Vide-grenier finds

  I have a new reader - my mum!   So I thought I'd post photos of some of my French finds specially for her, as it is undoubtedly through her influence that I prefer the pre-loved to the new!








Here's this years haul of small items.  Lots of grubby linens (ooh - I love the smell of a bathtub full of Oxi-Action and washing powder!), some pretty tea and coffee cups and my star items - the preserve pot, the pot-bellied sugar bowl, the teapot and the cake stand!
  







These cot linens remind me that gorgeous girl is a chip off the old block - they are hers, bought to go with the Art Deco cot that she bought.  I can't believe that I haven't got a photo of that - it's gorgeous, with chunky curves, an unusual clear bar (for teething?) along one end and a beautiful metal swallow swooping across the end.  Sadly it's still in France!

Here's the other star large item.  It might not be complete, but with my clever husband and parents around to patch up the veneer and create a front and base, the two ends are going to be a spectacular daybed sometime!


And guess how much?
Bet you can't...


I'll write it at the end of the post, so you can guess properly!









Another chip-off-the old-block items, one of a pair.  I think they were two euros!


So that was this year.

Here's some from the year before last.

The sewing machine is a real beauty.  Love its rustic wooden cover!

It's very attractive inside, but I neglected to take any photos of that!  It has lovely marquetry on the top, including chevrons that are one centimetre wide.  No searching for the tape measure when using this beauty!

And here is the star from last year!

I was looking for an old bike to put a basket of flowers on and prop up against a wall decoratively.  It had to have 'curve' (as well as kerb?) appeal - I like a nice sweeping curve on the frame, and it had to be old.  If I remember correctly this was the only bike we saw at the vide-grenier that day, and boy did it match my criteria!

Look at the beautiful detail...

And the saddle!

(Have I really become the sort who gets excited about a saddle?)

And unbelievably, we got this gorgeous thing for just over twenty euros, part of a clever deal done by my sister-in-law.  She was at the vide-grenier with the express intention of finding a sewing machine base, but ONLY the base (she wanted it for the garden).  The stall that had the bike also had a sewing machine-less base.  The lack of machine was made much of in the bargaining, hence the price for the two - forty-five euros!

Turns out the bike is from about 1919.  Having survived in such relatively good condition for so long, it would be almost criminal to have it outside in all weathers, so it is awaiting a light restoration, and will then be propped against a wall, but inside!

And the bed?

Ten euros!



I'll sign off now, with apologies if the text is all over the place.  I've done this on the laptop and I can't make things behave!