Weekend markets

We have a lot of charity shops right on our doorstep and I always make a point of dropping in to see what new items have been donated. Sometimes I am fortunate to find things from granny's attic, pre-printed embroidery sets totally intact which have usually never been even started, old reels of thread and other very collectible items.
A visit to various shops in St Ives on Saturday proved a great success. A rather worn but lovely old silver bowl with lion head handles (the roses are from my garden), crochet mats and a pre-printed tablecloth with lots of very lovely embroidery thread. The thread is very useful for all our embroidered bear clothing and Megan will definitely find a use for the fine linen tablecloth.

Today was the bank holiday boot market in the next village and we found a treasure trove of sewing items. A selection of vintage glass and mother of pearl buttons, threads and lace. An item of interest is strange 'twist pins' with decorative heads to be used for loose covers, these could be used to hold our table cover in place at bear fairs. We also found rayon seam binding, something which is extremely popular at the moment and a selection of cross stitch fabric. A most successful day!

The weather has finally changed and it is raining, good for the garden and all the seeds I have planted. Rather sad to report that the birds have eaten my first strawberry and raspberry! Our garden is proving a haven for a wide variety of birds as there is little food and water around at the moment, we have had endless hours of pleasure watching the birds feeding their babies. A rather nervous duck visited the garden today but she did not stay long. The duck population in our village has decreased considerably over the past few months, last year there were so many ducks and their babies. I have seen the moor-hens with their odd little babies, little balls of soot with long legs and webbed feed. The squirrels have discovered that if they hung upside down in the tree supported by their back legs they can empty the bird feeder very successfully.

Whilst visiting Stratford some weeks ago I found this small bronze hare named Blossom and I just could not resist this purchase, a sort of wedding anniversary gift to myself. The start of a new collection I think as she has various other siblings all named after flowers.
Several bears off to new homes and I have managed to complete some of my other little naked bears. I should have pictures to share by the end of the week.
Have a good week.

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. ~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce