I could hardly wait to keep our date...

...This lovely Easter morning!

 

 (haha, I don't think this picture would keep any date!)

 

"In your easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady in the easter parade.
I'll be all in clover and when they look you over,
I'll be the proudest fellow in the easter parade.
On the avenue, fifth avenue, the photographers will snap us,
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.
Oh, I could write a sonnet about your easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking to the easter parade."

 

 

Easter Greetings all! Eaten all your eggs yet?

Just a little silliness to mark the springtime festivities- all done in-between eating chocolate, of course!

In the first snap I’m trying to channel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’ (think Belle!). Both gave me great bonnet envy as a nipper, actually, they still do! Well, who doesn’t want to be just like Jennifer Ehle in P&P, eh! One day I WILL have a proper bonnet and when I do (???),I'll prance around the house and garden whilst humming along to the pianoforte in my head. Once I have hummed the entire score from the 1995, BBC series (which I adore!) I will then skip in to town to buy ribbons and meet the officers of the militia! Sounds peachy, yes!

Anyroads, here's more silly photo's of me and my 'make do' Easter bonnet!

 

Easter Bonnet and Evil Bunny!

or

Easter Bunny and Evil Tupney....?

 

 Don't think these two look like me at all- s'pose it's because I've got me trap shut!

 

Tupney always enjoyed the chocolate bunny she received at Easter and therefore thought very little of the new wartime 'just for show' bunnies….

 

(so attractive!!!)

 

 

I shall leave you with this lovely little ditty...

 

Happy Easter All!

 

Tickety xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Projects on the go...

Here's a little peek at some of the projects I'm working on at the moment...

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. 1930's crocheted Cami- knickers (just half of the front to sew up!)

2. 1940's Slip (need to trim the bodice and add straps)

3.1940's Slip and Knickers set (need to hem and add straps to the slip)

4. Wartime short-sleeved jacket in crochet (Only started this yesterday, so I have lots to do on this!)

 

Cannot wait until they are all finished- I'm rather pleased with the results so far (even if I do say so myself!)....

So, watch this space folks for the finished results!

 

 

Tupney xxx

Happy Mother's Day

Love Your Tupney

 

xxx

A Lucky Strike!

 

A pic taken on the day to show my happiness!

Back in January I picked up today's R.A.F treasure- A lucky strike indeed! This darling little ciggie case came from one of my favourite dealers, and even though I can't stand the whole smoking malarkey (horrid stuff), I just couldn't leave it behind. It must have been magnetic or something, because once I had it in my hand there was no way it was leaving it again until the case was safely at home in my possession! I'm very surprised that I didn't dilly dally over the price (which actually was very reasonable), but then again, what's inside the ciggie case is priceless in my eyes!  

 

 

Nothing extraordinary about this cushioned shaped case really- has a lovely feel to it, though, and it fits nicely in your hand. I can just imagine the raffy chap reaching to his pocket for this case... perhaps whilst leaning jauntily against a hut and wearing a careworn frown and a slightly dishevelled curly hairdo.... let's call him Rex too! Oooh no, Laurie....no, Rex... Oh it doesn't matter, he's not real!



 Once I've replaced the elastic I'm thinking of using it as a card case just because I want to show it off- I'll be giving everyone cards. OK, I won't as I don't have a card, but if I did naturally I would!

 

Anyway, do you want to see what's inside? Yes of course you do...

 



 Ta daaaaaa- tis a name and date *squeal* scratched into it!

 

FL. OFF. FARRIMOND. 1942

 

How marvellous eh! I wonder what became of him?

 

So, here's to you Mr Farrimond- thank you for scratching your name in your ciggie case!

♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend chums!

 

Tickety xxx

***

RAF Fridays so far...

Two Airmen and a Camel.

