May I wish you a very Happy Christmas?
I am spending my Christmas in the rural North, with no internet coverage.
Normal blogging coverage will resume when I return to civilisation.
Until then, enjoy the holidays
May I wish you a very Happy Christmas?
I am spending my Christmas in the rural North, with no internet coverage.
Normal blogging coverage will resume when I return to civilisation.
Until then, enjoy the holidays
Posted by Beth on December 25, 2012
https://adventuresinvintage.org/2012/12/25/complements-of-the-season/
On one of the last sunny days we had in Falmouth – goodness, that seems a long time ago – I came across these beautiful cars parked up at the side of the road in the town centre.
Needless to say, I wasn’t the only one taking notice of these beauties.
These are VW Karmann Ghias convertibles, made in Germany sometime between 1957 and 1970.
These examples were in beautiful condition
Look at the beautiful red leather upholstery, trimmed with white piping.
The Karmann Ghia won awards for its design, and its clear to see why.
The cars were produced by the same VW factory that made the VW Beetle after the war, and the early models used a Beetle chassis and engine.
In 1974, the Ghia was replaced by the VW Scirocco and the Porsche 914 – a sad day for fans of stylish cars.
These cars had German plates, so I assume they were here on holiday. I didn’t get to meet the drivers, but if I had I would have loved to have blagged a drive – purely in the interests of vintage research of course!!
Posted by Beth on December 16, 2012
https://adventuresinvintage.org/2012/12/16/vintage-car-envy/
I blogged a while ago about buying a vintage wool stash at auction. Given that there was so much it filled the back of a Mini, it has taken some time to work through the boxes to find out what I had actually got.
I’ve already been surprised by an unworn mink and velvet hat tucked into the wool, this week it was the turn of a grubby little bag to yield a surprise:
Inside were two pairs of stockings, beautifully knitted in complex patterns and very fine wool:
They have been very well worn, darned and then worn through to holes in places, so there’s no monetary value to them, just their significance as part of domestic/fashion history.
The brown stockings have a leaf like pattern
The grey stockings have a more geometric pattern
I think that they date from the forties, when nylons were in short supply, silk stockings would have been the norm for ‘smart’ wear, and ladies would have knitted their own stockings to keep their legs warm, tights not being part of the regular wardrobe at that time:
I can only imagine how much time it would have taken to knit a pair of this complexity, the patterns I have been able to find certainly look time consuming, which may explain why darning rather than replacement was so important.
If you’re interested in trying, you can find knitting patterns at: http://www.vintagepurls.co.nz/womenspatterns.html and http://knitting.craftgossip.com/free-pattern-vintage-hand-knitted-stockings/2010/11/12/
You can imagine how they would have looked with a smart forties suit like this one, modelled on the Mariposa Chronicles:
Lovely Vintage Forties Suit
This suit is currently for sale on etsy, but I couldn’t find any stockings to go with it – you will have to knit your own!
As for my stockings, I’m not sure what to do with them. I feel that they should be preserved as a part of fashion history but have no idea where they would be appreciated. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Posted by Beth on December 10, 2012
https://adventuresinvintage.org/2012/12/10/another-wool-stash-surprise/
Redruth is not the first place you think of visiting if you visit Cornwall. It was once a hub of the Cornish mining industry, and is full of faded grand Victorian buildings, but since the decline of the mines a hundred years ago, it has suffered from a loss of direction and a lack of investment. But in the five years I have been visiting, it has been re-inventing itself and the low rents mean that among the high street regulars you can find a number of vintage and other individual shops.
I went to visit Daisy Rain, a family run vintage business based in Redruth’s Old Steam Bakery, tucked between a florist and the Post Office on the main street:
Down the alleyway, is a complex of buildings that used to form the bakery, and now make up the shop, stores and workshop.
The family found the Old Steam Bakery over 20 years ago, and have kept the character of the building while building a thriving vintage business.
As you go in, you’re greeted by a treasure trove of vintage clothes, furniture and ornaments:
A rack of vintage hats:
This is the main room of the shop – chock full of goodies!
I loved the way they’ve used parasols to cover the ceiling.
The old steam ovens can still be seen in the main part of the shop. These were heated by steam filled pipes – these and the fire places to stoke them are still in place (although you can’t see them):
These original (rickety) stairs lead to a second room, stuffed with vintage furniture and other goodies
Again, this is full of treasures
I liked this unusual compote dish, I’ve seen plenty of cabbage leaf plates, but never one with grapes and vine leaves.
Downstairs they were preparing for Christmas, with vintage party clothes and heavy winter coats;
Lots of vintage christmas baubles:
More Christmas baubles
I love the baubles and had great fun spotting the ones we had on the family Christmas tree when I was growing up!
I left with two coats and the intention to return soon, and I’d recommend it as a place to visit if you’re in the area.
Posted by Beth on December 4, 2012
https://adventuresinvintage.org/2012/12/04/302/