Hello! I went to a Vintage Fair in St Andrews on Sunday.
Look at the lovely old stuff I found. There was a stall with old (1946) crochet and knitting magazines. Don't you just love the mad lampshade-type hat in the top left corner! I tell you, for 30p it was the cheapest laugh I had all day, but apart from that, the magazine is fascinating for the adverts and references to rationing and advice from the Ministry of Health to help 'Housewives make sure all the family gets their essential nutrition.' Reminder, if one were needed, of just how well off we are nowadays.
There was also a big box of assorted reels of cotton - a few of which were proper wooden reels with these scrumptious colours of thread - Parma Violet and Eau de Nil - even the names sound juicy. Also - do you see the little roses? They are a pair of hair grips made by a wonderful lady called Kate, of LoveFromAlice. She sources these lovely little items made using old moulds and the original type of plastic (called lucite, I think) and then makes them into hair ornaments and brooches. I love the sort of faded-genteel colours.
I'm really happy that vintage has returned as a 'look', because as far as I'm concerned it never went away - particularly when it comes to furniture. My grandfather furnished his home from the Inverness Auction rooms, my parents furnished theirs from the Aberdeen Auction rooms, and a good few of my bits of furniture (those I haven't inherited from the aforementioned forebears) came from Swansea's equivalent. It may start out as just second-hand, but keep it and love it long enough and it turns into Vintage and eventually to Antique. (That sounds like something my lovely husband and I say to each other on a regular basis!)
Anyway, the cotton reels will join the contents of the gorgeous Victorian sewing box I was given a 
couple of Christmases ago. Most of the sewing stuff I have actually came from my Mum and my Gran, as they both passed their sewing boxes on to me, but it is great to have the excuse to look out for sewing paraphernalia when browsing junk shops and vintage fairs. Or when wandering idly through Ebay, perhaps? No, no! Danger! It's far too easy to buy lots of lovely old things on that site. Put the mouse down and step away from the computer now.
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