WILLOW VALLEY STORE

Paragon. Lilac.

Check out what my MIL found for me for Christmas...

a gorgeous milk/cream jug and sugar bowl. Adorable shape and design huh!

It is sssoo sweet - isnt she way too good to me!

The label had us all intrigued. It reads

Paragon. By Appointment. H.M.Queen's H.M. Queen Mary. Fine China. England. Reg'd Lilac (serial no.)

so I googled it and found these links which I found interesting reading and some lovely pics to enjoy too of more china from this era...

Wiki

Classy Option

Xo Catherine - who loves it when family members find awesome treats for me at second hand shops!!!!!!!!

PS I really love sketching flowers and whimsical "weeds" in vintage containers....

here is Serendipity....

 

Vintage books...

You never know what turns up when you holiday in Victoria's birth place....there's so much history and so many wonderful vintagey collectables to enjoy...

I had a wonderful afternoon admiring these and many many more.....

 

these horsey books are great. They always have the same theme. Do you know it?

Shell May I thought of you when I found this one....

Some have very dear dedications and dates in the front of them.

just adored these sweet children playing in the woods with bunnies, squirrels, butterflies, daisies, toadstools and birdies

children sure did have short shorts and dresses then...

and they all happily drank plain milk with mommy

xo Catherine

French Island

We've just got back from a little family holiday that included

somewhere overseas

and French

oooh la la!

um not what you are thinkin'!

Western Port Bay's very own French Island.

The contrast between the very well known, internationally recognized, Phillip Island and the "where is that?" French Island couldnt be more extreme.

To give you an idea...

Phillip Island is about 10,000 Hectares with 7000 permanent residents - the population expanding to over 50,000 in summer.  Over 3.5 million visitors every year.

Its well known and loved for the Grand Prix, the penguin parade and the fantastic surf beaches.

French Island is much larger - 17,000 hectares but has only 75 residents. About 6,000 people visit each year.

Its largely overlooked. And thats what makes it so intriguing.

There are no utility services. No gas , electricity or water. Residents need to be self sufficient for these themselves. They rely on rain water tanks, wind/solar power and diesel generators.

No police. No council. No petrol station. No medical services. No church. No road connection to the main land. No airport. No sealed roads. No speed limit (the corrogations +++ sure will keep your speed in check any way). The cars are mostly unregistered....and have a very hard life - salt and rough dirt roads!

There is just one shop

(a general store - its the grocery shop, pub,  PO and hardware store all in one) It has a piano , book corner and a cosy fireplace too.

French Island has a primary school with 11 students. A cricket pitch. A community hall. A tip. Two jetty's . A cemetry.

I really loved this HUGE jelly mould ?? improvised as a vase.

A camping ground and a small handful of places to stay.

The island had a prison farm and this operated between 1915 and 1975. It housed over 100 inmates serving the last term of their sentence.

 

We met the lovely Lois who is a 4th generation local...and had a tour of the Bayview Chicory Kiln built in 1897 (now tearooms and museum) 

 

2/3 of French Island is National Park - and the rest is privately owned.

It has been inhabited since around 1800 and boasts pristine native flora/fauna and fascinating history.

 So close to home and yet another world away. 

Jump on the passenger ferry at Cowes or Stoney Point - or put your car on the barge at Corinella (permit needed)

xo Cath

I spy macho sew

Some pics from the windows of Collins St...

on my way to work....

I admire these masculine sewing scenes in the tailor's windows

sometimes I have to wait until there are no cars going past to avoid capturing them in the window reflection...

or step off to the side on an angle so that I dont end up with ME in it...

the making of a suit...

I can't make out the name on this antique sewing machine....does anyone recognize it??? Isnt it lovely. So different to the white plastic ones of today.

I learnt to sew on my MIL's old Singer from the 60's.

xo Cath

Homespun - The Church Block

The latest Homespun is out - I look forward to them all - but this issue is one I have been waiting AGES for!!!

As you know,  Homespun - is running a 2011 BOM program called My Town. The completed quilt will be auctioned and the proceeds go to the Starlight Foundation - a fantastic cause!

The blocks all feature the beautiful new fabric range Wild Rose by Blackbird Designs (I am a HUGE fan of their fabric and patterns - LOVE THEM).

Each month you receive a pattern to make a structure for your town. At the end of the year you will have a wonderful village featuring iconic buildings to create your quilt.

