I do not have a true vintage kitchen as the one original to the house was not salvageable. Some of the houses in our neighborhood still have their original forty year old kitchens but many do not. For us the decision was made for us as the original builder's kitchen was of inferior quality(compared to other features of the house) and was truly falling apart. I do have quite a few utensils and decorative items that are at least as old as the house. I have already posted about some of my vintage cookbooks and will certainly feature more. This latest book, Food in History is supplementary reference to my older cookbooks as well as to the understanding of the importance of food preparation in our history. The cache pot has a sticker Töpferhof -Keramik HANDARBEIT DDR Römhild. Its simple mid-century designs will work well with the red accents in my kitchen.
The tin is marked Fortnum and Mason with the Royal Warrant and probably held biscuits. I like store food in tins or glass when possible and find the autumnal roses charming. My vintage kitchen has many aprons and this is my newest. I love the use of the gingham, ric-rac and orange accent stitching.
The pocket is especially detailed edged with the ric-rac and orange stitching and with the pleating using the check of the fabric (click on the photo to show the details). I have several chicken scratch gingham aprons which I will blog about but this apron has the most interesting use of gingham and ric-rac I have ever seen.
This tablecloth is my latest in my vintage collection. Like our grandmothers, I enjoy a fresh tablecloth in the kitchen and love the homey look it brings. I have a classic eat-in kitchen where the kitchen table is the heart of our home. Changing the tablecloth really gives the kitchen a new look with each colour scheme and pattern. This pattern reminds me of the graphics in my fifties and early sixties cookbooks and I know that I remember seeing wallpaper like it when I was a kid. Using a cheery tablecloth is vintage homemaking idea that is worth bringing back. Soon I will share my vintage utensils and cookbooks with more aprons and tablecloths.
My sewing room has welcomed a new tool: a Rowenta Pro Iron! My trusty T-fal is still working but I was getting a little worried as it gets used a lot. The T-fal is fairly light weight which is perfect for garment care. Sewing can benefit from a heavier iron that produces a lot of steam. I have had a few irons in my years of home keeping and have been disappointed with some of them. Many of the more recent models do not seem to get hot enough and almost all of them have an auto shut-off. The Professional model Rowenta is designed for sewers with one of its best features being its lack of auto shut-off. It gets nice and hot and produces a lot of steam. 
Unfortunately, so far all I have had time to use it for is ironing some of my vintage linen tablecloths like this rosy one. It works very well for linen but its weight would deter me from using it for all my ironing. 
The reason for the new iron's lack of use in the sewing room is due to the combination of my children's many activities and the effect of certain flu symptoms dancing through the family. This virus seems to come back to haunt you just when you think that you are feeling better. While I have been under the weather, I have been very thankful for a well organized bedside table well stocked with all you need when needing extra rest: favourite books and magazines, carafe and glass of water, tissues, lovely porcelain flower-shaped tea light, pen holder and basket with lip balm, hand cream and a thermometer. Extra pillows, a reading shawl and my lap top allow me to be inspired by all of the creativity out in blog land.
