Feature Friday - Hand Stitched with Love

Hello everyone :),

Hope that you have all had a wonderful week. The sun is finally shining HORRAY :) and it has been warm enough to be wearing some summer clothes which is always so exciting. Has been a really great week and looking forwards to the weekend now. I have also managed to blog every day this week which I am proud of, I hope you all have enjoyed the posts I have been putting up and hopefully I can continue to blog a little more frequently. 

This week I have a really exciting Feature Friday lined up for you all. I am super excited to be featuring this shop and it is really nice to be featuring a shop from England on my blog too :). 

This week's featured shop is HandStitchedWithLove which is run by Scholastica Brimley who is from Hertford, England. She sells a range of beautiful hand embroidered cross stitch earrings, cufflinks, rings, pendants and home accessories which are inspired by vintage needlework. 

As you can see from this photograph Scholastica's items are so pretty and delicate and also beautifully photographed. This makes browsing through her shop a really lovely experience. Please click here to take a peak!!

Scholastica opened her Etsy shop after another crafty friend recommended the site to her and she listed her first brooch in early 2012. She says that Etsy has been a great way to meet other crafters who have been really kind and generous to her with help and support in running her shop. Being an Etsy seller myself this is something I too have really gained from being part of Etsy, it is not just a great place to set up a shop and sell but also has a wonderful community. I have learnt so much from others on Etsy and it is fantastic to be able to connect with others all over the world. 

About Scholastica

She says " I owe my strange name (especially for someone who grew up in Hong Kong where many of my teachers struggled to pronounce it) to my parents wanting to give me a name with the same number of letters as my brother's, which is Christopher. I have two beautiful girls, aged 2 and 4, who tend to take over my life somewhat. I work as a pensions actuary 3 days a week, which require me to act very grown-up and business-like :) When I'm not stitching I like knitting and teddy-making, but more commonly I can be found baking or making some paper mache masterpiece with the girls.

Oh and I absolutely can't stitch without chocolates :) and have a habit of making my husband feed me little squares as I work, so that my creations can remain smudge-free :)"

How Scholastica got into embroidery:

Scholastica says "I have always loved embroidery and all forms of hand-stitching/sewing (being completely rubbish with a sewing machine), and I still have the little sheep pin cushion that I made when I was 10! Then in 2011 I got quite ill when I was carrying my second daughter, and I did a lot of cross-stitching to help wind away the long hours of being stuck in bed. It was at the point when we were running out of wall space for my many completed samplers that my husband challenged me to make something "useful" out of my cross-stitching - and I made my first pair of cross-stitch cufflinks :)" 

Vintage Patterns

I was really interested in what Scholastica had to say about being inspired by vintage patterns. She said "I have a great love for vintage cross stitch patterns, especially French ones from the early 1900s. I like them for their simplicity and how the shapes and forms are allowed to take centre stage - this may be my mathematical side talking! One of my favourites is the DMC "Point de Marque" collection - the first of which may have been first published in 1890, but the designs still seem relevant and have such vintage charm. I have been known to spend hours trawling through antique shops and online for old prints!"

Scholastica's favourite item from her shop

"My favourite piece in the shop at the moment is the rabbit brooch - it's a labour of love as for some reason it took a lot longer than expected to get her bottom looking just right! I really like how it has turned out though :)"

I absolutely love her shop especially how all her items are vintage inspired :). Please click this link to have a browse around Hand Stitched With Love and see all the lovely items which Scholastica has for sale :).

Have a great weekend everyone and hope you enjoyed this week's Feature Friday. If you did, please leave a comment in the box below, would be wonderful to hear what your favourite item in Hand Stitched with Love is :) .

The Dorothy Days XXxx

Feature Friday- Bax Cat & Co

Hello everyone,

Hope that you all had a good week and are looking forwards to the Easter break :). Is anyone doing anything nice for Easter?

As today is Friday it is time for another Feature Friday. This week is very a special Feature Friday as I am featuring one of my favourite sellers on Etsy, a lady called Kelly. Her shop is fab and we regularly tweet to each other. She is a really lovely lady and everything a Etsy seller should be :). I also have a sneaky feeling that it is her birthday tomorrow so hopefully this feature will be a nice birthday surprise!!
Happy birthday Kelly :).

