning structured black pencil/wiggle dress that is very pin-up in style (with the dress being black, it doesnt photograph too well, so I included a close up of the detail, and how it would look when worn - the fit is very similar to the dress modeled in the picture below, think Dita Von Teese) and the price tag was asking a measly £4.99 - I have seen this style dress sell on eBay for more than £25, so a great bargain I thought!

Moving along to the bookshelves (you can find some amazing books at fantastic prices in charity shops, I highly recommend you check them out if you dont already, there is something so exciting about second hand book shopping, I get that giddy butterfly-feeling when I am searching a randomly packed dusty bookshelf, then discovering a hidden gem) 
I came across these books that I simply couldnt NOT buy, the titles say it all:

One of the books, 'A Guide To Elegance' is written encyclopaedia style, has the author's entries for every fashion dilemma starting from the letter A, right through to Z -  I was simply amazed and delighted to find as I already have the 'matching' book, 'Elegance' - which is a fictional story about a bored married woman who finds the above book 'A Guide To Elegance' in an old book shop and after reading it, basically changes everything about her humdrum life, and tries to become everything the book says she should be. (I wont go into too much detail in case you want to read it, which I definately recommend for you chic-lit fans out there!) but they are both great books.

The 'Things To Make And Mend' book looks great, as does some of the recipes in the 'Gifts from the Kitchen' book, after glancing through this one, im sure that pictures and tutorials will be posted soon :)

On my way to the bus stop, detouring through Leeds Markets, I passed a stall that were simply giving away some very cute white-with-red-heart-detail curling ribbon at just 10p per each 10metre roll (so I bought all 14!) as well as these red christmassy glass candle holder/stands also at 10p each, bringing the grand total spend at said stall to a whopping £1.80! Bargain!

The 'advice needed' from the title refers to my sewing box/table (I have mentioned this in a previous post, but i've posted a reminder picture of the table below) that I am going to customise by painting it (colour of paint depending on the choice of paper) then papering the top and possibly sides, but I cant decide (out of two) which paper to use. This is where (hopefully!) you lot come in!

The paper of choice has been whittled down to the following two:

What do you think? I simply cannot decide between them, so your help and advice is much needed please!

Stay Tuned.....

Hi everyone!

As I mentioned in my last post, I have managed to get my left arm/hand bandaged up, which has really frustrated me, as there are a number of  crafty type projects that I wanted to get on with and share with you guys, which, for now, have to remain on hold :(

One project i'm keen to get on with, is my patchwork quilt (mentioned in my first post). I have finally gotten all 200+ of mixed 4'' cotton squares, and was dying to make a start on it. The picture below is what im hoping to achieve:

Another re-vamp/customisation-type project im itching to start is customising an old dark-oak sewing table that I purchased from eBay, which features a lid that lifts up to reveal cute sewing compartments:

 I have always wanted a cute sewing box/table and fell in love with the idea of customising my own after seeing this beauty recently:

Im hoping to completely repaint and add a floral paper or design to the top and/or sides.
(I have not completely decided on what paint and design I was thinking of, maybe a cream or white toned paint, shabby-chic style, and a Laura Ashley/Cath Kidston design similar to the one above -  maybe something like these?)

(When I finally get cracking on this project, I will post before and after pics, and possibly a step-by-step, so you can follow my progress/disasters!)

What do you think about re-vamping perfectly good furniture? Let me know your thoughts and/or ideas :)