Sunday 11 July 2010

Lovely weekend

Friday was such a fun day. My very dear friend JJ came over from Brighton to spend the day with me. She came over in her little Snow Drop ( the dinky new car ) and she was nice and early! Early for JJ, that is. After a coffee, we set off and spent an hour at my favourite wool shop ( droooooooooooool ), and came out with one or two hanks of wool from the sale section. Lurvely yarns! No photos of the yarns yet, but I'll show you a pic of the pattern I am going to use the yarns for. It is an African Flower Hexagon Square! I am pretty useless at reading a pattern done in symbols but my wonderful friend explained it all to me and I managed to make a square with bits of left over wool from my granny square lankie, all by myself, hurrah! This is it -


Now imagine this square done in the loveliest soft colours, silver grey, the most beautiful sea green, a lovely sand and a gentle aubergine. I am so tempted to get started on it straight away, but I haven't even decided what to make with the yarns yet, lol. I think it might be an idea to sort that out first.

We also had a rather lovely lunch in a little cafe with the loveliest back garden. Goats cheese flan and salads goes so well with a good old natter. Hmm, after that, we managed to womble through a few more shops, made a few more purchases, and finally got back to my house well after 4pm! We needed serious refreshment after wombling about in the summer heat, so for a little while we just sat in the garden with a delicious ginger ale float and relaxed. Aaaaah, bliss!

After that I got my lesson in reading crochet patterns, see above, more natter of course, and, heck, I don't know what else, lol, time just flies when you have fun, and before we knew it, it was time to part again.

And so on to Saturday. My faithful companion on many boot fair trips, DS No. 3, came with me again to the lunchtime bootfair. It was rather disappointing, only about a third of the size it usually is. So, not surprisingly, this time I didn't come home with a huge trolley load, lol. Here are the few things I did find -

A small bag full of vintage trimmings in really lovely soft, muted colours, perfect for fabric collages -


and another small bag with lots of bias binding in all sorts of colours and sizes -


I have to admit that I was more excited about my next find though, lots and lots of wonderful droolworthy ephemera from the early to mid 40s. I find these things absolutely fascinating and can spend ages looking through these things -


Look at this piece, for example, just a few sentences about the lives of this couple, but my imagination goes into overdrive and a whole life story develops in my mind -


Even the next piece, this innocent looking little book, had the same effect on me. I remember many years ago, when I first came to England and had my very first own home and mortgage, the insurance man came to the home to discuss policies with you. It wasn't done on the internet in those days, and it wasn't done on the phone either (like today, when you finally get through to a real person after playing question and answer with a machine for 10 minutes ). It was still very much the personal touch. Boy, did those guys have to be clever -


I find these bits of social history ever so fascinating.

Books, aaah, books, you have probably realised by now I have a thing about books, have done ever since my grandmother taught me to read. This is such a lovely bound book of Cassell's Magazines -


Isn't this just too cute? -


And that was almost it, except for this thing, a thin book for newspaper cuttings -


The cuttings were gone -


but the paper, aaaahh, the beautifully aged paper, 60+ years old and mellowed to perfection -


so lovely for journals.

And that is all, not the best haul ever, but enough to keep me happy! My last post for two months will be tomorrow, mostly about today's boot fair finds. Until then,

Toodlepip xxx

19 comments:

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Your day with JJ sounds so lovely. I'm sure you both had a fab little time together. How lovely to have a wool friend to browse the shelves with too. That crochet square sure looks sweet but tricky for the likes of me.

Are you seriously having two months away?? How will we manage without you for so long?

Me and Ma said...

I love those African flowers Liz, did you know that there is a Flickr group devoted to them ? x

Croap Queen said...

We did have a lovely day didn't we L? I think I've just about recovered - boy was it a boiling hot day to be trundling round shops! I notice you didn't mention that we actually sat on the floor of the wool shop while we were drooling uncontrollably over those yarns. How far from calling for a doctor to have us certified was the lady who owned the shop?

I told you those African flowers are easy peasy - not sure I could teach you a doilie pattern just yet though. It could take a week for you to write it out, lol.

Lovely bootfair finds again.

I'll miss you while you're away, you old bat. (leaves the room quietly singing zipadee doodah, heehee)

JJ x

Lyn said...

What interesting finds. You can't help but wonder who they belonged to.
Love
Lyn
xxx

Serenata said...

Loving the crochet - very pretty...sounds like you had a really lovely day.

Elizabethd said...

What fascinating things you do find.

*Ulrike* said...

I could drool all day over your finds! It sounds like you had a great time with your friend, would have loved to have seen the cafe with the garden. I would always stop at anything with a garden!
Love the header photo, is that your place? I have not had much time for blogging, but I try to keep up!!

Melissa/Piney Rose said...

those trims are just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Fun stuff, Liz! I love the pattern in your crocheted square. I've never seen that one before. I have a book somewhere with different patterns but not this one.
Great finds! Especially the trims and those colors...beautiful!
Diane

Mary Green said...

I am so jealous! I want one of everything!

Julia @ Vintage with Laces said...

Liz, It sounds like you had a great day with your friend. The crochet pattern is lovely and I can imagine a granny blanket made from such squares very well.
Even though this might not be your usual huge load, you still found a lot of wonderful things to play and create with! I love all the trims, ephemera and books you brought home.
Have a great week and stay cool,
Julia

jennyflowerblue said...

Ginger ale float hmmmm, now that sounds like a plan! (loving the crochet- an the trim, and those colour plates, and.....and)

Andi's English Attic said...

Wow! I would call that a jamboree day. I really like the 'lavender lady' in the book, and all the paperwork. Great fun to read through. xx

Linens Lace and Lattes said...

ahhh...I love love love your post. I feel like I traveled around with you enjoying the days shopping. And the stash you got...Wow~lace, sewing notions and ephemera~exactly what I would have gone c-r-a-z-y over.
Thanks for the opportunity to spend some time with you.
deb

Barbara Jean said...

great post
I'm posting day 7 shortly of celebration game. i will be out of town tomorrow. hope you can zip over and finish game
thanks for playing.

hugs and blessings

barb

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi Liz,
I would say that you found quite a few wonderful things. Love all that epherma.

Glad you enjoyed your time with your friend. Sounds like a lovely day.

I sent you an email.

hugs
Sissie

Country Nanny said...

Hi Liz: I really enjoyed your post.
The pattern you chose is gorgeous. I'm eager to see what you're going to do with it.
Hugs.
Elisa

Dorthe said...

Wonderfull to spend a beautifull ,day full of happy m oments with a dear friend.
I love all the books and old ephemera,you found dear Liz,
and the trimmings are beautifull,too.
Liz I so wish you a great and happy trip to France, I hope we can maybe write each other while you are away ?
If not many hugs, and kisses -for the summer, and see you in september, dear friend.
Love,Dorthe

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

The letterhead with builder-house decorator and undertaker really cracked me up.... OH my.

Warm blessings,
Spencer