Yikes - its always a bit scarey (understatement!) when you turn the page and see something that you have dreamt up, sketched, planned and stitched on your dining room table  - (aka: craft room)  right there in those glossy pages.

This month you will find my block - The Church.....

Here are 2 of my most inspirational photos -  taken in the Melbourne CBD

 

Issue 98 Vol 12 No 7.

 

xo Catherine

 

PS Churches are pretty good inspiration on the inside too!!!

Trash N Treasure N Drive-In Theatres

Long long time ago in the land of Oz we had drive in theatres. 

Lots of them.

You paid cash cos there was no other way.

You parked your car next to a pole - unwound the drivers side window (yes - using the muscles in your arm !)  reached out and grabbed a heavy grey metal speaker. It had a big hook on the back of it and you hung it on the window and then wound the window up  (using those arm muscles again !)

It was poor sound. It crackled and popped. Too loud for the driver who had it right next to their ear and not loud enough for anyone else in the car.  

And yet we loved it. It was a huge treat to go to the drive in theatre.

As kids you went in your PJ's. The really cool people had panel vans - parked them backwards - and laid out in luxury on their 'beds' surrounded by food and drinks.

It was always funny when people forgot at the end of the movies to return the speaker to the pole and drove off with it still hanging there in their window. BANG!!!!!!!! Just about took your door off!

These days there arent too many drive in theatres.

In some places the remnants of those simple times remain. A few of the local drive in theatres now operate as Trash N Treasure markets on Sundays.

As I walk the uneven purpose built sloping lanes that curve around the concrete supports - that are all that remain of those once massive hi tech screens - I cant help but remember the days of the drive in theatre with a smile.

We get to Wantirna Trash N Treasure several times throughout the year...located at one of those left over drive in theatre waste lands. Camberwell market is great - but I cant beat Wantirna for close to home proximity and vintage bargains!

Here are my latest acquisitions

$2 for this Royal Winton cup and saucer! How sweet is the rose bud handle.

$1 for this repro Arnotts tin - nice one!

best buy

$6 for this really awesome NALLYWARE cannister which is HUGE and in perfect nic!! Often they are pretty knocked around. I have a small coffee one in the same design. Now on the look out for some to go in the middle. I wonder what they could be. Tapioca? Sago? (" I once knew a guy who worked in a sago mine"  that saying just always cracks me up good one Pa hehehe)

so thats not bad huh....$9 for 3 great items.

If you have some drive in theatre memories - or maybe you've picked up a vintage treasure for mere coins recently at an old drive in theatre Sunday market - I would love to hear your story!!! Please share!

xoxo Catherine

PS Dandenong Lunar Theatre is still in operation. You will enjoy these stories and images if your birthdate is pre 70's   LOL!!!

Found by chance

Here are some of the treats from yesteryear that followed me home from the west coast.

Check out these old milk covers, doyleys and things...

Beautiful hand work. Such delicate stitching.

The flat round one on the left has 3 layers to it and when you open them out it creates these little pockets - for keeping scones warm.

This one has me a bit intrigued. It has the words "sauce" around it. Here you can see the 'sau'

Odd shape. Apparently it was the cover for a sauce bottle.

Wonder what kind of sauce.

Maybe l could add a Y and make it say 'saucey' and use it another way. Ok just being naughty and silly now. That's what holidays can do to you.

I also came across these really fantastic beads. They are resin with old paper print inside. Pretty clever me thinks. They were on a big chunky arrangement with some other stuff I didn't like. So l pulled it apart.... 

and put three of them on a nice long strand of black velvet memory cord from Spotlight. $2m. Much more me.

I really like old writing, postcards, vintage advertisements and scripty stuff.

Also got these...

a pile of old papers sheet music and advertisements

(ADDED LATER inspired by Jenny McH's comment - here is the link to listen to the song titled 'Til the boys come home' also called 'Keep the Home Fires Burning' from 1914!)

and look at this one.....I havent gone through these thoroughly yet and had no idea this was amongst it....look at the dedication and the date!!!!!!!!!!!

"For my dear friend Mrs Baynes CS 25/11/05"     isnt that a bit special....

I am thinking that its referrring to Brian's Grandma. She loved to play the piano (which now abides at our house)  and this pile of stuff came from "Aunty's house"....cos I am the only one in the family that reliably gets excited about quote "old junk". So not old junk!!!

xoxo Cath