Wow! What a weekend! I had an amazing time at the fair, despite the best sabotaging efforts of my cold virus. The Guildhall makes a wonderfully sedate, genteel, rather wedding-cakey backdrop (I’ve attended a wedding in that very room, now I come to think of it), and Becky and Catherine did a great job organising everything – as well as their own stalls. I tip my imaginary bonnet to them both. My experience of fairs isn’t vast, but this seems to be an extremely good-natured and genial one.

The view from my stall

I had the same spot as in July, which was somehow reassuring, and found myself next to Faith Barber of Something Fabulous again, and her luscious display of jewel-coloured capelets, purses, corsages and slips.

I was trying to get some height into my display and also leave some air between my items (I have the same problem when I put together a publication – the urge to inform tends to crowd every corner) . The fake goose-feather trees were perfect for that. Something possessed me to obtain two sets – a green one and a white one, so I decided (rashly) that a change of colour between the Saturday and the Sunday would be a good idea. I went from trad Christmas green/red Saturday to more girly pink/pearly white on the Sunday. You’re obviously looking at my pinky-white Sunday garb above.

I wanted a banner, and possibly something bunting-ish. I didn’t have time to make the latter, but did my Make Do & Mend version of the former with plain printed letters on thin card pegged to an impromptu laundry line slung from some old wooden stepladders (handy for displaying vintage scarves and eiderdowns). A friend laughed like a drain when I pointed out what might have happened if the S and final four letters (i, a, n &  a) had slipped from their pegs… Happily, I was spared such a Ratner moment. It was possibly just a bit too Steptoe & Son, or Open All Hours (especially the paint-spattered platform of my taller ladder), but no matter. I even had a Granville turning up periodically (i.e. my ten-year-old son) to “help” me (i.e. look bored and pester me for money to buy vintage garb from the other stallholders).

Lots of friendly faces turned up to grace me with their custom (you know who you are – thank you heartily!), and virtual friends came too – I was surprised how many times the phrase “I follow you on Twitter!” was uttered. One of the most gratifying compliments was the blog-reader who said: “Your stuff looks just like it does in the pictures!” – i.e. just as good. I do love to meet new people and natter, usually about the current state of darning, or what was in their grandma’s button box, or the beauty and tactile pleasure of wooden cotton reels, or almost anything else, really. So I was in my element.

I’m having trouble loading pictures onto my blog today – perhaps my server has a cold too – but more pictures of my stall (and Faith’s adorable capelets) can be found amongst my Flickr pics here. Becky’s Flickr photos have quite a few shots of my stall too.

PS To the gentleman who, I think, bought a packet of buffalo buttons but left them behind, do get in touch and I’ll mail them to you.