Rag Rug Tutorial 1

How to get started on your weekend rag rug

La Frenesie - Brussels

I've written about this fabulous shop in Brussels before but I want to plug it again as it's really worth singing and dancing about. You'll find La Frenesie in the Marolles district of Brussels on the site of the Jeu de Balles fleamarket. The owner Caroline Moreau is a florist and you'll find a beautiful selection of blooms on offer. However, she also has a great eye for interiors and her shop is full of gorgeous vintage finds all grouped in interesting arrangements which really spark the imagination. Hankie pelments, doilie curtains, vintage plastic table and picnic-ware, quirky crockery - you'll find them all here. It's my shopping tip for the weekend. Search this place out. You'll love it!

Mary Jane's Mobile Makery - How to Make: EASY PEASY Vintage Pillowcase Top

Whilst in France I've bought dozens of vintage 1960's pillowcases in bight bold florals.  Many of them are the old bolster-style pillowcases which people don't use any more. These tend to be open at both ends and just simply hemmed.  They cost as little as 50p each, and are lovely and soft after being used such a lot. 

In this little tutorial I show you how to make a very easy top from one of these pillowcases creating your own pattern first from newspaper. Don't worry - you don't need to be an expert pattern draughtsman or woman - it's really easy! My cunning time-saving tip is that if you position the pattern at the top and bottom of the pillowcase, you won't have to bother hemming your top as the hem on the pillowcase is already there for you to use. Hey Presto, no tricky hemming! This pattern will work for a size 10 - 14 (UK) - it'll be loose and breezy on the 10 and a little more fitted on a 14. For your info: I'm a 14 so you can see how it looks on me. If you need another size you'll have to adjust the pattern a little.  

Hope you like it! Please send me pics when you make yours! maryjanemillinery@hotmail.co.uk. If you don't have a vintage French pillowcase to hand (and why should you!) you can just use fabric of course. Recycled is best! GOOD LUCK!

Mary Jane's Mobile Makery - How to Make: Vintage Pillowcase Top Trailer!

Coming Soon! How to make a fabulous vintage top from a recycled French pillowcase thrifted on my travels!

Bargain Hunting MJ-style in France

Check out this little video to see what great vintage bargains are to be had in France!

Ti Recup - Carhaix in Brittany

There's nothing better than spending a morning searching for vintage bargains in France. I shouldn't really give away this address as it's so good - but fortunately for you I'm that kinda gal! This is Ti Recup in Carhaix in central Brittany. It basically recycles and repairs stuff that people normally throw away whilst offering much-needed jobs to local people in an area of France which suffers from high unemployment. 

The great thing is that the prices are really really low and the variety of things on offer enormous!

This fabulous 1960's kitchen unit was just 20 euros. If ONLY I could have fitted into the Mobile Makery I would have snapped it up!

I did however buy this beautiful chest of drawers for all of 12 euros. It takes up half the space in my campervan, but hey, when I get back to the UK, I'll need somewhere to store all the stuff I've bought on my travels.

Luckily my cousin's husband Philippe was on hand to help heave the purchases into the car! Because as you can see from the video below - I found quite alot of things that I liked!

I was joined on the trip by my young cousins who also love buying and styling-up second-hand gems. They're already showing a keen eye.....

...and as you can see from the photos below, they wear vintage incredibly well! Left, blouse 1 euro, necklace 20 centimes, shoes 3 euros. Right, dungarees 1 euro.