The Spirit of Christmas Past.

Christmas day 2011

Oops! Looks like Christmas totally passed this old blog by! I feel thoroughly ashamed of myself, yet at the same time feel that the result of my lack of posting left me a lot less stressed than previous years!

Christmas does not agree with me. I have so many ideas of things to do, but when the time comes all my enthusiasm dwindles and I’m left well and truly down in the dumps…. as well as extremely exhausted!

I did however feel chipper enough to make both my Grannies and my own Christmas cake, Christmas cards, a few presents (at the last second- nothing new there!) and a few Christmas decorations- nothing too fancy though!

Of course Mr. S. Clause found time to visit the Tickety Boo household on Christmas Eve (Hurrah!) and on Christmas day all my gifts were opened with much excitement (even if they were opened at some abnormal time in the morning!) You must hand it to the chap- he certainly knows what this girl likes… though you can’t give him all the credit- I have an inkling that Santa’s little helpers do most of the leg work!

I have quite a selection of goodies to show you, so I shall start with the dinky items! My jewels…..

A little pup!



Kingfisher  Celluloid brooch( I love things with birds on!)



1940's RN silver sweetheart brooch- which is the first
thing in my collection to do with the Royal Navy!
So I am super pleased!!!



Why what is this? Oh my, it's a another piece to do
with the Royal Navy....  like buses eh!
RN Comforts badge- 1940's.



Perspex RAF sweetheart pendant.
I knew about this as I found it- It was extremely hard to be parted from it for a whole month!

30's Paste Dress clip/ brooch set from my Auntie!



My very best LoobyLoo from my sis- isn't it just the tops!

Tupneys christmas card 2011

I've just done a preview and it looks like it's the 31'st today! Blimey! I was rather hoping to cling on to this year for a little longer but it looks like the New Year is nigh. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Here’s to a happy and prosperous New Year Folks. Chin Chin!

Sincerely yours

Tupney xxx

Crazy patchwork….

…. Or patchwork that sends you potty!

Last month, I started a new project (actually I started it on the first of the month if you’re interested!). A project that incorporated something totally alien to me…. Patchwork! Bet you couldn’t guess from the title eh!

I decided upon making a cushion cover as it was relatively small, and its something that is much needed - mine are rather dull and flat looking!

It took me four days in total to complete all the hand sewing, and blimey did my poor fingers pay for it! I’ve never done so much hand sewing in my life and I’m not sure if I ever want to again. I probably would average at about 18-20 stitches to an inch ( I say this with crossed eyes!) It was indeed enough to send me potty. Though luckily for me I didn’t have the added hassle of cutting out all the templates or the tacking of the patches as it was already done for me. You see, I had a box full of the patches come into my care, so all I had to do was to decide on how to arrange them and get stitching! I may moan and groan about doing patchwork now, but I suppose in some odd way it was quite an enjoyable project whilst I was stitching away…. Well it must have been because I finished it pretty quick and I did very little knitting!  (I say ‘finished’, that’s a little porky, as I’m still to find a nice piece of fabric for the backing.)

So here it is! My first attempt at patchwork!

As it’s not much to look at yet I have taken some photos of a patchwork with more interest and skill involved!

It’s one of my first and favourite items in my collection, and it’s very much treasured.

I started to collect twenties clothing before I found out that it was really far too much out of my league and before I moved on to the thirties and forties (which in all fairness is becoming the same way!)

It’s certainly a piece that has seen happier times, when its jewelled silks and velvets were paraded with such gaiety and pride for the marvellous handiwork involved in making this technicolour cutie. Unfortunately it has lost its sparkle somewhat. No more to be worn with all its shattered patches, and only to be admired by all who visit my room.

This little lovely has been hanging up on my wardrobe since I purchased it. I hadn’t the heart to pack it away. Well, what’s the point? The condition is ‘knackered’ yes, but I might as well get the enjoyment of seeing it every day if I can’t wear it!

I can only imagine where this dress has been and what the original owner was like. What about all the patches? What outfits did they get cut from? Grannies wedding dress maybe, or how about the girls first party dress!  Oh, what it would mean to know exactly!

it should have more of a dropped waist but it has been taken up a bit!

Worn by yours truly...

The inside....

the back... with funny arms!!!

...some of the patches and just look at all the lovely stitching!

and the inside!

I have my sights on making a crazy patchwork dress or garment of sorts of my very own…..maybe when I have some nice scraps and oh yes, some patience would be handy in the sewing department too! I'll keep you posted!!!

Tupney x

And the rarely spotted curly top!

