Vix's Vintage Makeover - From Mediocre Maxi To Tarted Up Tribal

This Paula Lee, England maxi dress was, like last week's nightie, another find on the £3 rail at the Moseley Vintage Fair. Despite it being a child's dress labelled to fit height 60" and me being 63" (when you're a stumpy arse those three inches matter) it fitted well. The sleeves were suitably flouncy, the colour matched my nails and it was made from that gorgeous gauzy cotton that I love but I hated the feeble neck frill and not being printed it was bordering on the mediocre.

A rummage around the house produced this scruffy old Rajasthani tourist tat bag I'd bought in Goa years ago and some Indian pom pom braiding from off Walsall market. I tore out the lining from the bag, cut the fabric into sections and layered them over the bodice, blanket stitching them into place with red embroidery silk giving it a bit of a tribal look, then finishing it off with my signature pom pom trim. Five hours and a calloused forefinger later, this was the result.

With added patchwork and pom poms it's far more me.

Yep, five hours of hand-sewing. In normal circumstances I'd have to have called it a day and given my poor middle-aged eyes a rest but no more. Jon spotted this £7 anglepoise lamp in a chazza the other day and snapped it up. At home I Googled the manufacturer's name The Daylight Company and discovered that this model retails for £104 and that it's a specially developed, London-designed task light suitable for reading & doing close work for hours at a time.

It's not the most attractive thing in our house but it's pretty fantastic. 

Don't worry, I've got my thermal leggings on underneath and I'll be adding a coat, hat and gloves when I leave the house. It's freezing out there!

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday before I spend Monday afternoon in Wetherspoons.