The Real Deal

The Apprentice and the Sweetheart.
R.A.F. Friday Christmas Special

R.A.F War Pictures

Nothing but Patches

It's a Piece of Cake

Mrs Pickup's

Knitting for the R.A.F

Love Is In The Air

Double Trouble

One Mans Photo's

The Rings

Here Comes The Bride...

The Other Box

The Box

Mayday! Mayday! She has bought more wings...

Red Lace and Dots.

 

Well, in my absence from the blogsphere  (have you missed me.. actually don’t answer that) I have been getting on with a few finishing off projects. It’s very unlike me to finish anything off properly, so to finally pull my socks up and have something to show you is absolutely marvellous! I shall put my new found enthusiasm to get things finished down to the changing seasons!

Now, I can’t quite remember when I started these early 50’scami-knickers, but lets just say it was last summer!. Rather a long time to make a simple pair of undies isn’t it! The annoying thing is that they actually didn’t take me too long to make and as usual it was the finishing off bits (straps, poppers, tying in ends….) that put me right off them! I think it took me a couple of months to muster the correct amount of enthusiasm and patience to sew on 3 whole press studs (I hate them!), and only last week did I sew on the straps after I had found the knickers hanging on the back of my bedroom door!

 

 So without further ado let me show you all me new cami-knicks!

The front- posing in my junky technicolor bedroom!

I'm showing them in b/w so not to harm your eyes ;)

 

 

Originally I was just going to take photo's of the undies on Miss Busty here, but every full length photo I took looked awful on her ( I didn't think that would be possible, but nethertheless it's true- the undies just didn't hang correctly on her!), so I gave in and modelled them instead (Oh the shame)... I don't know, the things I do to keep this blog ticking over! :(

 

***

It’s very rare for me to start any sewing related project without Mammys input, but with this project I had it all pinned and cut out before mum had returned home from work-I’m pretty sure I had even started to sew it together as well!

The pattern went together relatively smoothly- I had a little bother with the lace and the bodice though, which is where I consulted the oracle. Firstly, I had started the project without actually having any suitable lace and then I needed help with putting on the lace!

 

The back- and me being nosey and sticking my behind out- what class!

 



All in all I’m very happy with the outcome...mind you, I’m not sure if I would make the pattern again without ringing some changes first. Personally I think the back of the bodice to be overly fussy-

 It took 6 pieces to make the bodice (Yes, SIX pieces) and was a bit of a faff to piece together. I like the front, just not keen on the back! I think you could get away with a narrow band edged with lace at the back instead....?

 

 detail of the fussy back!

 

 Well, I suppose that's it for now.... must get on and mend a celanese type slip and sew togther my crocheted cami-knickers.... perhaps finish my slip and knickers set too (yes, it's all about underwear at the moment!).

 

Tatty-bye,

 

Your Tupney xxx

 

 

 

Two Airmen and a Camel.

 

Today's RAF Friday is going to be a short 'un. I'm feeling rather grotty and have a sore throat- pah! All I want to do is curl up, listen to Desmond Carrington and perhaps do a bit of knitting :(

Anyway, here are two little crackers that I adopted a while ago.

Again, like most of my snaps I don't know who they are or the year they were taken.

 I thought they were rather fun and who can resist a snap featuring an aircraft, a camel and some airmen, eh? I certainly can't!!

  

I'm actually quite envious of the chap on the right... not only is he clinging on to a rather lovely, snazzy shades wearing chap but he also has wonderfully shapely legs (ok 'leg' , but I'm guessing the other one is the same!).

 

Interesting are they not?!

 

I would also like to dedicate today's blog to Cyril, a chap who only had one wreath by his name. at the crem. I found yesterday even more upsetting when I went to look at all the beautiful flowers that were there for my great uncle and then to look down and see a lone RAF wreath from the Royal British Legion besides Cyril's name. All I can say is thank goodness for the RBL, otherwise there would have been nothing for Cyril. Just shows how important they are, and how they can help and be there for those who are not so fortunate to have what we sometimes take for granted.... A close and caring ring of family and friends.

