Wednesday 26th June

Hey y'all. I can't believe its been two months since I last posted a blog entry. Lots and lots to catch up on, so here we go....

Firstly, a huge thankyou to all our fab customers. We've had such a busy few weeks both in the shop and online. We really love making you, our customers, happy and hopefully we'll carry on doing that for a long time. Its such a nice feeling to find someone the perfect outfit for a fraction of the cost you'd pay brand new. 

We have also taken on a lovely part-time assistant Louisa who will be working for us over the summer whilst she's on holiday from uni. She's also joined our team of models and so will be taking part in photoshoots for our website and ASOS boutique. The shop is definitely my baby and I like to be here as often as possible, but its going to be really nice to have a bit of help and (shock horror) have a couple of days off here and there. So, welcome Louisa!

We've found several new suppliers for our stock and so we have new deliveries coming in almost every day at the moment. We really like to keep things fresh so its great to have new items in every day to showcase on our Facebook page.

Ok - enough of my waffling - let me show you some of the beautiful things we have in at the moment.....

I'm definitely feeling a bit of a festival vibe at the moment with Glasto at the weekend - I've been sourcing some lovely vintage pieces which I think are perfect for summer days

Vintage Black Leather Saddle Satchel Bag - £30  BUY IT HERE

Vintage Peacock Print Midi Skirt - 10/12 - £25 BUY IT HERE  

Vintage Aztec Tribal Weekend Travel Bag - £15 - BUY IT HERE 

H&M Denim and Polka Dot Dress - 14 - £12 - BUY IT HERE

Vintage Black Buckle Chelsea Boots - 5 - £12 - BUY IT HERE

Faith Black Leather Over Knee Boots - 7 - £30 - BUY IT HERE

Gorgeous, no? Everthing above is available to buy in our shop at 31 High Street, Newport Pagnell, MK16 8AR or of course here in our online shop

Speak to you all soon xx

Thursday 25th April 2013

Morning everyone. The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy, both in the shop and here online - a big thank you to all our customers. We have so much gorgeous new stock in and I absolutely love sourcing beautiful things for our customers. At them moment we're receiving two or three really big deliveries a week which means I'm putting out new stock every day, so its really great to keep things fresh. Our Facebook page has been chocka with our new items but I thought I'd pick out a few gems to showcase here on the blog.

Vintage 1950s Old Foley Oregon Pine Soup Set - £30 - click here for more details

I love it when we get vintage home ware in and I love it even more when it looks like this! These six soup bowls and plates are designed by James Kent for Old Foley and they are 1950s pieces. The design is called 'Oregon Pine' and from my research, are quite collectible. I don't have these up on the website but if you are interested in buying these and are not local, please get in touch and I'm sure we can arrange something.

Aldo 'Withey' Nude Platform Heels - Size 5 - £15. BUY IT HERE

These yummy heels are by Aldo and are the perfect summer heel. The nude patent leather means they'll go with pretty much everything and can go with a wedding outfit or finish of a going out outfit. They have a 5inch heel but as they are Aldo are made really well and aren't the feet killers you'd expect! They're £15 and available in store or via the online shop

Vintage Tan Leather Satchel Bag - £20. BUY IT HERE

We've had some gorgeous vintage bags in this week and I think this beaut is my favourite. Its perfect for summer, festival season and holidays and the tan brown tooled leather looks and feels great. It has a long buckle shoulder strap and boho style tooled detail and is a nice size without being too bulky. How good would this look with a maxi dress and sandals?

Vintage Levi's 501 Shorts - 12 - £12. 

