Retro in the round

Yesterday I had a day out to Morecambe and the wonderful Midland Hotel to go to the vintage festival Vintage by the Sea. As my dissertation is about vintage dressmaking, I counted this as a research trip! A little shopping did get done as well. Meanwhile, earlier in the week I successfully bid on a lot of sewing items which my friend F had spotted in a local auction. And the thing which connects these two events? Many of my acquisitions are circular.

First up is this lovely little box from the auction lot.

So deco!

Around the side of the lid is a list of the contents.

Some of the contents

The full list is: Needles and Cottons, Safety Pins, Hair Grips, Silk Hose Mending and Darners, Knicker Elastic and Threader.

When I opened the box, I found this.

Threads for every possible colour of hose

Underneath were two other items.

The complete contents

There was a final surprise when I took out the spool of hose mending silk, with its packet of 'Flora MacDonald' needles.

Advertising opportunity

The sewing box also in the lot included name tapes for 'Mary Timm'. Judging from the remaining contents of the Handy Pack, Mary never laddered her stockings, but did use a single hairpin (I'm really hoping that it was to pick a lock) and needed to replace her knicker elastic. The mind boggles!

Moving swiftly on to my Morecambe purchases.

Most of the vendors were selling clothing, but there was one stall with a good collection of buttons. I bought a few cards, but my favourites were definitely these, which carry on the Art Deco theme.

I really need to make something which uses these beauties!

The complete button haul

My final purchase was this. My hats all currently live in cardboard boxes, but this is a far more stylish storage method.

It even has the keys for the locks

Admittedly not entirely round, but it would fall over otherwise

I especially loved this luggage label, from the days when rail travel involved suitcases being placed in a separate luggage coach.

Case to be taken off at Sheffield

All I need now is a wire-haired fox terrier, and I'm well on the way to recreating this 1930s poster for rail travel!

From the days when dogs needed tickets