 

 

 

And on that cheery note,

 

Happy R.A.F. Friday all!

 

Tupps xxx

 

Told you it was a short 'un!)

 

 

 

***

RAF Fridays so far...

The Real Deal

The Apprentice and the Sweetheart.
R.A.F. Friday Christmas Special

R.A.F War Pictures

Nothing but Patches
It's a Piece of Cake
Mrs Pickup's
Knitting for the R.A.F
Love Is In The Air
Double Trouble
One Mans Photo's
The Rings
Here Comes The Bride...
The Other Box
The Box
Mayday! Mayday! She has bought more wings...

 

 

 

♥Knitting Pattern Stars AKA “my knitting ladies”♥

This post was meant to be posted a couple of weeks back, but as bloomin’ usual I have felt like doing very little! Well, better late than never, eh!

I’m sure everyone knows by now how much I like knitting, and most of you probably know how I idolise the mannequins that grace the covers of the patterns that I treasure so. If not, then I absolutely adore them! They are always so perfect looking- I guess that’s why they are models!

I have been coveting and collecting these little pieces of knitting history for about eight years and I have always wondered, right from the very beginning, about the mannequins themselves. Who are these glamorous gals that captivate me so? Surely they have names, right?  

Well, it hasn’t been at all easy trying to find out about these girls let me tell you! So popular and photographed perhaps, but ruddy difficult to trace! Like I said before, its taken eight years to get this far and I’m slowly but surely making a list of names- Hooray!

So, it gives me great pleasure to unveil my new blog venture ….

Yes, I’m going to reveal their names one by one! Oooh, exciting! (Well, it is for me because they are my idols!)
I’m going to start with the latest name I have found, and as it happens it’s also the name of my favourite!

 S'pose I better reveal her name then....

So Tupperettes or Tupp'eenies (Tupperettes sound’s medical!), let me introduce to you  my favourite model in the whole wide world, Miss Peggy Chester. (I think a trumpet fanfare would be a good ideal here- for dramatic emphasis and all!)
 

 

This jumper is a must-  wonder if I could make it now that I can crochet...?



Peggy Chester.

These four snaps of Peggy can be found in my first knitting pattern book.  15 or so knitting books and eight years later...!

 

*** 

 I had mixed emotions when I first discovered her name- it’s really silly and very sad, but I was totally taken aback by the discovery (Yes, I’m really daft!). So much so that tears welled up instantly on sight of her name. I’m actually getting a bit foggy now- there really is no hope for me…. Tupney, for goodness sake woman- she’s just a model!

It was one of those double take moments, where one couldn’t quite believe what one was seeing!

 

This is a very lovely little snippet of information and all, but....

 I now want to know what service her husband was in... when they got married... his name... yes, I'm nosey!

 

 

Now, I may have her name (she says jumping with glee!) but finding anymore information about her has been a very tricky affair indeed. All I have found, so far, is that she was one of the mannequins chosen to showcase British fashions abroad in South America during the war. Peggy may have also been one of the mannequins that also gave a private preview of the fashions to the King and Queen, but I can't be certain of this and may be making it up!
 

 

Isn't she just perfection?! Beautiful and elegant ♥

 

 

 

Ms Chester can also be found in adverts- Players, Vantona and WI dressmaking courses spring to mind. I've also seen her as an extra in film shorts too...

 

I shall leave you with one last knitting pattern featuring the Lovely Peggy and a tip top tune to match!

I could go on posting images of her as I have so many examples- but I must stop and sort things out :(

 

 

 

 

So there you are,

Mannequin no. 1

 

Of course, it goes without saying, if you know anything else about Peggy Chester or are a relative and don't mind sharing more information about her (?) then I would absolutely love to hear from you! (Well I like to hear from you Peggy related or not!)

 

Have a great weekend everyone,

 

One very happy Tupney xxx

 

 

(P.S. Happy RAF Friday- normal services will resume next week!)