new listings: vintage fabric laundry bags

Pouch currently has a number of vintage fabric laundry bags listed here

Made with repurposed, vintage fabric, they come in three designs:
Flower meadow drawstring laundry bag
Harvest berries drawstring laundry bag
and
Cotton candy drawstring laundry bag

Brighten up your wash-day with these pretty laundry bags

Vintage find: wooden coat hanger

All of Pouch’s peg bags are made with vintage wooden coat hangers. One of the nice things about working with vintage materials is the fact that they have a history. Many of the coathangers I use have initials carved onto them, or names of hotels stamped into the wood. It all adds to the charm and I’m often intrigued by their history.

Often, vintage items can provide a snapshot of times gone by and this coat hanger is a perfect example. I found it amongst my collection and was fascinated by the still intact price label.



Not only does it show the now bankrupt Woolworths company’s logo, it shows a dual price with the pre-decimalisation and post-decimalisation figure.
Decimalisation took place before I was born, so the pounds and pence prices are second nature to me, but I can only imagine how confusing the switch must have been for people in the early 1970s



It’s also sad to think that Woolworth’s shops no longer exist. Founded in the 1920s, Woolworths was a popular fixture on high streets across the UK.

Woolworths was also responsible for creating and selling many household items that have since become collectable. In particular the Homemaker range. Designed in 1957 by Enid Seeney, Homemaker pottery was once made for the masses and sold cheaply by Woolies both in the US and UK.


Image curtesy of the Kay Loves Vintage Blog

A victim of the recent financial climate, the final Woolworths stores shut down in 2008. It was sad to see them go. Many people, including myself, can remember that a trip to Woolies to get pick n’ mix or to buy the latest 7 inch vinyl single was an essential part of a Saturday morning shop!



Having said that, it appears Woolworths is rising from the ashes in an online format. Take a look at Woolworths online to find out more!

Vintage find: Salter kitchen scales

I guess this isn't strictly a 'find' as these Salter Scales were kindly given to me by my Gran a few weeks ago, but I love them so much I had to include it on the blog!

They date from around 1945, when my Gran was newly married. She started married life in an austere, post-war Britain where home cooking and being thrifty was second nature to most women.



As you can see from the photos, these scales were well used by my Gran. She used to set aside one day a week to bake. This was a very common thing for post-war housewives to do as there was very little, if any, convenience food in the shops. So if you wanted a pie, a pudding or a cake, you had to make it from scratch.

Apart from the timeless design of the scales, I love the fact that my Gran was so fond of them.

It's nice to know that she cooked food for her family using these scales every week. It's a tradition I hope to continue with my own family.

New listing: Lavender rabbit in zesty orange

I've been working on some lavender rabbits in two new colourways.
This bunny is made with one of my favourite vintage fabrics.
It features a retro floral pattern in shades of zesty orange and lemon yellow.



Each rabbit is made from recycled, vintage fabric
Its ears are filled with chemical-free, French lavender
Lavender makes a great eco-friendly alternative to conventional moth balls which are full of hazardous chemicals



I will be listing another new colorway soon, in turquoise and aqua blue, watch this space for details ;)