Lots of new Levi's in stock too - these were a best seller for us last year and I'm sure they'll remain popular this summer. Prices range from £12-£15 and are available in store and in our online shop

BN Diamante Panda Earrings - £5 - BUY IT HERE

There are hundreds of new pieces of jewellery in too, including these super-cute diamante panda studs. We're known for our quirky jewellery and I love sourcing earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets that are a little bit different! The full range is in the shop and we're getting everything on to the website too - VIEW IT HERE

Dorothy Perkins Mocha Polka Dot Wiggle Dress - 14 - £12. BUY IT HERE

We have an insane amount of dresses in stock right now! Floaty tea dress, mini bodycon dresses, vintage sun dresses, summery maxi dresses, versatile shift dresses....you get the idea! I like this DP one because its a classic day-to-night style - you could wear this in the office with a jacket and go straight out for evening drinks without the need to change. Its in mocha brown jersey and has a cute collar detail which adds an extra touch of style. Its only £12 and is a Size 14

BNWT River Island Green Satchel Body Bag - £15. BUY IT HERE

Finally, this River Island bag is a real bargain at £15. Its brand new, still has the £35 tag on and is right on trend. Satchel style in dark green mock croc leather with a long across body shoulder strap. Its just over A4 size so will fit all your bits and pieces in without too much trouble. I think its really stylish and has a real designer look about it without the designer price! 

Time for me to go and get ready to open up the shop now. The weather forecast has just said we might be in for a half decent day so I might even break out a summer dress! Hope you've enjoyed my stock highlights - do have a browse of all our other stock - as I said, we are adding more and more every day so there's always something new to take your fancy!

Have a great day guys 

x Helen x

Beautiful new stock in store

Hello everyone. We've had such a busy week - its been great to see so many of you visiting the shop and also using the website. We've been sending items to all parts of the world - QOT is going global it seems. Its a real buzz knowing that so many people are seeing, buying and loving our stock - thanks guys :)

I've been very busy sourcing new stock and as usual have found some real gems, but the best of the best, the jewel in my crown, the feather in my cap is this BEAUTIFUL original 1950s Horrockses Fashions dress

Original Vintage 1950s Horrockses Fashions Dress - BUY IT HERE

Swoon! Horrockses dresses are one of the most sought after brands for vintage enthusiasts. They began back in 1946 and are known for their beautiful cotton prints ( like this gorgeous green and white daisy design). Our dress is a mid-1950s style. Its actually a sleeveless dress with matching bolero. This would be so fabulous for a summer wedding. Alas, its not my size or I might have kept it for myself. Somebody is going to LOVE this and its a real collector's piece.

Now, we don't do an awful lot of menswear - primarily because of space and secondly because what I do find, Michael usually nabs (!) but we do get a few really nice pieces like these....

Men's Designer Loake Banks Boots - Size 10 - BUY IT HERE

Aren't they great? These are the 'Banks' Brogue boot and were retailing at around £160. Loake are a hugely respected British brand - they started just up the road in Kettering in 1880 and have been making fine shoes ever since ( they even make shoes for the Queen dontcha know!).  I think they're beautiful and a lovely treat for your boy if he's a bit of a fashionista himself :)

These are a couple of our more pricey items but we still have our usual high street / vintage bits for rather less! we really do have some lovely things in at the moment - here's a few of my faves

Topshop Swallow Bird Print Blazer - 14 - £15 - BUY IT HERE

Topshop Blue Frill Pleat Dress - 10 - £12 - BUY IT HERE

Danity Aztec Motif Jumper - M/L - £12 - BUY IT HERE

Dorothy Perkins Tan Chiffon Blouse - 16 -£10 - BUY IT HERE

Jack Wills Pink Lusby Polo T-Shirt - 12 - £12 - BUY IT HERE

Just a taster of the many, many, many new bits and pieces we have in. Remember, you can buy it all in at our boutique in Newport Pagnell at 31 High Street or here in our online shop - happy bargain hunting x x x x

Our biggest delivery EVER! Hundreds of new items in store

Morning everyone. It has been SUCH a busy couple of weeks so I'm so pleased I've found an hour or so at last to write an entry.We completed our mini makeover in the shop last week and if I may say so myself, its looking gorgeous