Well here’s a snap to mark the momentous (simply earth shattering!!!) occasion of yours truly actually setting her hair for the first time in about three weeks, (this is quite unlike me I must say!) and for my Sister dearest who wasn’t very pleased with me when she came home to find a scruff!  See sissy dear, I’m back to normal and have my curly top back!

The rarely spotted curly top seen here in her natural habitat...
said in the voice of David Attenborough... naturally!

iffy photo but.... behold the wave!
Oh, and the little airman is my Val  :)

TTFN All

Tupps  xxxxxx

Date Maker Hey?!

What-ho folks!
I’ve just been thinking that I haven't shown off any of my recent(ish) knitteds lately. I now intend to correct this and yes, show off one of me woollies!
This one was knitted from the intriguingly named 'Date Maker' pattern found here<<

It was love at first sight for me as it comprised of all the things I like in a knit..... Nipped in waist, thick wool, and big needles. Perfect!

Immediately cogs started turning (the few that I have) as I saw potential…. To me it had the look of the Military. A waisted jacket with a buckle fastening is very battledress like don’t ya think? Well that’s how the design spoke to me, and as I’m rather partial to a nice battledress or two I thought I would make one of my very own. I originally had visions of it being in a kaki, but apparently that shade isn’t in vogue at the mo. My visions were dashed for a whole minute until I looked heavenwards in the wool shop and spotted some wool babies of the purest air force blue! It was meant to be….. a sign….The wool babies spoke to me…. Tupney dear, you don’t want a kaki BD. Tell me, what sweetheart brooch would you wear upon it? Now Tupps, what you need is an air force blue to wear with one of your countless pairs of wings! You need me… buy me… knit with me... Yes, of course! You are quite right oh mighty wool baby…. I shall take you home…. Gosh, how could I have ever thought differently!

And so, the Kaki BD was confined to history and the air force coloured BD reigns supreme!

Showing the back of the Cardigan and the Lovely Roger M!

It caused quite a rumpus on its first outing too! Ok, it wasn’t actually  the jumper, and  it wasn’t two dashing young AC’s fighting over me (mores the pity!) but a WOMAN quite stuck in her ways ( and incorrect ways at that), saying that the wings I was wearing (upon my very lovely jumper!!!) were wrong as they carried the ‘Queens’ Crown…. Oh and remind to tell you the whole story at a later date wont you!
 It’s a shame really as I shall always think of this jumper as the Jumper I wore when I nearly had fisticuffs with a WOMAN outside the Tourist Information, and not the Jumper I wore when Trevor Howard took me boating on the lake…. Well, that wouldn’t happen anyway but you know what I mean!

Why yes Trevor,  I would love to go boating... but what time? I'm meeting Roger at the milk bar at twelve!!!

So there you are the trials and tribulations this Cardigan has brought me so far!

Tupney xxxx

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Yes, I have too much time on my hands.... and yes, I shouldn't be left alone with a RAF Tunic and my collection of scarves!

11.11.11

I have just remembered that I had this letter in one of my adopted photo albums.

This letter obviously meant a lot to the receiver as it was proudly stuck down in one of their albums.

Here’s a photo of the original. (please excuse my rather battered Poppy- It has been proudly worn over my heart since October, hence the appearance!)

Poppy Day 1929

I wish to express to you my sincere thanks for your great help with the sale of Flanders Poppies on Remembrance Day.

 The splendid spirit of service which has involved no small amount of inconvenience is greatly appreciated.

Inclement weather and similar adverse conditions have failed to dampen the ardour of the many helpers who are always ready to aid those to whom the nation owes so much. (Makes me rather teary reading these lines!)

            The amount collected by Luton and the surrounding villages this year was £732.6.2d.

With renewed grateful thanks.

Mayoress .

 ............................................................

Right ho

Off to collect a pile of hankies (and boy do I need those hankies!)  ready for tomorrows Royal British Legions Festival of Remembrance (sat 9:15 pm BBC1!) and Sundays commemorations at the Cenotaph! (BBC1 10:25 am). I can tell you there won’t be a dry eye in the house tomorrow evening….

Tata all!

Tupney xxxx

With a Tickety Twitch, Tupneys a Witch….

…though I’m sure most people would quite happily say that I don’t need to twitch to become a witch!

