This weekend I went on a lovely rummage.

As you may remember, Hopkinson is a fantastic old building near Nottingham station, with four fabulous floors crammed to the gills with vintage and handmade stuff. It’s where I picked up my “Golden Hands Encyclopedia of Dressmaking”.

Hopkinson is the closest thing in Nottingham to pure heaven as far as I’m concerned. It even has a café!

Anyway, on Saturday the whole family was on a mission to buy birthday presents.

And as we were parked nearby I somehow managed to wangle a rummage whilst we were at it. Clever me!

And what treasures lay within…

I stopped collecting tin trays some time ago as the price just rocketed.

But then I saw this lovely pink number for £3.50…

Chatting to Wendy from Ticking Stripes whilst at the cash desk, we speculated that we both thought it was designed by Pat Albeck, although it is unsigned.

I had already browsed through Wendy’s wares and picked up this lovely blue fabric fat quarter…

My next indulgence was a 1960s pattern.

Yes, I know I have had certain sizing frustrations with vintage patterns, but with this one that shouldn’t be an issue!

Now you may be wondering, or you may not, what that funny twig-like thing was doing sticking out of the top of my shopping bag.

That, my friends, is destined for my stall. I have been looking for one of these for months. They used to sell them in Ikea, but they were discontinued many moons ago.

Ebay has not proven fruitful in my quest. I have found only one on sale, and that was orange. And the seller would not post it.

So I think I paid a little over the odds for this one, as I got slightly over-excited when I saw it.

I think it was actually part of the shopkeeper’s display – and they didn’t really want to part with it. But I smiled my best smile and waited patiently whilst a price was sought and then swallowed hard and quietly said “yes, that’s fine.”

It was worth it just not to ever have to browse glumly through ugly jewellery display stands again.(All that curly-wurly, cutesy-wootsey, shabby chic-ery and padded suedette – oh my eyes! my eyes!)

I think my pendants will look quite nice hanging from it. Maybe I’ll give it a little makeover. Maybe not.

Anyway, it’s an investment.

I’ll show you the other goodies peeping out of my bag tomorrow…♥