At the bottom of the drawer where I rediscovered the beautiful Chinese silks, I also rediscovered three lovely fans that belonged to my Grandmother. These, too, I need to give away.
Fabulous feather fan
detail
detail
Category Archives: antiques
Embroidered Treasures
I’m doing more sorting and clearing and re-discovered these beautiful pyjamas. I can hardly believe these were in our dressing up box when I was growing up. I just loved them! They were brought home at some point by my Grandfather but sadly I don’t know where he had been or why. Perhaps my cousins will know….. The problem? What to do with them now? Who will love and appreciate them? Please click on any photo to see the detail and the caption.
Top 2
Top 1
Dressing gown
Dressing gown, detail
Pyjamas trousers
Hem detail
Dressing gown
Dressing gown, detail
Maya Angelou, Baking and Book Of Days
This photo came my way, taken at Glastonbury over the weekend.
I baked more Pressed Flower Biscuits toad and showed our lovely neighbour the Almanac in which I had found the recipe. She reminded me of the Book of Days from centuries ago that had the same quirky information.
I inherited a Book of Days, in two enormous volumes and dated 1869 and had forgotten how charming it was to dip into. Here is a an extract from June 28th.
I love how every detail of the treatment of the wool and the subsequent fabric are described and how the bet was won – and what a huge sum of money the bet was!
Stamps, Stones and A Sugar Spoon
Our Royal Mail has published some remarkable stamps to commemorate the Rolling Stones, The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World! We have bought two sets to send to our favourite people over the next year or two. Today we have posted two birthday cards with Stones’ stamps on them.
I have made more Eccles Cakes so that I could photograph all the processes for my recipe pages. (I’ll make that page soon. The lovely Mr S is going to be away for a few days next week having a new knee fitted so I will be looking for things to to do!) The last instruction is to sprinkle sugar over the tops and I used my Granny’s antique sugar spoon which we have used on pancake day since I was a little girl. 
Silver, Rose and Quirky Decorations
We are still sorting all the stuff from the Welsh dresser which is awaiting auction. This slender little vase that was once my Granny’s had been very neglected and the silver was black. Now it is shiny and beautiful and now contains our last rose, picked today before the next storm, Burra, arrives tomorrow.
I’m researching what the various marks mean.
Rehearsing with the Ingleheart Singers at the Eco park was fun as always. On the way out some of their quirky decorations amused me.
One Leaf, Many Leaves and A Welsh dresser
Just one leaf on this tree has turned and the others are not far behind.
Further along our walk, along Lovers’ Lane, the leaves were crunchy and delightful to walk through.
We are selling our beautiful Welsh dresser. We want something lighter and lower. The auction house tell us that it is from the time of George lll, an C18 piece but that it is worth little, sadly. It is however a piece full of the richness of memories for all four of us siblings and even our friends who knew it from our parents’ home. 
Chimney, Tree and Seed Packets
Driving from the re-cycling centre to the nursery to find a small evergreen tree for the front garden, we saw Killifreth Mine chimney in the distance. It is the only tall slender chimney of this shape in all the industrial leftovers of tin mining in Cornwall. It is truly beautiful.For more information look back at an earlier post https://mybeautfulthings.com/2020/06/15/todays-walk-to-killifreth/.
On our drive, we spotted a lone tree in a field.
We found the little tree we were looking for but I was more taken with some really lovely seed packets from Kew Gardens.
Treasures Found while Sorting
First in my discoveries was a wonderful photo, caught up with some modern ones, of my Grandparents in 1919. Here is my Grandfather, the Reverend Richards, on his beloved motorbike and with my Mum on his lap and my very lovely Granny in the sidecar with my Uncle.
Next I found a little book which turned out to be the Manchester University Student Union Handbook the year my Dad was President of the Union..
I love his address to the students where his principles are clearly on show. 
Lastly, for today, going through my sewing projects box, I found an unmade Clothkit for dungarees for a 2-4 year old. I never got around to making them but have a lovely young friend with a two year old. I asked her if she might like to make these for her little boy and she was delighted, saying she had grown up wearing Clothkit clothing herself. I am equally delighted to be helping her to carry on the family tradition. 
I look forward to seeing A in his smiley lion dungarees……..
Breakfast, Cut Flowers and A Painting
I had my waffle with maple syrup and blueberries this morning.
Our Sweet Peas are lovely and smell divine.
On the kitchen window sill
There’s a story behind this lovely painting of Truro Cathedral by F. Robson, possibly Featherstone Robson, 1880-1936.
The lovely Mr S and I met in late October 1966 while at college in South Yorkshire. I had come from Truro and Mr S from Acton, London. Walking through Acton in early January 1967 after being in London for a few days to meet his parents as we had just decided to get married, we spotted this painting in a second hand shop and it seemed like a sign! It can’t have been expensive but I can’t remember how much. We bought it and it has had pride of place ever since.
Kintsugi, Potting On and A Posy
Some years ago I learned of the Japanese art of kintsugi, the ancient art of mending broken pottery with gold, thus making the mended piece even more precious that it was when whole. Last year I broke a very precious green glass pot inherited from my Granny. It smells still of her powder as it contained powder and a puff which, as a little girl, I found quite fascinating. I was heartbroken and then found a kintsugi kit online! I mended the powder puff glass and an old serving dish that was broken some years ago. Today, needing a pot to plant up the rest of the Sweet Peas, we decided to mend an old terracotta pot inherited from my Mum which she had mended once but which had come apart at one of the joins. So, kintsugi into action again!
Granny’s glass
Small serving dish
Terracotta pot
Lots of little plants arrived earlier than expected and needed to be potted up so I spent a happy couple of hours doing just that in 9cm pots donated by our lovely neighbour, looking forward to a summer of beauty. These will all be going into pots on the steps.
I picked a beautiful little posy this evening.
