All About our Wool Blankets

We find our blankets really anywhere we can get our hands on them. We have a rotation of second hand shops in and around London we like to visit. The most important thing we look for is that they are all 100% wool. Almost all blankets will say so on the tag. Let me tell you, the tags on these babies are quite possibly the coolest thing ever, and will tell you so much about these blankets. If you are anything like us, we see so much importance in shopping locally, and buying things we can trace back to somewhere. Most wool blankets we find are Canadian made, lets be honest, these blankets are so stereotypically Canadian and we can't help but love them. Another really cool thing about these tags is that they will say exactly where they are made, whether it is in Blyth (so close!) Montreal, Toronto or many, many other places.We also happen to find a lot of blankets that are from the army. We love the dark greys and reds these blankets bring the table, a very Moonrise Kingdom feel. We love knowing We are wearing something made right here in the Country we live in.
The majority of the rest of the blankets are made in England. The Hudson's Bay blankets are made in England, as well as other amazing quality blankets.

What we love about this little business we have is that we have used so many blankets that we have recieved as gifts. So many people we know have had these blankets for years and years (talk about amazing quality!) and let us take them off their blacks. How great is it that something old can be brought new life. We have used a blanket my parents got as a wedding gift almost 40 years ago, blankets from Aunts and Grandparents, even some generious people who knew about Sew Deer and wanted to give away a few. We love seeing people come together as a community and recycle!

Favourite Second Hand Finds Part 1: Jennie

My mom has always been a second hand enthusiast.  She knows all the coolest and junkiest thrift shops around.  Myself, on the other hand, have always loved different things, but admittedly went through a few "too cool" stages.  The past few years second hand shops have been where the majority of our shopping is done.

We have found some amazing things. Those who do second hand shop, you know that feeling, the hidden treasure high! I swear, it is the best feeling!
Here are a few of my favs!

1. Little Jam Jars
These I know aren't that hard to find or even that exciting but I just love them!
I saw them in a little chairty shop a few years ago and thought these would be so awesome for all my loose leaf tea.  I was with my mom and she did the usual "You don't need that, you have too much junk!" so I said fine and left. Later, I kept on thinking about them and obviously talking about them, because the next day my mom went back and picked them up! After years, I still just love these cute little things.

2. Hudson's Bay Jacket
I wanted one of these coast for so long! I would always look at them on the Hudson's Bay website, dreaming of the day I would finally get my hands on my very own. Probably about a year ago I got a call from my mom saying she found one in my size at the by the pound store. The craziest part of this story is that the coat was $2! This year I found a damaged jacket exactly like mine with a hood, so I snagged the hood and made mittens with the rest of the coat.  Now my jacket is the real deal, hood and all! I must admit though I am still on the hunt for an original Hudson's Bay jacket, you know the one with the yellow, blue, green and red stripes. One day!

3. Brown Leather Bag
I got this bag years ago at a second hand shop down in a part of London I barely shop at. I picked it up without even thinking about it but now many years later it is still in my purse rotation. I actually think I got a job because of this bag. It made me look a lot cooler than I actually am.

4. Brown and Black Wool Coat
There is actually no real interesting story behind this jacket my mom just picked this up for me from the Salvation Army knowing I would love it and I did!

5. Edith Piaf Record
I think I got this record for 50 cents a couple summers ago. I loved the movie La Vie en Rose and was excited to pick it up. At the time I had a new puppy at home that was out of control and would cry all night long. I started to put records on for him at night to see if it would calm him down, but of course that was a no go. One night I put on the Edith Piaf record and he fell fast asleep. I was in shock! He would even cry when the record needed to be turned over! After that this record turned into Alfie's record, and anytime I would put it on he would lounge around like a true french doggie. It was hilarious.  Last year I went to Paris and now that record reminds me of sitting in a cafe, sipping a coffee on the streets of Paris. I want to go back one day but until then, my dog and I will just lounge around listen to this record and pretend to be in Paris.

Starting That Summer Thing

We have made our first bag! Hooray!
There are a few things here and there that need to tweeked a little bit, but overall I think it looks awesome!
I wanted to show you what goes into these bags, because personally, I think that is the coolest part.
For this bag we used a black leather skirt, a hand woven small carpet, or table runner (who knows), a piece of cotton fabric, some sample pieces of fabric, a scrap of leather, and some secondhand beads and yarn.

I will be using this bag this weekend to see how much damage it can take and do not worry I will not be gentle.


We have lots more coming so I cannot wait to share the progress with you and hear any of your suggestions of what you would like to see. We are really into the navajo blanket vibe, as well as the super colourful and bright thoughts of India, but I would love to hear what you are into!

Happy New Year!

As I thought about what I wanted for this new year, Sew Deer came to mind and how I can grow it into something bigger.  I want to involve you most importantly!  I want you to see what we are all about, and what exactly it is you are buying.  Behind the scenes we have so much fun finding inspiration, brainstorming, and scoping out treasures at thrift shops. I want you to see what it is all about! 

We are also growing Sew Deer so we can do some summer sales as well as more fun stuff for winter (who loves winter?!) I am so excited to share these things with you! So here's to this new year!