The new season of Bath Brocantes in Alice Park is upon us! You may remember that I paid a visit to the French-style market last summer and blogged about it, taking alarmingly intrusive pictures of charming organiser Katherine Gilmore‘s jacket in the process. I think she’s forgiven me.

The first brocante is tomorrow, 10am-4pm. I will be there! Do come and say hello!

Here is an action snap of me compiling Jubilympic-themed haberdashery and props (props are mostly also for sale).

Ric-rac & reels

You will note that no cotton reel is being left unturned in my quest for haberdashery relevance, such that the Sylko cotton reels above carry names like ‘Royal Gleam’, and (a nod to the Gallic nature of the event), ‘Napoleon’; this last one is a rare Sylko shade, btw, and I have three pristine reels to offer. I also have a slew of Cartier-Bresson cards of mending thread (repriser brillanté); funny that the famous photographer came from a family once even more famous for producing thread.

I’m unaccustomed to taking stalls at outdoor events. This one will be interesting because my would-be events table has been deployed by Scrapling Esquire as his AS revision desk. I can’t possibly deprive him of it now that he’s embarked on study leave and begins the dreaded exams next week. Therefore I’m resorting to other prop/display elements, with varying degrees of success. So far I have hauled out a lovely old French iron-framed cot (perfect for displaying vintage textiles) and I am currently blu-tacking haberdashery containers to the rungs of an old stepladder. Can’t decide whether I”m trying too hard or not enough; please come along and grade me (preferably in French) on my efforts. We will be located right next to the cafe.