We've added new fixed rails which doubles our space and got rid of the boring cream walls and replaced them with a rather regal purple. I've also upcycled some old cabinets to display some of our shoes and pretty  knick-knacks in

We've had nothing but positive feedback about the new look and everyone is in agreement that it makes for a much better shopping experience. I have to thank my husband Michael, brother-in-law Konrad and father-in-law Terry for all their help ( I'm afraid to say that my role was purely supervisory and I let the men do all the hard graft :) )

So, what to do with a lovely new and improved shop? Fill it with GORGEOUS new items of course! We had our biggest delivery ever over Easter weekend and we are literally bursting at the seams with stock. As usual, there's something for everyone with a mixture of vintage, high street and a few designer items thrown in. The delivery came in on Saturday and I'm still working my way through it but I think there's around 300 new things - heaven! I've been working my little socks off to get it all listed on the site as well as priced up and out in the shop - here are a few of my favourites...

River Island Aztec Patch Shirt/Jacket - £20 - BUY IT HERE

Vintage Tan Leather Backpack - £25 - BUY IT HERE

BN Miss Selfridge Diva Peter Pan Collar Necklace - £7.50 - BUY IT HERE

River Island Military Boots - £15 - BUY IT HERE

East of India Framed Mr & Mrs Sign - £8 - BUY IT HERE

Just a tiny taster of all the beauts currently in stock! As I said, you can buy on the website or pop in and see us at Queen of Threads, 31 High Street, Newport Pagnell, MK16 8AR. You can also keep up to date with all the new items as they come in by liking our Facebook page or following @queenofthreads1 on Twitter . 

Hope you all have a lovely Wednesday 

Helen

xxxxx

To brighten your day......

Ugh, I am so sick of this grey, miserable weather! Hurry up Spring! As an antidote to the frankly disgusting state of affairs outside, I thought I'd pick some pieces currently for sale that might put a smile on your face.

Firstly, how cute is this Miss Selfridge jumper ? Has a bit of a French vibe going on with navy stripes and chic girl with a beret. I LOVE it - can imagine this with a little skater skirt. Its a Size 10 and its £10.

Next up is a VERY happy Dorothy Perkins dress. It has a lovely bright lemon print and a retro 1950s style. A Size 18 and £12

This Sass & Belle laptop case is a real bargain at only £5. It will accommodate up to a 17" screen and is in wipeclean oilcloth in a gorgeous patchwork shabby chic print with little birds.

New shoes make everyone smile and these little embellished flats are no exception. They have the most gorgeous embellishment and are in an on trend flat slipper style. These could be worn with jeans, a dress, skirt and blouse combo....perfect day or night shoe. They are just £10 and are a Size 7.

Ah! I'm feeling brighter already after that - do have a browse through all our other gorgeous items. The shop is brimming with goodies at the moment, and if you can't get to see us in person our online shop is open 24/7 for you.

Hope you have a fab Saturday x x x x

We had such a busy day yesterday with lots and lots of lovely new stock so I was rushed off my feet photographing it all, adding it to the website, posting it to Facebook, pricing it up and finally adding it to the rails. I do try and publish everything to the web but sometimes its bought here in the shop before we even have a chance to post it - you've got to be quick!

I was very tempted to keep this gorgeous Tommy Hilfiger body warmer as it is SO COLD! Its super cosy with padding and fleece lining and in a nice baby blue. Perfect for our so-called Spring weather! You can buy it here for only £15.

These beautiful boots by Hard Hearted Harlot also came in yesterday. They're in grey leather with a cuffed top and lovely wooden platform heel. You could wear these with jeans, a skirt or little dress - anything really! Buy them here

A bit of 50s glam here! This is a modern repro but it oozes 1950s glam. Black and white bow print cotton and a fitted halter neck bodice. Full flared skirt with undernet skirt for that authentic look. This would look good for a wedding with a little jacket and a cute pair of heels - you can buy it here.

