Good morning!
I thought during this time when we’re all social distancing and self-isolating that it might be good to tell you about some of the more interesting websites I’ve come across lately.
The first is called The Swagman’s Daughter and it’s run by a lovely lady named Leonore in the UK. She spends her days emptying out vintage warehouses and selling the treasures she finds at local markets and through her website. Even if you’re not buying at the moment, it’s a great place to spend a couple of hours browsing.
I don’t have any affiliation with the business, but I have ordered from her in the past and I adore some of the things she has listed. And it’s not just haberdashery, she also has vintage fashion magazines and early 20th century French postcards, old ordinance maps, toys from the 60s and 70s, art deco jewellery and much more!
Let me show you two of my favourite purchases from her…
But…a question before you scroll any further – how many of you know what this is? Can you guess by the colours?
It’s a box of hosiery mending threads from the 1940s! Stockings were obviously a huge deal back in the day and women went to great pains to repair them.
I bought multiple boxes – one to use, one to keep, and a couple to give away. The threads are in brilliant new condition and gloriously smooth to sew with. Can you believe they’re 80 years old?
I love the subtle colour variations…
And on the topic of hosiery, I also bought this wonderful wooden darning egg, also from the 1940s. It comes complete with a little latch hook to repair ladders…
I think Leonore’s prices are extremely fair, especially given that many of her items are one-offs. She ships worldwide and sends everything out in recycled packaging!
Just to give you a feel for pricing, the box of threads cost £4 and the darning egg was £5 (the egg isn’t on her website so you have to email her if you’re interested in one).
Hope you have as much fun exploring her site as I’ve had! ♥
PS. I did warn you yesterday that vintage haberdashery was my new collecting passion!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What a gorgeous time-waster Leonore’s site is – perfect for the current climate! Thank you for sharing.
What a lovely find! I’ve never seen a darning egg before. Mom always had a darning “mushroom” for socks and stockings. It was of glass and looked just like a mushroom.
The darning threads look perfect. Hard to believe they are so old. I love the printing on the old boxes and packaging from years ago. I’m looking forward to your next vintage haberdashery post! I’ve missed your posts these last few months.🙂🙂
I remember my father using a similar tool for darning his socks. The website is fascinating, thank you for the suggestion.
Thank you! I also collect vintage haberdashery, can’t wait to check out her website
What a fantastic find. I can see I will spend many hours on her site.
Thank you for the memories. I had an image of my dear Aunt sitting at her kitchen table darning ladies’ laddered stockings for a living.
It must have been in the late 1940s or early 1950s as her trade was made redundant when ‘nylons’ became more common.
Aunt would collect her work from a haberdashery store in her suburb of Mortdale, Sydney, and return the completed stockings to collect her pay.
I used to be so impressed; she never left any sign of the darn! I was mesmerised. Aunt’s work was flawless. She was so special to me. Jackie
When I was studying at the Sydney Conservatorium in the late ’60s my piano teacher would sometimes ask me to drop off or collect silk stockings to be mended at DJ’s store on Elizabeth Street. I wonder how long they did that for.
I recently bought one of those vintage wooden cantilevered sewing boxes at a car boot sale. The box alone was worth the money, but imagine my delight when I opened it up and it was full of vintage threads, still with their pristine labels, on wooden reels. It really is addictive, isn’t it?
I’ve been lucky to pick up a collection of vintage threads on wooden spools at a local op shop – voila, plastic-free thread for the new skill of mending I’m (trying) to learn. Also found online a vintage wooden darning mushroom! and of course I’m always on the lookout for vintage knitting needles – so I totally get your delight at this find, Celia – thanks for sharing the joy (and the history lesson!) :) Cheers, Sally
How interesting Celia. I am not a sewer or maker in that regard but I do appreciate these lovely things x
Wow amazing site, thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for sharing. Can’t wait to take a look! My Mum had a ‘button box’…. a collection I have continued. A means of recycling/reusing!
The mending threads are quite dark colours aren’t they? My father-in-law was a great buyer of junk and I discovered a darning egg and mushroom in his shed when we cleared it out. I don’t suppose he ever used them, but I’ve made great use of both. Great website link – I’m particularly drawn to the Country Joys drawing book. x
Wow – I can’t believe how old those threads are and still in such good condition.
Also just to say, it’s so delightful to be reading your daily posts, Aunty Celia :) At a time when things are a tad stressful at the moment, I’ve really appreciated your blog as a space to stop thinking about work for a time – and find these fun rabbit holes to tumble down.
x
Thank you for your wonderful posts.
I was thinking about the threads being 80 years old, but then read Hwa’s comment – perfect, no need to say more
beautiful web site, I’ve indulged, those caesine buttons are gorgeous
This is great Celia especially as I live in the Uk. I have an old wooden darner of my mother’s I treasure. We used it as an object from yesteryear at a daycentre for people with dementia. Wonderful to enjoy your posts again x
Wow, what a treasure trove of delights! Thank you for sharing.