Cat lovers you are in for a treat with this Feature Friday article.......

Kelly is from Connecticut and works with her team to produce the best cat toys around.....her team being three beautiful cats called Girlie Pants (Girlie), Zazu and Mr Miyagi. She says ' our feline team happily tests out sample product ideas before it is made for the shop, to ensure cat-isfaction.' !! She runs an Etsy shop called Bax Cat and Co which you can visit if you click this link HERE! Her shop is named after her cat called Baxter a very beautiful black and white cat :).

If your cat is a stylish, fashion conscious kind of cat who won't just play with any old toy this is the shop for you! Kelly makes beautiful cat toys out of funky, stylish materials so your kittys can be the coolest cats around! Here are my favourite items from her shop......

How sweet is this blue bird organic cat nip toy?!

This cupcake toy is also adorable

 Kelly has the most photogenic models around!!! Modeled by Mr Miyagi.  Her cat bandana ensures that you have the coolest cat around!

I also couldn't resist featuring this union jack cat mat! 

If you are a cat lover with a stylish cat please be sure to check our Kelly's shop. She regularly posts new designs often with a theme for different seasons or events such as a range for Halloween, St Paddy's day and Spring. All her items also come beautifully wrapped :) Click here to view Kelly's shop 
Happy birthday Kelly, hope that you have a wonderful day and fantastic Easter.

The Dorothy Days Xxx

P.S I shall leave you all with this adorable photo of Mr Miyagi with one of Kelly's newest designs

Dreaming of the summer-- Feature Friday by The Dorothy Days

Hello everyone :) !

Today is Friday so time for Feature Friday but this week I thought I would do something a little different. Instead of having a feature on one Etsy shop I thought this week I would feature 1 item from lots of different shops that I love :). We have been getting some really cold weather here in the U.K (snow and sleet) so I thought I would do a summer theme to cheer us all up and make us think of the lovely summer months! As always I invite my blog viewers to have a look around the shops. This is a fantastic way to support independent businesses and to buy something that is unique and a bit special :).

First up we have this gorgeous vintage blouse from the shop Telafiera which is run by Vivian from California

This would look so cute for the summer to wear casually like it is show above or you could also dress it up by wearing with a skirt and some jewellery. I love it!!

I also found these lovely set of three Coca cola trays. These would be lovely for serving drinks on for a  summer BBQ and are being sold by Jenn

I adore cats eye glasses and here are a pair of vintage ones in perfect condition ....what isn't there to love?! They are being sold by Sadie from SweetHavenn.

My summer is always filled with BBQs, bike rides and picnics in the countryside so these vintage style gift tags being sold by Velowoman really made me think of lazy summer days.

This handmade paper bowl out of recycled paper is beautiful. Take a look at it in OkiFolki's shop.


Hope that you all enjoyed this feature :)

Have a wonderful weekend

The Dorothy Days

Feature Friday- Oui Vintage

Hello everyone,

I have not done a Feature Friday blog post for aaaaaaaaaaages so I thought it would be nice to do one again as they are lots of fun and I like to give other shops exposure. So today I am going to feature a very lovely shop run by Maggie, a childrens librarian California. She has been collecting vintage since the 80's and has just set up her shop but already it looks fantastic!!! Her shop is called....

Here is a selection of my favourite things from her shop......

This skirt is fab!! It is simple and understated but also has so much elegance about it Check it out here

How fabulous is this 1970s blouse?! Such a fun print...I love it! Click here to view in Maggies shop

I also love this cute 1980s sundress. Would look fantastic with a big pair of sunglasses!

Hope you have enjoyed this feature and please be sure to take a look in the rest of Maggies shop, she has some beautiful vintage clothes.

