Have you ever come across one of those 'chintzy' decorative fabric outlets? You walk in, stop in your tracks, sigh, and think good grief where did they dig up these awful prints and unrealistic colors! The first rows of fabrics displayed on horizontal racks seem to be from an era not even vintage, more a time warp, '80's and early '90's when we all seemed obsessed with mauve ribbons winding through teal colored roses.......on our drapes, sofas and beds!
But don't turn and leave. Walk on to the rows in the back. Here you will find the vertical bolts stacked precariously, three, four deep................and above them a wonderful sign displaying the bargain price of some truly gorgeous fabrics. Plain colors, linens, velvets, damasks, canvas, quilted, textures...........with affordable prices whether you need 12 yards to slipcover a sofa, or half a yard for a gorgeous pillow to toss on a chair.
But don't turn and leave. Walk on to the rows in the back. Here you will find the vertical bolts stacked precariously, three, four deep................and above them a wonderful sign displaying the bargain price of some truly gorgeous fabrics. Plain colors, linens, velvets, damasks, canvas, quilted, textures...........with affordable prices whether you need 12 yards to slipcover a sofa, or half a yard for a gorgeous pillow to toss on a chair.
Dining room makeover ~ February 2009
My French decorating projects now seem to revolve around gray-blue or blue-gray. Understandably I followed the handwritten sign stuck on the wall which said BLUE.......every shade of blue imaginable. Before long I was in BLUE HEAVEN!
It was one hundred degrees in the parking lot on Saturday! After stopping at a thankfully air conditioned antiques market mall for a quick hunt through several booths, I saw the sign for this store across the street.
If you sew, you collect fabric. Well you do, don't you? You have a fabric stash. A yard or two of this, a length of that, perhaps even a bolt of your own, propped up against a wall, awaiting inspiration and a sewing machine. No matter how many yards or metres you have squirreled away, for some reason you always find something lovelier and you have to buy at least one yard. A little voice in your head whispers "I'll make a pillow with it if nothing else, it's just too pretty to pass up".
Also, a great selection of trimmings of tassels, braids, gimp, fringe, cording etc. languished on shelves, and the prices were great.
A vintage mannequin awaits a gown in a watery shade of blue. Perhaps the palest blue linen for a hot southern Summer's day. Often, decorative fabrics are perfect for clothing also ~ the linens and cottons come in wide widths and can make attractive inexpensive garments.
Mannequin offered at Market Imports.
Do you have bargain fabric stores near you? If you're a sewer check them out, you may be surprised at what could be hiding in the back!
The leaded mica stars are truly lovely ~ their colors muted but glowing when hit by light. Doesn't everyone love star shapes? 
Several old iron scales reminded me of ones still used at the French outdoor markets I frequented in Provence last Autumn.
A couple of days ago I stopped by a favorite place, 
These above and below also had that French garden look ~ I could see them filled with lavender and purple blooming rosemary.
What other village has no cars and no individually-owned houses? Clovelly, on the North coast of Devon, is owned by one family (one of only three since the Norman Conquest). Here you can discover a timeless village where the steep, cobbled street tumbles down past pretty cottages to the tiny, deep blue harbor.
The street is too steep for motor vehicles, so for centuries donkeys were the main form of transport. I remember riding a donkey here when visiting as a child. Although they are no longer used for heavy loads, Clovelly still has its resident donkeys, and children can enjoy rides in the Summer. All goods are now transported by sleds - from groceries to furniture and building materials.
..............viewing galleries, small gift shops, and cottages of note including one where author Charles Kingsley resided while writing 'Westward Ho!'. The village also inspired him to write 'The Water Babies'. He lived in the village as a child and often returned as an adult.
The large white building on the quay is a hotel. Several cottages along the famous cobbled street do B&B. The street, known as 'Up-along' or 'Down-along', depending in which direction you're headed, was built from pebbles hauled from the beach. 
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