Cats sleep anywhere...

I am a lover of blue and white pottery.  Spode 'Blue Italian' is my first love, closely followed by Wood and Sons 'Yuan'.  We were lucky to be given some Yuan pieces and we then started looking out for it, so we have quite a lot now and we use it as everyday china.  

Chris managed to buy a large Yuan bowl at a car boot sale last week.  The bowl would have originally been part of a set for a washstand, with a jug and possibly other small pieces, such as lidded pots.  He brought it home and put it on the table, until we have found a better home for it.

Look what happened!

Yes, you guessed it, the cat who visits us regularly (we have called him quite a few names; Slinky Malinki, Larry the Loafer, etc. but I have now settled on 'Cat', which he seems to respond to) has decided that the bowl is now his bed.  Chris had put some comics in the bowl and I think these will have made it nice and cosy for the cat!  

He has chosen many other places to sit and sleep, most usually my chair, but also the back of the sofa, my lap tray and on top of various papers - quite often what look like fairly uncomfortable places to me.

For now, the bowl is his bed.  Eleanor Farjeon's poem is right!  

"Cats sleep anywhere

Any table, any chair,

Top of piano, window ledge,

In the middle, on the edge,

Open drawer, empty shoe,

Anybody's lap will do.

Fitted in a cardboard box,

In a cupboard, with your frocks -

Anywhere! They don't care! 

Cats sleep anywhere."

Home and Antiques Fair - what I bought

 So, here are some photos of my purchases at the Home and Antiques Fair.  First, embroidered tablecloths.  I love the idea of using something that someone spent hours creating.  These ones are made using cotton or linen and apart from the odd tea stain, are in very good condition.  I just can't resist textiles!

I bought this small coffee/chocolate cup in my favourite pattern 'Blue Italian' by Spode. It reminds me of my childhood visits to my friend Maria at her granny's house, as this was the very pattern the family used and it made a big impression on me. I could have bought lots of items as there was a stallholder who was selling part of his collection and I fell for a gorgeous big bowl in particular.  However, I managed to restrain myself because it would have been expensive and we simply do not have the room at the moment.  I contented myself with this little cup because it is small and I can use it for little flower posies.

 A close up of the beautiful floral embroidery on one of the tablecloths.

 I loved the big purple satin stitched flowers here.

 This one was the first one I bought and features delicate blue embroidery and a cut-work/pulled thread design which must have been a real labour of love.

 I have wanted a posy bowl ever since seeing one with some simple daisy-like flowers on Jane Brocket's blog (http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/) a while ago.  Since then, I found one, but was still on the lookout for a larger one.  This one is fabulous, with a lovely teal green against the grey.

 More fabric pieces - big purple check cotton and some striped and checked furnishing cotton pieces in muted greens and blues that may become cushion covers, but I haven't quite decided yet.

 Just to show you the posy bowl with a posy in it, here are some Rose 'Molineux' with Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' looking bright and cheerful. 

I think this bowl will become a mainstay of mine because much as I love flowers, I am pretty useless at arranging them.  This is perfect as it only needs the flower heads and looks pretty without me having to do a lot ( a bit like my mini milk bottle crate too).
All in all, a good day's shopping and spending, don't you think?