The Dorothy Days Xxx

The Dorothy Days' Feature Friday- Tabbys Vintage Shop

Hello everyone :) ,

First of all, before I start this week's Feature Friday. I just wanted to let you all know that I am thinking of all of you who are reading this from places affected by Hurricane Sandy. I have been watching on the news from here in England and have been really shocked by some of the images I have seen. Thinking of you all.


This week for Feature Friday I am featuring Tina from ....

Tina is from Wisconsin, United States and has been running her Etsy shop for almost a year. The shop is named after Tina's cat Tabby who she said really appreciated a good vintage find!! Tina opened her shop as something to pass the time while being a stay at home mum (mom for my American followers!) She is now a single mum and hopes that her love of vintage can turn from a passion into something that will also pay the bills. Her shop specialises in vintage clothing and accessories including vintage jewellery, scarves and hats. She also stocks lots of difficult to find plus size vintage clothing.

I asked Tina to pick some of her favourite items from her shop at the moment and this is what she picked.....

This incredible 1960's danville loungewear made of quilted fabric. Tina says.... "how can you look at this and not feel happy? It screams "please wear me for a day out, I'm not just lounging" !! "
I couldn't agree more.....I think it is fabulous and I love the paisley motifs.

The second item that Tina chose was this amazing black and white dress with polka dots. Tina explained how this dress is rather special as was handmade and has a label inside the dress saying "especially for you by Mom".....how lovely is that? This little dress must have been made with so much love and thought :)

Please be sure to have a look at Tina's shop by clicking the link HERE ! Her shop is well worth a browse and is a treasure trove of beautiful items.

Hope that you enjoyed this week's Feature Friday :)

The Dorothy Days Xx

Hello :)

Hi everyone :), Some of you might have noticed that there was no feature Friday yesterday. Sorry about this but I have been rather rushed off my feet with preparations for a craft fair that I am doing :) ! Next week I have a really exciting feature Friday planned which I hope shall make it up to you all :) hehe! Have a wonderful weekend :) Giveaway winner shall be announced TOMORROW, I am so excited. Best wishes The Dorothy Days

Feature Friday- Laura from Vintage Plus Crafts

Hello everyone.

Hasn't the last few days just been beautiful ?! Everyone seems so much more relaxed and friendly now the sun in shining! To my followers from outside the U.K, what has the weather been like where you are from? Can't believe it is the end of the week already, this week seems to have gone by so quickly. I am really looking forwards to the weekend a on Saturday I am having a BBQ with my friends. There is nothing like BBQ cooked food and this shall be our first BBQ of the summer so I am rather excited.

I am also excited because on Sunday I am going to a vintage fair. I have a stall there so shall be selling lots of lovely vintage items. I have been busy the last few weeks and have lots of new teacups (some have gone up on my Etsy site), some beautiful vintage jewellery and lots of other vintage treasures. Some will be going to the vintage fair and some I have put aside for my Etsy store so be expecting some more treasures to be uploaded soon. Vintage fairs are always so much fun and you meet such a range of people. Last time I went I had a 7 year old who was really interested in vintage items buy a vintage necklace from me which was from the 1950's and the same day had an elderly woman buy a tea set from me as it was one she had when she was younger. There is such a mix of people and its lovely chatting to customers. Lets hope the sunshine stays as it will be lovely if the sun is shining when I do the fair.


Today is Friday which means it is Feature Friday! Last week was a great success. It was lovely featuring Shannon and a massive thank you to everyone who visited her shop and left lovely comments. They really made me smile and I am sure they brought a smile to Shannon's face too.

This week I am featuring Laura from ......

Laura is from Minnesota in the United States and sells a mixture of handmade and handcrafted items as well as vintage hence the name of her shop! Laura says "I love all kinds of vintage items" and she certainly has some beautiful items in her shop. She says that her favourite kind of vintage items are items from the 1970's, hand embroidered linens and aprons.

Here are some of my favourite vintage items in her shop:

 I love this vintage cross stitch sampler from the 1980's. It would be beautiful for a child's nursery or to give as a gift to a friend who is having a baby or has a young child. I always think it is so nice to give a handmade gift as you know that nobody else would have given them the same.

This Vintage tea towel is really fun and reminds me of the summer.