We finished off our day in style as it was our third wedding anniversary! We went for a lovely meal and a couple of cocktails which was a pretty perfect end to a busy, busy day

Speak to you all soon

xx

Thank you....and £5 bargains.....and more new stock!

Hi everyone. I really want to start today by saying thanks - I've put hours and hours into our website and you always feel a bit of a wobble wondering if it'll be a success - but you guys have been clicking away like   billy-o! We thought long and hard about the best way to bring our sales online and I hope you're enjoying shopping on the website as much as I'm enjoying bringing it to you :)

The website also means I can bring you sale stock all through the year. We normally have a Summer and Winter clearance in the shop, but although we have a really nice sized boutique, space is always issue as we never want to cram too much in there and leave everyone feeling a bit claustrophobic! But in the vast realms of cyberspace there is room for everything, so this weekend I launched our £5 Sale Section . This is exclusively online, meaning you can't buy in the shop itself. I'm adding to this everyday ( we have so much stock that we just don't have room on the rails for ) so there are plenty of bargains to be had. There are some real gems there too like this 

Rue 21 Multi Print Jersey Dress - 8/10

dress from Rue 21. Its perfect for summer evenings ( yes, yes, wishful thinking today I know!) - imagine it with a tan and pair of killer heels. And its only a fiver!

Pulp Motif Tee

This motif tee is a bargain too - its from quirky store Pulp. Its a Size S, will probably fit up to a UK 12 and again, is just £5.

Fever London Hot Pink Dress - 14

If you've a big night or special occasion coming up, this would be perfect. Hot pink satin with a structured one shoulder detail bust. Just dig out £5 and you're good to go!

As I mentioned, I'll be continuing to add to the sale section, so do keep your eyes peeled as the best bargains sell out the quickest. The rest of the shop hasn't been neglected either. We have some lovely new items in. My favourite is this 

Topshop Ditsy Rose Print Shirt - 10

Topshop shirt which is a great piece for Spring. I'm loving shirts at the moment (albeit under my winter jumper, but the thought is there!) and this is a steal for only £12.

Retro Cameo Print Flock Skirt - 12

Love this cameo skirt too - high waist, flocked vintage pattern, side pockets...what's not to love? Its only £8 and is a UK 12.

Finally, just had to show you this vintage mirror

Vintage Snoopy Mirror 

which is SO 1980s. Would look great in a kitsch themed bathroom or as a quirky little gift. Its £8 and will be in the shop to buy today or as always, here on the website.

Hoping to have a delivery of new stock in later today, so look out for updates on Facebook throughout the day xxx

Mothers Day Gifts

My Mum rocks. She sometimes helps out at the shop on a Saturday morning, so some of you might have seen her there. She's a whizz with a sewing machine, runs a successful little business of her own, makes me laugh, loves dogs just as much as me and is......well, she's my Mum and she's brilliant. I cant tell you what I've got her for Mother's Day tomorrow because she might read this but I hope she'll love it!

For anyone looking for a gift idea, we have some cute things in our Home and Gifts section at the moment which will make Ma smile

BN Cath Kidston Bird Print Phone Case - £6

BNIB Lauren Luke Makeup Set - £10

Tula by Radley Woven/Leather Bag - £18

BN Molton Brown Celestial Maracuja Body Cloud Compact - £12

There's lots more in store and of course on the website ( you've not got time to get it delivered in time for tomorrow but you can buy online and pick up in store ). I hope you, your mums and your mum's mums have a lovely day tomorrow x x x x

Black and White - this week's monochrome themed finds

Some really gorgeous pieces have found their way to me this week and by sheer coincidence, some of the nicest pieces follow a monochrome theme. Monochrome has been a really big trend for the last year or so and looks set to continue. I guess its because its so easy wear. Black is an absolute classic and white is its natural contrast and as a pair will never go out of style. Black and white can look smart, quirky or elegant depending on on the styling....

