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Sunday 4 November 2012

BUTTONS AND BOWS

Good Morning to you,

Tins, tins and more tins...... that is what I have in my sewing room and I love them.
 
I use tins to store my beads.  I use tins to store my embroidery threads and ribbons. I use tins to store  my collection of buttons. I use tins to keep my little pieces of material neat and tidy and I use tins to put all my "this and that's" in.



So you see......I have a lot of tins!

I have beautifully intricately designed tins, which I bought in India, which twinkle in the light and I have Christmas tins which I display at Christmas time. The thing they all have in common is, they  are all beautiful  to the eye. I enjoy looking at them and remembering where each tin came from, whether it is a person or a place.
 
Ivy also had tins. There was one tin,  where  she kept her tea leaves. Well we didn't call it a tin, it was called a tea caddy, but it was made of tin. The outside of the tea caddy was decorated with a beautiful Chinese design. The colours were gold and dark green and I thought it was gorgeous. 
 
When Ivy made tea, she would open the tin and let me smell the contents....I wasn't impressed, as the smell of tea leaves just didn't sit well with me, I remember thinking they were smelly and why would such smelly tea leaves be kept in such a beautiful tea caddy.
 
Now when Gramps opened the Cocoa tin and let me smell the contents that was a whole different story!
 
Ivy also had a biscuit barrel which was made of tin and this tin had a handle, which I thought was wonderful. This wasn't like other tins, for me the handle turned it into something special. This biscuit barrel could be picked  up by the handle. I remember, I used to pretend it was a handbag and would carry it as Ivy would carry her handbag.  When it was time to have a biscuit, Ivy would ask me to get the biscuit barrel from the sideboard and put it on the table.  When she had poured the tea from the teapot into the cups, I knew it was almost time for the biscuit barrel to be opened, to allow the sweet smell of the biscuits to permeate the air, which in turn would "tickle" my taste buds. My hand was poised, waiting for permission to open the tin, ready to dive in.  Remember this was the 1950's and sweet food wasn't eaten as it is today, it was made into an occasion.... hence tea and biscuits.

As a small child, the choice of biscuits seemed  endless, but we were always told you could only pick the biscuits from the top of the biscuit barrel. So if you spied a biscuit that you fancied and it was under the top layer, that biscuit was not for you. I remember once I tried to shake the biscuit barrel in the hope that the biscuit I fancied would come to the top of the barrel, but I was told this wasn't good manners as I would break the other biscuits.... oh well, I did try. You were then left with the hope that someone else didn't choose it and that it would be there the next time you were allowed to choose a biscuit to eat. It never was because someone else always seemed to "bag" the best biscuit.
 
The tin I am going to show you was given to me as a gift and it was full of the loveliest liquorice toffees. The toffees are long gone, they were eaten and enjoyed, but the tin remains, which for me is an ideal gift. It is really like a double gift, as you enjoy the contents but the tin remains. Each time I use this tin, I always think of the person who gave me the gift.



I use this one to transport my sewing bits and pieces to my sewing group. It's just large enough to fit small pieces of work, such as the hearts which I am cross stitching.

The top of the tin is covered with spring flowers and do you see the  price of the flowers,
 
 6d for a bunch of daisies,
6d for a bunch of daffodils
There isn't a price for the tulips, they must have been too expensive to show the price.
Again, no price for the roses, oh dear again too expensive.
8d for a bunch of sunflowers (a bit pricier)
and finally,
6d for a bunch of irises
 
The price of these bunches of flowers was in the days of pounds, shillings and pence, so 6d was half a shilling.....if only the prices were the same, I could enjoy a bunch of flowers in every room in my home.
 
 

 Every side of the tin is decorated with  flowers. Mainly spring flowers. Look at these beautiful sunflowers, now wouldn't these brighten your day, when it was dark and gloomy.


 Not a bunch of flowers, oh no tulips in a big enamel bucket....see the wooden handle, you don't see many of these around nowadays.


I love this old watering can which is perfectly placed to water the beautiful blue irises. I used to own a watering can like this, but when you move as much as we have in our life, some things just have to go, but I have the image on this tin to remind me.


 This tin just keeps me smiling, with the daisies and sunflowers.



 .....and more tulips but this time red and pink. It is still Autumn, but this tin reminds me that when Spring returns, so will all my spring bulbs.


 ....and finally this huge bunch of daisies sitting in half a barrel.

 And so we have it, my perfect little sewing tin, which I carry with me here, there and everywhere.
 
I must confess, I do have a large sewing basket which I have had for over 35 years, it does show it's age, but I love it, one day I will show you this basket and share it's  contents with you.