The last time I dressed up for Halloween was about twelve/thirteen years ago as I felt left out. My sister was going to a party as the Devil and had bought horns, a tail, and most importantly a pokey fork thingy… I think she even has a sparkly red top or dress! All very glamorous, though she would probably cringe if she saw the photos today!  Not fair I thought, so I decided to dress up as a pumpkin! All glamour me! To be honest it was all I could muster in such short notice, plus at the time it was very ‘me’. I seem to remember I was quite fond of brightly coloured jogging bottoms, and luckily I owned a green pair ( a fondness that has since been discarded I must add!), also I just so happened to posses a orange T–shirt.. Bingo! I had all the necessary bits n bobs to be one cracking pumpkin…. Well, apart from the necessary roundness! For that I had to shove a cushion up my orange tee and Bobs your uncle, Tickety’s a Pumpkin! I only treated one house but the pound and chocolate bar was enough to keep any pumpkin happy….. funnily enough never again did I dress up for Halloween……

Hehe, funny or what!

But today I have decided to face those past traumas and once again dress up for the occasion by donning my most spooky 40’s hat!

And you have got to agree that my hat has that certain witch-esque charm! It’s quite a hat!!! I thought if I can’t wear it today of all days, then I don’t know when I can.

When I saw it I fell in love, and I just had to have it for my collection. Its soooo unusual and the georgette scarf notion reminded me of the hat Mrs Miniver bought in…..Mrs Miniver! Yes, I know it’s nothing like her hat but all the same it still reminds m.  ;)

cheeky or scary- call this picture what you will!
40's hat with a 40's spider brooch.

I must admit the hat is rather a bit growdy-uppy for me- I’m far too cheeky to wear such a hat, but give me another decade or two and all will be dandy!

If age and wisdom fails to come knocking at my door then I’ll just have to learn how to be more dramatic. This hat demands to be worn by someone with great dramatic tendencies….. I see it being worn but someone flinging their being onto a sofa, draping themselves across it (a chaise longue is preferable and would create the correct dramatic effect for the scene), and with the bringing of their oh so tired arm to ones forehead to exclaim such twaddle about everyday life and how its such a tiresome lot, or something else of equal nonsense! It could work,  but personally I think I’ll  wait for the extra age myself!

Tehehe, and one to show how a drama queen would wear it!

 Anyhoooooo

Happy Halloween All!

Tupps xxxx

Shoes but not for Me!

Life isn’t fair I tells ya! Just look at the shoes Mammy Tupney purchased the other day…… JUST LOOK AT THEM! She knows far too well how much I have been angling after a pair of shoes like these, and let me tell you, she knows it more than ever now! They are just the tops….. And they have the UTILITY mark to boot (or to shoe!), whilst boasting the fact that they are also unworn…UNWORN….. gah! I don’t even own a well fitting pair of vintage shoes in such marvellous condition, and now my Mammy has found such a pair…. Oh, I want to cry!

It would completely polish me off it they were green- luckily for Ma they are not.... phew!

Also to make matters worse, (and if you are airy fairy like me, then things couldn’t get any…) on that very same we gazed upon those little (well big) cc41 corkers, I had also spotted some more utility shoes. Yes, TWO pairs of utility shoes in one day- I could hardly handle such an occasion. But, and again it’s another ‘but’ that doesn’t favour towards Tupneys shoe cupboard, this time they were men’s boots. I bought them anyway, as I have been after a pair of men’s clodhoppers for my collection for some time, but still….. I wish they were for little Tickety Boo’s tootsies…..Oh, and did I mention that they fit my Pappy L(well he’s not having them that’s for sure!) I say that’s double unfairness!

Mens Utility boots after a good polish by Pops.

Thankfully, the day wasn’t all doom and utility gloom, as I did purchase something rather special (well it’s special to me), but you are going to have to wait a day longer to see it!

Tupney

A shoeless creature.

xxx

Help: Repro Vintage Underwear needed!

Right vintage knicker fanciers, I need your help!

I’m posting this request on behalf of someone else, and it’s pretty urgent!

Your quest is to name anyone who does good repro vintage underwear!

Right, got that? Knickers (most likely French due to the era!), bras, girdles/suspender bets, etc.

Next…The style has to be of those worn in the late thirties, give or take a few years!

Then they have to be in black and red. Actually, and it’s just occurred to me that it’s an ‘Oh piddle’ moment! I didn’t ask if they should be black or red, or black with a coloured trim or visa versa- Ah well you get the general idea!

I suppose the company should be UK based too! (but please do post any suggestions just in case!)

Any help would be greatly received.

I wasn’t much help as I don’t go searching for repro vintage undies- I make my own of sorts (well, just started to)! All I came up with was ‘What Katie Did’!

Just think, your suggestions will be helping a costume team for a period TV drama….. oooow arrrhhhh-  and no, I’m not saying what it’s for…. I’m saying nuffink!