Hobbs Polka Dot Dress - 12 - £35

This Hobbs dress is a classic shift style but with the cute addition of polka dots which just softens the whole dress. Its a great transition dress - you could wear this for work or for an evening out. The RRP on this was £160 so it is an absolute BARGAIN!

French Connection Printed Shift Dress - 16 - £20

Sticking with the classics, this French Connection dress is another piece you could wear for day or night. This little beaut is brand new. Black cotton in a fitted long sleeve shift style with ditsy print. Size 16

Vintage High Waist Pencil Skirt - 10 - £15

Vintage Monochrome Shirt - £15

I ADORE this outfit. If you're a vintage chick, this would be an amazing alternative to a boring suit for work. Its still really smart but has just enough quirkiness to give you a bit of individuality. Both pieces will work well in their own right too - the skirt could be dresses down over a little Amplified rock tee and the shirt would look great over your jeans with a chunky cardi 

Bally Designer Patent Gladdis Oxford Brogues - 5 - £50

YUM. Seriously - these are my dream shoes. I love everything about them from the 1920s inspired punch pattern detail to the amazing little tassels on the end of the the laces....but they're not my size...*sigh*. Bally is a brand I lust after but can rarely afford, so it was great to get these and be able to offer them to you at only 25% of the RRP of £200 ( I will be extremely jealous of whoever get these though )

Hope you like my little monochrome collection. Have a look at all our other beautiful vintage and secondhand items on our website or find us on Facebook or Twitter 

Update to www.queenofthreads.co.uk

Just a quick little post to tell everone that we are now accepting card payments directly on our website www.queenofthreads.co.uk - up until now customers have only been able to use Paypal or Google Checkout so this will make things easier for lots of people. Do have a look at all our lovely items xx

Winter Warmers

I start longing for Spring around October 1st. The prospect of a long, shivery winter is really depressing and I am definitely more into sunshine and flowers than log fires and snowmen. That being said, winter does afford one big bonus, and that is the opportunity to rock a variety of big, cosy jumpers. Ahhh, jumpers - I've literally lived in either a onesie or sweater since November. I'm such a cold bones and so the bigger, thicker and woolier the better. I have tons and tons in the shop as they are just so popular. If you're a vintage kind of a gal then this cream aran wool cardi has got to float your boat. So easy to wear ( chuck on over a shirt or jeans, layer over a little dress...anything really) and supremely cosy

Vintage Aran Cream Cardigan

http://www.queenofthreads.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2470706-Vintage-Aran-Chunky-Knit-Cardigan-One-Size.html

Likewise, this ribbed knit number in beige is just PERFECT for the 90s grunge revival and will keep you toasty as its 100% wool. Neutral beige, it will lend itself to a cute print collar peeping out over the neck.

Vintage Beige Wool Ribbed Knit Jumper

http://www.queenofthreads.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2508060-Vintage-Beige-Wool-Chunky-Knit-Jumper-One-Size.html

I know some of you though prefer something a bit more modern and there are tons of cute motif jumpers on the high street at the moment like this Exclamation Mark Sweater from New Look. As seen on Towie's Lauren Pope and now sold out - we have one ready for you to snap up!

New Look Towie Exclamation Mark Jumper 

http://www.queenofthreads.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2496308-New-Look-Exclamation-Mark-Jumper-as-seen-on-Lauren-Pope-12.html

I also love this pink chunky knit from ASOS. It has rows of iridescent pink sequin discs so adds a bit of girly glam as well as keeping you warm. A great every day jumper and in really brilliant condition

ASOS Pink Sequin Jumper

http://www.queenofthreads.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2486794-ASOS-Pink-Sequin-Chunky-Knit-Jumper-Size-1012.html

There are lots more jumpers on the Queen of Threads website - www.queenofthreads.co.uk or of course you can come and vist us at our boutique at 31 High Street, Newport Pagnell, MK16 8AR. Find us on Facebook here www.facebook.com/queenofthreads and follow @queenofthreads1 on Twitter.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday

Helen xx