Yesterday I went to Blists Hill Victorian Town, which is one of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums. Blists Hill is a working Victorian town, where you can walk along the streets, with a horse and cart often passing by, go into the houses and talk to their owners as they tend a stove or darn some clothing, and pop into the shops on the high street to spend your shillings and halfpenny’s which can be exchanged in the bank.

I took so many photographs, and did so many wonderful things, but for the purpose of staying on topic for this blog, I’m going to talk solely of the drapers/outfitters shop, which was like stepping into a haberdashery of the past!

The drapers is situated on Canal Street, one of the newest additions to the site, and is filled to the brim with old sewing machines, reels of cotton and lace, wooden pegs, fine hats, servants aprons, and notice board filled with advertisements and leaflets of the era, 1900. I found it fascinating to be able to walk into the shop, exactly as it would’ve been over one hundred years ago, and look at how much things would’ve cost, and how they went about making and creating things.

I ended up buying six wooden pegs, a wooden pen and a pot of ink, some red sealing wax, and a seal, so over the next few days I’m going to try making and painting some Victorian peg people, and writing and sealing a vintage looking letter. If the peg people turn out nicely, I shall post a tutorial later in the week!

In other news, I’m exceptionally busy at the moment with my Victorian-Murder-Mystery themed band, Goodnight Astor, as our big album release is now in less than a month. As a result my blogging, and my Etsy shop, have gone a little quiet, but I assure you, that after the 4th of August, I shall once again be dedicating a huge part of my time to them, and will resume blogging and listing items regularly!