Sometimes it can be hard to set specific time aside for things that aren't on the to do list. How quickly the weeks fill up with the "necessary"… work, cooking, supermarket trips, school runs. I tend to worry so much about the deadlines and schedules I give myself. When looking back over the weeks however, I miss the little things that there "hasn't been time for". I end up feeling grumpy, a bit isolated and uninspired.
Lately, I've begun extending the school runs (school is a 30 minute drive from home) to include those special things that I miss. Coffee and cake with my husband, driving the long way to school through the beautiful Dandenong ranges and a few fleeting trips to some favourite antique stores.
There isn't much left of the coffee and cake to show you…. BUT I can show you some very affordable treasures I found!
Some vintage button goodness… jut 50 cents each!!!
A bag of 70!!!! vintage cotton reels for $20. The thread is so very different to what you find now. The sheen is just beautiful… and the colours are so soft and subdued. Many have lost their labels over time. But, look at the tiny reel in the front with the "for buttons" label. It's just 2 1/2 cm tall!
I found this bone handled tracing wheel. I know they were used for tracing patterns, but I'm not sure I know exactly how. Was carbon paper or other similar paper involved?
Note the "By appointment – Hook & Eye makers to H.M. The Queen & Queen Mary" on the packaging below. Love it!!
I love this card of hosiery darning thread… not because it's pretty, but because it speaks of a generation. The era of "nylons"!! Not so long ago, stockings were an essential part of a lady's attire. And what an expense they were… particularly in war time. Mending the inevitable ladders, runs and holes would have been a necessary skill to have.
This tiny little matchbox was such a surprise. Apparantly it held wax matches. The kind you can strike against your shoe. I didn't expect it to fit into the "vintage haberdashery" category. But, when I opened the lid, look what I found. Beautiful black dress beads!! I can just imagine this little box in someones sewing basket. I would love to know how old they are. I've tried to find some information about the age of the box… to no avail.
I feel like each time I discover one of these treasures, I get to take a little glimpse into history… the way people lived, the era they lived in, the kind of sewing they needed to do, the notions that were available to them and the colours they were sewing with. I consider "stitching" such a big part of my life. It's such a privilege to be able to take a little peek into history and see someones "stitching life" from that time.
Now… a little business to take care of!
By the time the pattern writing process comes to an end, it can feel like my newest design has been around forever. After editing, re-editing and repeatedly checking measurements, it just doesn't feel fresh anymore. A pattern launch, however, takes care of all that. To see everyones' first impressions of a design makes it all feel brand new again. My "As Roses Bloom" pattern giveaway has received some lovely comments. Thank you all for your kind encouragement and taking the time to enter…
Without further ado, the winners are
Linda said:
Congratulations on the finish, it's always so rewarding to be able to stand back and see the end result of all that hard work. Just stunningly beautiful designs, thanks for the chance.
It's been fun watching this new pattern grow and come to fruition. Congratulations. The cover is beautiful, the pattern sublime. You are so very talented. I should think you'll do well with your new patterns as they are just different enough to stand out among the crowd!! Stand up and take a bow!! ~karen
Congratulations to Linda and Karen!! I'll contact you shortly for your postal address. I hope you enjoy creating your own "As Roses Bloom" cushion or quilt. I would love to see the finished result.
I hope you are able to do something special today… think I'll try and fit in a walk along the creek tomorrow.
Melissa x
Such a lovely surprise this morning to find my name chosen as one who was fortunate enough to win your lovely pattern, thank you. As for the tracing wheel, your question makes me feel old:)) I remember using those in dressmaking class at school.To use it you would place dressmakers carbon paper underneath the pattern and between the layers of fabric. Run the wheel along the dart line or hem line, or whatever you needed to have marked.It was a very fiddly way of marking, especially when there’s a good old tailors tack that can be used instead.Lovely finds on the hooks and eyes and threads and beads.
I have ‘excitement-itis’ in anticipation of receiving my new pattern in the mail!! I thank you so very much. It will certainly be a test of my skills, but I know if I am patient and follow your dynamite directions carefully, I’ll meet with success. And won’t I be the envy of all my sewing friends?? Ah, yes, dressmaker’s carbon. I remember those days, too! As a matter of fact, I just tossed a bunch of it the other day. Thanks again, Melissa! I’m looking forward to the challenge! ~karen