My luck is in!

I've finally got a new role with the same employer so should be safe for another year. (As far as anyone can be). I've moved into the job and am getting used to a new routine. Outside of work I seem to be in mega organisation mode and getting nowhere as something always comes up which takes precedence over what I actually want to do.



A few months ago I spotted these drawers in a landscape designer's office and asked for first refusal if he decided to sell them. I was amazed to get a call last week offering them to me for a very reasonable price. I've wanted some haberdashery drawers for years but knew I could never afford them so decided to go for it!



The drawers have a little divider about 6 cm in so you can fill the front bit with lovely bits and hide all sorts of stuff behind. I have a list of things to put in all the drawers but haven't had chance to fill them all yet. Can't wait!



I have started with a couple though - wooden cotton reel and doilies



I might have to save one for scarves. I've always worn scarves and tend to hang on to them. On my charity shop run last week I found a shop where somebody had clearly disposed of a collection which covered from 50s onwards.



As you can see I bought quite a few although I won't keep all of them. They cost the same whether they were polyester, acetate or silk!



Sorry about all the pictures - I loved them all!



Not sure I can wear this seventies one - but I am tempted!



Hope your Christmas preparations are going better than mine!

Love Wend

Button it!

Last week I was contacted by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Buttons) when they saw that Lesley over at Printed Material was about to take some buttons to THE TIP. Those of us in the society know that TIP and BUTTON shouldn't be used in the same sentence. Aware there was no time to waste I contacted Lesley on a mission to save these souls and she very graciously relented. She'd found a use for the white amongst the pack but let me have the rest. I've never removed my whites so was delighted when the buttons arrived and poured both coffee and buttons. The sorting of buttons is a serious business requiring full attention. The resulting collection of buttons was a joy to sort through - the whites dilute the colour of the rest! (I'm easily pleased!)



I found lots of buttons that I could add to my various categories assisted by my trusty baking tin.



I have collections of 50s and 30s, floral, leather and mother of pearl to name a few.



Buttons on cards can be found in little corners around the house



Also jars of specific colours a particular favourite being green.



Lots of the buttons I find that have been discarded are these very simple but colourful Jasons buttons. I keep these in a jelly mould ready to run my fingers through as I walk past. Again - simple pleasures!




I like the cards the buttons are mounted on just as much with the manufacturere desperate to convince the buyer to by his buttons. Fashionable buttons. Exclusive buttons



and on this one - The EGO brand! Love it.



I spent a happy hour sorting through before going on to examine some of my other recent finds. (Funny isn't it how "Happy hour" means different things to different generations!)



I never tire of looking at old packaging and advertising - be it paper, card or tin. How can I use this binding without damaging the wrapper? I might just have to leave it as is...



Might leave the Water Closet paper package intact too!

I found a scruffy little book in the bottom of a box and was delighted to find it full of colour plates of birds. The book is falling apart with a lot of marking but well worth 20p!





The paper bag below was holding some 60s fabric and I don't think had been opened since then - a 60s dress had been cut out and is ready to stitch up. Far too small for me though! The shop disppeared over 40 years ago to become Debenhams.



Also managed to find some more of the chemist labels I found a couple of years ago.



and some wonderful Weldons Shilling Guides once all bound together (at some point but now just a heap of paper which I needed to sort into some sort of order). These guides are instructions to the hobbyist in a variety of areas. These are just some of the great illustrations...



Crinkled paper shades for your piano candles!!!



Lovely woolly (scratchy) drawers for babies!



And the knitted knee cap. How on earth have we managed without these? Let me know if you need the pattern!

Fun finds

Sunday was one of those mornings where the weather didn't look promising and I wondered whether it would be worth going to the car boot. As we're getting to the end of the season I decided to go and get my fix anyway.



Can anyone tell me what possessed me to buy this little guy? Explaining it to Niobe wasn't easy! I've mentioned before that she has threatened to move out if I buy any more.



Imagine her horror then when she saw this children's desk sitting in the corner of the lounge! Again - why? I can only put it down to nostalgia and my inability to pass up a bargain! Does anyone have a couple of old inkwells - I'd love to put those back in. Its actually in good condition but it does lack any sign of nicely aged graffiti by penknife!



I also picked up a few other bits for pennies - and look! Vintage baubles! Have you seen the price of these on ebay! I seem to be picking up a few bits of royalty and this tin is in perfect condition for its age. I love old battered frames and this series of paintings by I Campbell Taylor. I've seen a few of these pictures at car boots lately with Victorian ladies busy at their needlework or doing a bit of harp practise but they have been large and wouldn't be allowed in our "public rooms!" "Put them in your room Mother" would be the message.