What do you prefer, do you have a little tin with your sewing equipment placed neatly inside, or do you have a large sewing basket, or like me, do you have both.

This week I shall be joining,

Take care and I will see you later in the week.
 
Best Wishes
 
 
Daphne xxx

 

33 comments:

  1. Lindas latas e recordações das antigas latas de cacau e doces...Adorei! beijos,chica

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Chica, Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my little sewing tin. Best Wishes Daphne

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  2. I love your tin Daphne,
    it is beautiful.

    I'm not a collector of tins (just as well
    because I seem to hoard everything else)!!

    I only have one tin and it is pretty
    but contains old receipts, tickets etc
    nothing as lovely as your beads and threads.

    Wishing you a lovely week Daphne

    Fiona

    ps just wondering did you get any more snow?
    I hope we don't get it,
    maybe Christmas Eve for a night or so
    but other than that!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Fiona, I know what you mean, you have to be careful with collecting as it can easily turn into hoarding. No, you'll be pleased to know the snow has gone, which is a relief, but I hear that they had snow in the South West of England yesterday. Talking about snow at Christmas Eve, we had a falling of snow on Christmas Eve 3 years ago and it was magical for the children (big and small alike). Trouble is it stayed for 2 weeks. Oh well you can't have everything. Enjoy your week Fiona. Best Wishes Daphne

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  3. I use little tins to store sewing notions in also. And I also use preserving jars which allows me to see what is inside.

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    Replies
    1. Good Morning Linda, I love the term sewing notions. Good idea using glass jars as you can spot what you want in a moment. Enjoy your day. Best Wishes Daphne

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  4. This tin is lovely. What a great way to store all the small everyday items you need to sew.
    Donna @ onceuponasewingmachine.com

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    Replies
    1. Good Morning Donna, Yes, tins are really useful and look lovely sitting on a shelf. I love re-using things. Thank you for visiting me. Best Wishes Daphne

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  5. Oh Daphne, I love your tin! So pretty with the embossed flowers. I have a small fabric case to carry my sewing supplies with me and then a very large, unsightly sewing basket that stays at home hidden. LOL Thank you for sharing your wonderful stories...I think I would have snuck down in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, to grab that biscuit you wanted so badly. Have a lovely day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Debbie, I'm so pleased you enjoyed reading the stories. It's interesting how we all use different containers to carry our sewing items. Your fabric case sounds perfect. Yes, like yours, my old sewing basket isn't the prettiest but she has been with me a long time and I can't bear to part with her. I found it interesting thinking back to when I was a little girl, as today we are surrounded by so many sweet things,which we can eat, when and where we want, but back in the 50's the sweet treats were an occasion and they were really enjoyed. Have a lovely day today. Best Wishes Daphne

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  6. Hallo Daphne!Your tin is fantastic!!I love it!Ant the other tins must be beautiful like this!Thank you for your comment!I was at a trip away from home,and the hotels internet was not good!Wish you a lovely week my dear!]
    Dimi..

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    Replies
    1. Kalimara Dimi, Hope you had a lovely trip away and I hope the rain didn't spoil your trip. Glad you liked my tin, I thought you would as it is very colourful and I noticed in your decoupage you enjoyed bright colours. Enjoy your day Dimi. Best Wishes Daphne

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  7. You tell a story so beautifully, Daphne. I can picture you as a little girl, swinging the tin and pretending it was your purse.

    Although I haven't participated in it, Claudia at "Mockingbird Hill Cottage" (in the United States) has a fairly new link-up once a week about favourite things and I was thinking how your post would be perfect for it. In case you're interested, her link is as follows: http://mockingbirdhillcottage.com/2012/11/a-favorite-thing-10/

    Wishing you a lovely week,
    Karen

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    Replies
    1. Good Morning Karen, Thank you so much, I loved Ivy's biscuit barrel, I would like to say it was for the design, but I'm sure if I was honest, it was because of the contents. Thank you for letting me know about Claudia, I read your comment and joined Claudia last night. I hope all is well with you, take care, Best Wishes Daphne

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  8. I love your tin - it's so charming! How can you help but smile when looking at it? Your stories of tins and biscuits and tea caddies are delightful, Daphne! Thanks so much for joining in this week! It's nice to meet you!

    xo
    Claudia


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Claudia, Thank you so much. Karen from My Little Home and Garden told me about you and I was so happy to join in the fun. It is lovely to meet you aswell. Have a lovely week. Best Wishes Daphne

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  9. I am like you...I have my big stash, and my little carry on. The tin you have looks so cute and cheerful!

