My Dream Shop!

[RedRubyBlue]

I want a little shop with a bow window and bullseye panes. The door would be smaller than average and have a little brass bell attached. Inside you would find a highly polished wooden floor and white shelves filled with vintage textiles and patchwork quilts, old sweet jars filled with buttons and reels and reels of ribbons in all colours and finishes.

It would smell of lavender and bergamot and would have a wood burning stove.
My shop would be a wonderland of colours and textures, rather like working in a rainbow and you would find buttons in the shape of ladybirds and blackberries and cunning little bouquets of silk roses and applique daisies.

Ribbons would be in gingham and velvet and silk and the patchwork quilts would be in reds and creams and cream silk squared with black velvet. White cotton pillow slips would be edged with broderie anglaise and ironed with starch and lavender water.

I would have stained glass lanterns that I would light in the winter and at Christmas the shop would smell of cinnamen and cloves and the decorating theme would be tartan and Scottie dogs.

I would have a black cat that would sleep in the window when it was sunny and by the stove in a rocking chair in the winter.

Would you come and buy from me?

as long as you had a pot of tea/coffee warming on the woodburner and some lovely vintage tea cups and saucers :)

My shop assistant would be shaped like a cottage loaf with silver hair in a bun and a pair of pince nez. She would wear 'cardies' and her tights would be a very thick denier and American Tan. She would smell of butterscotch and always have a tin of sweeties handy. Her eyes would twinkle always and her skirts would be tweed.

Her shoes would be 'brogue like' and dark brown........etc tec

And she would have forgotten far more than I would ever know about sewing and would know where everything is.......

Come and browse. It is a cosy and warm place and you can remove the cat from the rocking chair to your lap while you choose your ribbons.

I will have a spaniel if you do not like cats.

...........sit ye doon.

kellstar

Of course tea and cakes. This is my dream shop free of all laws except from gravitation and germination.

Health and safety officials do not exist.

Put your feet up and I shall bring you silks and velvets to stroke and peruse.

aaaah, much better!

Also we will need chunky folded felt, silky embroidery threads in hundreds of colours.

Any feelings on tapestry (not the cheesy kitten on cushion sort) - maybe antique style samplers?

Is there going to be a central island, slightly battered but also highly polished with an inset brass tape measure down one side for measuring fabrics?

Ahh brass tape measure is a given, inset into the mahogany counter. We shall make the ribbons make a 'snapping' sound as we measure and cut them.

Central island? Of course!

I agree on 'cheesy' samplers. Kittens are only allowed if they are real and in front of the fire on the rocking chair not on cross stich patterns.

Could you cope with 'story time' at 4pm? When the Mum's are shopping for ribbons and quilts and you settle the little wide eyed treasures to 'A Once Upon A Time' moment when they forget all and just listen to your gentle voice and look at your twinkly eyes....'

Now. Back to buttons and jars. Can we have peppermint/candy striped paper bags that we count the buttons into?

Giganticus

We have no customers.

Is it just us?

Poncey

Our first customer. Sit down and have a cat and a cup of tea and a scone with cream and jam.

Now. How can we help you?

[refreshes kettle]

Giganticus

We have a customer!

Ach my dear we can do that.

[why have I adopted a Scottish lilt?]

I have a Epipen in the drawer marked 'needles' you will be fine with 'Tolstoy'.

Wadding and sage green backing? How many yards would you like my dear?

I can also make a wonderful patchwork quilt from your wedding dress. Just finished a grand one in ivory silk and sage green wild silk.

The bride's theme colours from her wedding.................

It was just lovely to think that her and her lovely husband.....he saw her in that dress and they are still sleeping under it with their bairn at their side.

[sniffs]

Giganticus

We have a customer!

Terribly sorry. I had gone to bed

Off to my less important but paying job this morning, be back later (will try and stop at ribbon wholesalers on the way home, we are almost out of the red polka dot 2 inch grosgrain ribbon)

Heaven! I'll have some of the Dorset apple cake while I'm admiring your selection of silky yarns.

Have you ever been to The Makery in Bath? it's almost as good as you describe.

Poncey

We do feet, yards inches, ells, miles and acres.

Can I tempt you ladies to a few metres of guypere lace? Makes beautiful edging for cushions.

Dilly

Sit ye doon and I shall get your order. Three yards of raspberry silk from a dress worn by Marie Antoinette. That's right isn't it. That'll 25p please my wee lamb.

Most importantly do you have a sound proof room ofsted registered crèche?

Dilly

This is my dream shop. In here we are free from all interference from government rules and health and safety obligations. We operate with a healthy dollop of common sense and good manners.

The only laws we are governed by are those concerning gravity and germination.

Would you like more tea? How about a cream horn?

I have a few bolts of velvets that would suit......let me see....

Fern green? There it is and I shall throw the rich ruby in for free.

That'll be 56 pence please.

Poncey

Can you 'ting' the bell when you come in. I was on another thread.

There is a real-life shop in a little village called Dinnet on the way out to Ballater in Aberdeenshire, it sells antiquarian books and antiques, with a woodburning stove, greyhound stationed in front of the stove, and cups of tea on offer in vintagey tea cups.

But this one sells fabric and serves cakes which totally trumps the RL one.

Oh I am sorry red ruby, I was held up after work and then went out to dinner (how very dare I).

I am ready to serve customers today and brought with me a sorry in the form of particularly lovely ditzy print Rose fabric, perfect for patchwork or cushions.

I have been watching the great British bake off so i'll get started on some cakes/scones for the tea shop.

Apart from the size of your shop assistant and the prices you have described my local shop! I love popping in there! She's always full of smiles and advice. All she's lacking is a crèche but actually, I think she has sprinkled some magic dust in there or something because my dcs always behave perfectly whilst i'm browsing!

Now ladies. We have some beautiful new lawn cotton sprig print that Laura Ingalls had left over from her wedding dress. Just lovely.

How many yards would you like?

The patchwork quilt is nearly finished. The one that Poncey ordered to be made from Princess Diana's wedding dress.

Ohh I nearly had a turn when I was caught stealing it from Althrop. The alsations tore a HUGE hole in my bloomers when I was scaling the back wall.

I went all unneccesary. I really did.

Poncey.

I have vintage cowboy. I do 'chaps' and leathers and neckerchiefs and if it so pleases you I can walk like John Wayne on account of just having my piles done.