I spotted this set of inks and quickly snapped them up imagining long winter nights learning how to use them. How annoyed was I when I got home to find the bottles were virtually empty! I'd been seduced by the lovely illustrations on the boxes which are also reproduced on the tiny little bottles. (Lesson learned - always check the contents)



More haberdashery for my collection...



My heart quickens every time I see this shade of green. Two lovely aged kitchen implements and (yet another) tin. I call it "50s green" but perhaps its more 40s - any thoughts?



Oh and not forgetting my Royal Couple tin plates. This is another collection that is growing - tin plates sometimes known as cocktail trays...



All in all a great Sunday stash!

Show and tell Monday!

I knew yesterdays car boot would have lots of people standing but also that it would be packed with punters so arrived by 6.15 and was well rewarded by the thrifting gods for my efforts.



One lady was selling lots of embroidered cloths and doilies etc. These are the best but they are wonderful! Beautifully laundered and pressed, all had little stickers with the sizes on but she was virtually giving them away so I filled a bag!



The colours are delightful and the stitching is beautiful. One of them still has the transfer showing through so has clearly never been used or washed!



Included in her piles was this blue cloth which I'd learned the day before is a "huck a back" towel. These are made from Irish linen and are highly absorbent but take up much less space than our fluffier counterparts. I haven't tried using them to dry my hair yet but I might just hang a couple in the bathroom for aesthetic purposes!



On top of that is a butter maker pat. The box was full of various bits of an icing set which is what I thought I was buying! When I sorted out all the bits the butter pat maker was lying underneath!



I did like the colours of this old hunting tin ...



but was horrified when I got it home to find painted on the back in pink nail varnish the legend "my pocket money"! Now I have ruined more than one lovely tin by over zealous rubbing and scraping to remove the last vestiges of old labels and glue and was very wary of approaching this in the same way. The paint is so thin that it is easily damaged. Still it was alreay messed up so I gingerly tried some nail varnish remover and - it worked! Don't ever try the little yellow sponges with the rough green surface as they can wipe the paint off in seconds!



One guy was selling off the contents of his mother's home very reasonably (actually I don't think he had a clue what things were worth) and I picked up this huge lovely old enamel bowl - for £3! And that was the moxt expensive purchase of the day! In the picture you can also see some Vernon Ward paintings - I managed to score 4 of these!



I laid everything out on the red trolley in the garden when I got back so that I could have a good look while having my coffee in the sunshine. I'd picked this up at the second car boot of the morning - this one starts at 8.30 so I can be one of the first at that one too! I didn't know I needed a trolley but did think it might come in useful at some of the vintage fairs. I was thrilled to find it wheeled across the car park perfectly! I wasn't sure about the paint job and there are a couple of scars but I have a tin of good old Farrow and Ball's French Gray and was going to make that the reason why I needed to be in the garden for the rest of the day! Until I realised that it might fit my kitchen very well just as it is so I'll wait a while...

What else can you see - oh yes the bobbins and the tins. Oh yes - more tins - I just can't help myself (there's probably a name for it - there's certainly no cure!)



A couple of old biscuit tins and this is a lovely little cutie ...



And last but not least, my favourite bits - the absolutely delicious woolwork cushion cover - in perfect condition and a full 18" inches square and the "impossible to find" mega bobbins. MEGA BOBBINS! MEGA BOBBINS!. Oh joy - I've been after some of these for ages. 50P. 50P!



And the best bit of all - the bowl was the most expensive item. But "what about the trolley?" I hear you say. To which I reply - 50p!!!!!!!!!!!

Small World

Just wanted to share these images from last months Homes and Antiques with those of you who love vintage haberdashery...



I can't say I've ever been a fan of doll's houses and their furniture but this combination of drawing, cottons etc and miniature furniture really struck a chord.



Please preserve me from starting yet another collection...





Moving on, "Vintage mum" has passed on this award to me and I'm supposed to let you know 7 interesting things about me. Thank you Vintage Mum! I'm struggling to come up with anything interesting about me so I'll just say "Take this award and share the love!"



I've also been lucky to receive this award from the lovely Debbie at "Home thoughts from Vintage wants". Debbie has a lovely blog and is co - founder of the Vintage and Homemade fairs in Northampton (with Annie from Vintage at the Corner House)and makes the most gorgeous altered art pieces. Thank you so much Debbie.

I'll pass this onto

"Beach bygones" - for its seaside vintage vibe incorporating a love of East Anglia,
"Useful or beautiful" - because I love Lucille's "less is more" style and wish I could emulate it
"Julia Crossland" - for her delightful illustrations...
Jaboopee - for her wonderful humour and for becoming a special blogging friend - not to mention her fabulous mosaic and handicraft
Cathy - Menopausal musing - for her humour

Please have a look at their blogs if you haven't before - I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Love Wend