Laura also is a crafter and loves to do hand embroidery. She makes dish/ tea towels, hoop art and samplers. This is a skill she has had since a child and ,now a grandmother, she hopes to pass this skill onto her granddaughter.

Here are some hand embroidered dish towels which Laura has made with different farm yard animals and the days of the week. The country girl in me loves these! They would definitely brighten up washing the dishes!!

Please take a look at Laura's shop she has some wonderful items and her hand embroidery is amazing.

The Dorothy Days

The Dorothy Days features....Shannon from Swiemann

Hi everyone,
It's feature Friday! For those who don't know feature Friday is when I scour Etsy to find the best shops and sellers and feature my favourites on here each week.

This week I am featuring Shannon and her fabulously vintage shop,  Swiemann.

Shannon in a 23 year old from Florida. She works as a computer programmers and has just gradauted from her masters degree in Information Systems (a massive well done!!).

Although she loves what she does the analytical nature of her work means that she craves a creative outlet and for Shannon this is her vintage shop. She has been running her Etsy shop since 2011 and sells a beautiful range of vintage clothing.

Shannon runs the shop single handedly, she purchases, researches, lists, measures and photographs all of her own stock as well as modelling for all of her own photographs!

She says that she loves selling on Etsy and that she "wouldn't trade in the friendships and connections I make through etsy for anything!"

Here are some of my favourite items from her beautiful shop:

I love this electric blue prom dress. It has just the perfect amount of sequins and the combination of a tight bodice and a loose floating skirt mean it is really flattering. Shannon says "the blue sequin prom dress is absolutely show stopping" and she is right, you really would turn heads wearing this. Click here to view it

A lovely 1980's gold and green dress Click here to view

I love this 70's bikini with bright floral patterns and high waisted bottoms. Shannon says The retro swimsuit screams "I'm fabulous and I know it!!" Click here to view

Please take a look at her shop, she has some lovely items in it and ships worldwide.

Hope you have all enjoyed the feature.

Have a great weekend.

The Dorothy Days X

(Vintage and Handmade from England)

Featured Etsy Shop- andwhatelseisthere

For those of you wondering where my Thursday's featured shop blog post has got to, I have been feeling rather poorly this week so had a little time off to recover and get myself feeling better :). Feeling much better now so here is my 'Lets all pretend its Thursday' feature#!!!

I have a beautiful shop to feature this week to make up for the lateness of the post. andwhatelseisthere is a shop run by a group of four friends who get together to make, sell and model for their clothing brand. They sell vintage and also tailor made clothing and their clothing is just lovely :)! They have been running since 2009 and have been really successful, even getting a feature in Marie Claire! Their photography is also absolutely beautiful :)

Here are a little selection of some of my favourite items from their shop:

Please be sure to take a look at their shop. They have some really unique items.

Thanks for reading
The Dorothy Days

Feature Yourself Friday- Linky Party 2

Hi everyone,
Thank you everyone who linked up last week, was great fun seeing all the things you had made. Also thank you so much to everyone who has followed my blog this week, it makes me smile every time someone new follows me and I have extra big smiles this week as I reached over 100 followers :). Thanks so much...you all are awesome!!

Decided to give the linky party another go this week as it was a lot of fun last week. Still deciding if this should be a regular feature of my blog or just a one (or two now!) off. Would be great to get some feedback, I have a little vote going on my facebook page so please click here to vote to tell me if you would like to see it again or not.

Anyway.....FEATURE FRIDAY TIME!!!

Welcome to my 'Feature Yourself Friday' linky party in which you can feature what you have made this week right here on my blog :). Please post any crafting projects, home baking and recipies, photographs you have taken, art projects and decorating you have taken part in this week.

Please only one link up per person and please do not link up your shop. It is fine to link up an item you have created in your shop but please do not link up your shop in general :). Thanks!

Please spread the word and lets get as many people as possible to share what they have been doing this week :).

Looking forward to seeing all your creations, there were some lovely things liked up last week and I especially enjoyed the recipies which were posted.

The Dorothy Days
Vintage and Handmade