In recent years there has been a trendy towards the rustic, the vintage the shabby chic. Mainly I think as People try to make sense of a world that is too fast and because of that often slap dash. Most of my friends live in very modern houses made of very modern materials. Many of them are quite happy with the modern but some crave what went before filling their homes with little pieces that they have found in charity shops or on Ebay. I am lucky, my home originally belonged to my grandparents, my dad moved here when he was two. Mamie my grandmother lived here for the rest of her life. When Elenya was two we moved in nothing had been changed well- ever. Mamie's appliques are on the wall,
her table cloths adorn my tables which she either bought at antique shops or her parents gave her. My children play with the mechanno set that belonged to my dad when he was little and my sister and I tinkered with during the our holidays. Her blankets live in the airing cupboard.
This suits me fine I am not a great believer in change, for change sake. It makes me uncomfortable. Sometimes though the 21st century catches up.
Every house in the area is having cavity wall insulation My little fire puts a spanner in the works it may do a stirling job of keeping the room warm, My children assure me that it is a magic door by which father christmas gets in and I love the way it looks but, it hasn't heard of regulations and because of that yesterday it had to be capped off.
So whilst Mario and his friend the plumber were under the floor with lengths of copper pipe.
I decided to embrace change and take one of the very oldest blankets from the cupboard and turn it into something else. I picked up the cushion kits when I was at woolfest last year they are made in a really scratchy yarn straight from the sheep and make perfect cushions for my front room.
I knew that I wanted blanket backs and was going to go to a charity shop to look for such a thing when I remembered the oldest blanket, rough scratchy and perfect to go with the fronts. I am really pleased with how they turned out and I am sure that Mamie would be tickled if she knew what happened to her blanket.
Are we getting rid of the fire? No it is a conversation piece, I still love the way it looks and we really can't have father christmas being locked out can we?.
We had a similar problem fire in our last house. We were caught when they came to change the gas meter and the bloke spied our fire. He put a 'condemned' sticker on it. We put in a woodburning stove instead.
ReplyDeleteI too am happy to live with stuff for years, until it really has to be replaced. I'd rather tinker about with things than have new. My M-I-L has just given me some of her old blankets, I have loads, and I was thinking of ideas for them. Cushions are a good one...
Lucky you living in a house with so many memories and associations. I agree with you about modernity, I find it deeply comforting to be surrounded by things belonging to my parents and grandparents, but there are sadly not too many of them. Love the custions!
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