What’s Your "Vintage" ?

Have you been watching Channel 4’s “This Old Thing” ?  Dawn O’Porter tries to persuade hapless 20-somethings that vintage clothes are the way to go.  It seems like a nice premise for a programme.  Take some people to a second hand (sorry, vintage) clothes shops and dress up.  The problem I have is this: 1980s fashion IS NOT VINTAGE !  

I recently had someone tell me that Antique=100+ years old; Vintage=50+ years old; Retro = 15+ years old.  (Which makes me …. urmmmm, Vintage.  Ok, less of that.)  Anyway, it’s not about a formula or an official definition, but, well, I don’t care how much the lovely Dawn says they are great, 80s fashions were awful when we were in the 80s and are still awful now.  Wearing them – even if you weren’t born in the 80s – is a RETROgrade step! 

Floral dress, worn to death !

Wait though..... back in the 80s when I was a hip young thing with an eye for what we called second hand clothes (when did we start using the term vintage for anything other than wine ?), I favoured 1950s frocks and handbags.  That’s the same time lapse of 30 years, but did our mums think the clothes were awful ?  The thing is, I think not.  I think that they had moved on and didn’t want to wear them any more (good news for us because the flea markets and the charity shops were full of their cast-offs).  But I don’t think they were embarrassed by them.  Were they ?

I have a liking for architecture on clothes !

So, would you wear fashions from the 1980s ?  Or 1970s ?  Is your wardrobe full of padded shoulders and ra-ra skirts from 30 years ago?  Do you think it’s the next hip thing ?  Or have you spent the last 30 years trying to erase your 1980s wardrobe from your memory ?   Were you young and trendy in my chosen “vintage” era, the 50s ?  

What’s your idea of vintage ?

Competition Time !

I've been sorting my handbag out, chucking out the rubbish and the superfluous and getting it all in some semblance of order. 

A few weeks ago I cleverly decanted various lipsticks and lipbalms into a pallette, but for some reason still keep 4 lip brushes in my bag. Toothpaste but no toothbrush. Wallplug. One pen that works, another that doesn't.

Anyway, it's given me an idea for a competition.  All you need to do is go over to our Facebook page and post a photograph of the the contents of your own handbag.  The best one will get a lovely bright cotton shopper in purple, green, turquoise or black.

We'll choose the best one on Sunday (20th July). The winner will be the picture with the most incomprehensible contents as judged by three impartial handbag-ignorant people !  

Why would I need a wall plug in my handbag ?

So, get photographing !

(My bag is quite tidy now !)

Earphones in little purse to stop me losing the little pad things off them. Speaking from bitter experience here.

5 Tools of the Trade

I know they say “a poor workman blames his tools” but having quality tools really does make a difference.   I have a drawer full of tools, but these are the ones I couldn’t manage without.

1.Scissors: Fiscars 4inch blade

This pair is my favourite.  I’ve had them 10 years or maybe more, and for the past 3 years have used them most days.  I’ve had them sharpened once.  They are still really sharp and glide through even the thickest fabric, like butter.  I have a bigger pair, which are brilliant for large scale cutting out jobs, but only having small hands, I prefer these for general use. 

2.Set squares

This old wooden T-Square was my grandfather’s.  I’m not sure what he used it for but it’s perfect for measuring out fabric.  I also have a couple of large plastic set squares.

3.Thimbles

I don’t do a lot of hand-sewing.  The thimbles get used more often when I’m fixing metal clasps.  All these are inherited and are a perfect fit for my thumb.  Thumbles !

4.Steel Rule

Essential for accurate measuring.  I battle with my son over this one, because he “borrows” it when he’s lost his own rulers, which seems to happen a lot.  It’s a bit bent; I need a new one really.

5.Sewing Machine: Bernina 801

Lots of people have fancy-dan all singing all dancing machines, and if someone offered me one for free I wouldn’t turn it down, but I’d not be without my 1980s Bernina.  It  just has  functional stitches, and I guess it looks quite primitive next to modern machines.  But it is an old workhorse, and I fully expect it to outlive me !  This one belonged to a lady called Audrey, who left it in her will to my aunt, and then on to me.  I also have my Grandmother’s 1960’s Bernina, but it needs a couple of repairs, so I haven’t used it for a while.  At least once a month, I take my machine apart and give it a good clean and I get it serviced by a professional once a year or when I remember !   I’m not the sort to name inanimate objects, but sometimes when I’m using it I think of Audrey and the lovely friendship she had with my late Aunt.  

That's it.  No magical machinery, just very functional tools.  That's how we roll round here !

Flat Friday

Those days, we all get them, when you just don’t have any oomph.  There’s plenty to be getting on with, but your brain is woolly and you can’t focus on anything.  You’re worrying too much about a seemingly unsolvable problem.  All options seem like too much effort. 

When I worked for an employer I had days like this too.  I would spend the day shuffling papers around meaninglessly, or tidy my desk, or spend the day wasting time making cups of tea for colleagues, or surreptitiously and unproductively surfing the internet.  (Don’t tell me you don’t have days like that too.)  So I’m just as likely to have them working for myself. 

Days like these  actually happen less often now I’m self-employed.  Maybe because I love my job.  Maybe because I’m the one that sets the pace and the workload.  Maybe because I’ve got better at motivating myself.  But there I was on Friday, listless and fed up and not knowing what to do. 

I’ve learnt that there really isn’t much point in trying to do anything substantial, because every task I do I’m likely to mess up.  Taking the afternoon off will mean I have to work over the weekend to catch up,  but that’s ok.  So here goes:  turn off the computer, down tools, shut the door…….

Here’s what I did instead !

Spotted a Sempervivum (House Leek) in flower in the garden.  IN FLOWER !  I’ve grown Sempervivums practically all my life, and I’ve never seen one in flower.  How can this be ! 

Made three loaves of bread – all different.  OK, so I do this twice a week, but it's still very satisfying.

Cooked up a batch of spinach – cheap in Leeds Market, needed using before it went off.  Was mesmerised by the sizzling !

Ate comfort food, read recipe books and watched crime drama on cable TV (yes, I confess, this is a bit of an addiction with me.  The comfort food AND the crime drama !  

OK, so no bags got made, no ranges got designed, no websites got tweeked, no photographs were taken, nor books updated.  But batteries were recharged and furrowed brows were smoothed.  All in all, not a bad way to spend an afternoon.