TTFN

Tupney xxxxx

Just call me Fuzzypeg!

Well folks, I have been less than enthusiastic about anything of late, as you can probably tell by the lack of wittering on the old blog.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, from today I shall be taking more time to sort out stuff to share, as ‘spirits’ are rising!!!  Last Tuesday, after a long, long wait (a year and a half since the last!) I final got another perm (she says with a beaming smile J), and let me tell you it has pepped my spirits up tremendously!

I have even taken photos to show the results! It’s quite, shocking to see the difference between the post perm/ pre set and post set pictures.It’s like seeing a totally different person- Oh the miracles of hair and makeup….. *cough* I mean its all natural…what, WHAT! What do my little ears hear? Oh, it’s those Dick Dastardly little pixies from up the garden, calling out ‘year right’ and ‘in you dreams’!!

Anyway, I have just realised that I had forgotten to take a picture of my hair do before I had the perm, but let me tell you it was awful, and you need not know anything else about it, let alone see it!

I am extremely sorry for the large amount of ‘me’ pictures,  but if I’m gonna show my curly top off then my noggin has to be in it as well…. Sorry!

On the up side you do get to see some of my pin ups!

BEFORE....

Just after I had the perm- second photo showing a washed out Tupney with no make up and modern top- ahhh

AFTER...
Once I had set my hair in curlers.

Pictures taken in a cluttered bedroom (or my museum!)



The side and front wave.

...and the other side.



... the back- please excuse the mess!

As you can see I hate empty walls!



I like him.... and him.... and....



You may also like to know that over a week on and I still have curls- rather more bouncy and poofy than the first 4 days of the set, but still respectable looking… even with the post perm frizz! Yesterday would have been 8 days, and in theory the day I should have washed it, but by the way it that looks I think I’ll hold out for a few more days…. Well, I’ve had enough of washing my hair after having the perm- I think I had my hair rinsed and washed FOUR times and usually that’s a months or so hair washing for me!

Well must go.

Blouse to make,

Stuff to sort!

Tupney x

A Happpeeee Burfday to me big sis…. A quarter of a century old today!

Many happy returns toots,

hope you like your pressie!

Tupney, your little sister x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

This Day In 1939

Here are some snippets from ‘The Times’ sold on this day, 4^th September 1939, 72 years ago. The day before, 3^rd September, Britain had declared war on Germany…. The resulting news talked about the evacuation of children and other priority beings, air raid precautions and the services.

 Tupney x

The Ramsey Purchase...

So here it is, my 'Ramsey Purchase'! I'm rather afraid that you might all be slumping in your seats at this very moment, thinking to yourself.... is that it? Well yes it is but to me its the tops!



My new compact- ooow ahhh. Pic taken with a picture I also picked up at Ramsey.... I'm pretty sure the RAF chappie is Canadian! Not that you can see it but the gals suit is wonderful.... you will have to take my word!

It may not be in pristine condition (though, pretty darn near!) as it does have signs of wear and tear which is blooming fantastic for the likes of Tickety here.  Why?  Well, if it were in tip top condition it would be hurried out of harms way in to one of my display cases. I go all hot and cold at the thought of one of my treasures getting more damaged in my care. So with that in mind, yes, the scratches are a welcome sight as it means I can use the old sausage… In theory I won’t be over precious about it, which is actually a lie as it’s not in my nature to not worry about something…. but I'm determined as it is far too lovely to not be seen and used, don’t you think!

Compact, leather case and lambskin puff...

I think someone was a little over zealous with the blue enamel!

Inside- nice mirror but sadly no sifter!

My new swishy compact has now been emptied, brushed out, whilst the puff has been washed (it came up really well too- you should have seen it before- ewe! Haha!), and the compact is now awaiting fresh powder…. Then it’s off on a holiday to the bottom of my bag to have a jolly with Miss. Lottie Lipstick and Mr. Stratton the comb!

Ah, all I can say it’s a good job Pops spotted it on his travels around Ramsey’s shopping arena (thank you pa)- both Ma and I diverted our tracks away from that very stall in question- it looked like it was full of military tat…. *Cough*, I mean military collectibles!

I say you must have a man on the search with you at all times as usually ‘they’ the men folk  are not put off by rust and other smelly canvas stuff!

In all honesty it would be ok if only I knew what I was looking at- my knowledge on the military side is near to nonexistent.

For some reason I think I might just have to powder my nose a little more often…. Hmmm, I wonder why?! Could it be so I can show off my new, and swishy wings adorned compact?!!!

Tada all.

Tuppy x