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    Replies
    1. Good Morning Daniela, I think most people are like you and me, they own one small organiser and then another larger one. Glad you liked the tin, yes it really makes me smile. Best Wishes Daphne

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  10. Hi Daphne

    This is one of the prettiest tins I've ever seen! The details and colors in the flowers are beautiful. I can see why you love and treasure it. It really is a wonderful keepsake. I have soem favorite tins that Ive owned for many years. Most once had cookies in them, (what we call biscuits in thr US), and I now use them to store various things such as cookie cutters, buttons, packets of falvorings and spices, tea bags, etc.

    Thank you for all your kind wods of support for the Hurrican Sandy victims. I have been voluteering at a temporary shelter for people that lost their homes. It is wonderful to see how many people are helping and donating goods that are needed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Pat, You can buy some beautiful biscuit tins nowadays and what a good idea to store spices in them, as I believe they are supposed to be stored in the dark.

      It is so sad to see how many families have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. People are so kind aren't they. We all have so much nowadays that we can all afford to donate items which are needed. By volunteering at a temporary shelter, you are really making a difference to the families who have suffered. When something like this happens, it really puts things into perspective and makes us realise what is truly important. Take care and best wishes to you, Daphne

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  11. Oh Daphne, that tin is just adorable! I love the embossed flowers.

    I just tagged you and I hope you play along.
    http://ouroldhomestead.blogspot.com/2012/11/taggednothing-else.html

    Have a wonderful day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning Debbie, Thank you so much, the embossed flowers are lovely aren't they. Thank you for tagging me, I shall pop over and take a look and see what I have to do. I have never been tagged before, so this will be interesting. Enjoy your day. Best Wishes Daphne

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  12. these tins are absolutely beautiful!! I love them so Much!!xo

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    1. Good Afternoon Gloria, I am so pleased you enjoyed the photos of my sewing tin. They are very pretty aren't they. Have a lovely day Gloria, Best Wishes Daphne

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  13. Son amante de las flores tus flores son muy hermosas eres una verdadera artista,abrazos hugs,hugs.

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    Replies
    1. Good Afternoon Rosita, The flowers are very pretty on the tin, they make me smile on a day like today which is grey and dreary. Enjoy your day. Best Wishes Daphne

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  14. Hi Daphne,
    I love tins too :) I have many I use also to hold my crochet hooks, buttons, ribbons and many other things. One tin I have had since I was a very little girl. Yours are so pretty I really enjoyed seeing them, a very lovely post.
    Have a sweet day, Elizabeth

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  15. Good Evening Elizabeth, Oh yes, I can imagine tins are very good to store crochet hooks. How lovely to have a tin from when you were a little girl. Do you remember who gave you it, I bet you do.
    Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this post. Have a lovely day. Best Wishes Daphne

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  16. Hello Daphne! Kalispera!!!!
    What a gorgeous tin you have showed us! I don't doubt you love it so much and carry it with you on you sewing lessons!
    I also love tins and I have some nice ones, tea tins, biscuit tins, etc...and, as you say, they always remind me of the persons who gave them to me over the years!
    Thank you for your lovely posts! I enjoy reading them very much!
    All the best!
    Marie-Anne

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  17. Your flower tin is beautiful, Daphne. I love decorative tins too. I use them to hold nails, thumbtacks, sewing notions, paperclips, pen nibs. The larger tine I use for my knitting supplies and (of course) to store cookies after I bake them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Evening to you, Tins have so many uses don't they and the bonus is they are so lovely to look at. I found a lovely small round biscuit tin yesterday with Dutch ladies on it it....and I love it. Years ago tins were very popular, but I don't think they are as much now, so it's lovely to meet another "tin" person. Thank you for visiting. Best Wishes Daphne

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  18. Hello Daphne,
    Thank you for coming by my blog and becoming a new follower. I dare say I LOVE your blue plaid chair!! Your home is so cheerful.
    I was just at a thrift store where they had loads of tins, you would have loved it.
    Treasures from friends do make life a blessing.

    GOD bless you and keep you all safe.

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    Replies
    1. Good Evening Tammy, Thank you for your kind comment about my home and plaid chair. I love the chair as it is big and cosy and just the right size to curl up and read a book. I wish I could have accompanied you on your thrift store trip as I would love to have seen the tins you found. I love thrifting myself and am always amazed at what people will discard, but having said that, I have just remembered the saying, "one man's rubbish is another man's treasurer! and that is certainly true. Have a lovely day today, Best Wishes Daphne

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Dear Friends,

It is so wonderful to know you enjoy reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it.

Best wishes to you.

Daphne

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