Leader of Men

fall is for

Boots! I have a mild obsession with them.

 

 

 

Also, striped things. And crocodiles. Like this pretty and quirky necklace I bought from Paris shop Micro Cirque Rinka on Etsy.

preparing for the newest addiction

 

I've been idly considering purchasing a sewing machine lately, spurred by constant browsing of all the pretty textile items on Etsy, and by the temptation of being able to repair my own clothes when I snag them on door frames, towel racks, hacksaws, etc. Knowing absolutely squat about sewing (bobbin? what's a bobbin?) I sent out a few queries and was delighted when Etsy seller TheHaps let me know about a vintage machine she'd seen in a Vancouver thrift shop.

I was thrilled to discover the machine was still there, but less thrilled to discover that it weighed thirty thousand pounds and could not be moved without mechanical assistance. Not having a car, I am used to toting large unwieldy objects down busy sidewalks and alarming numerous passerby, but that was out of the question for this behemoth. After pondering on it for a while, I hit upon what seemed like a brilliant solution, and sweetly enquired of my local convenience store manager if I could borrow their wheeled moving dolly. Knowing his future Coca-cola sales hung in the balance, he willingly agreed.

     

Since it was 28C out today, and it was uphill the whole way home, this was a less brilliant solution than originally anticipated. By the time I lugged the thing back to my apartment I was exhausted, sweaty, and had competely smashed one finger in the elevator door. Nevertheless, I'm very excited at the prospected of having it cleaned, serviced, and put into use. I will never be bereft of pillowcases again.

I haven't been able to find out much about this particular model, however, and I would love to know anything I can about it, particularly its age. It says "Brother Project 631" on the front, and a plate on the motor casing says "Model C" and "642315-1RT". It came in a blue-and-white carrying case with a solid wood bottom, but no manual. If anyone knows any info, I'd be delighted to hear it.

a vintage tin with tasty added bonus

While grubbing about at the antiques fair last weekend I spied this badly beat-up tin tucked away on the bottom of a shelf. Despite its poor condition it had some great graphics and text, and when I looked a little closer I was delighted to discover it was a tin for "Nokorode" (no-corrode) soldering paste.  As I do some metalsmithing on occasion and greatly enjoy the mangling of common words for advertising purposes, I thought it would be a fun thing to have.

When I picked it up it felt strangely heavy, so I looked inside - it is still half-full of soldering paste! I don't know if soldering paste has an expiry date, but I don't think I'll try it anyway. And by try it, that means soldering or eating it.

It was made by the M.W. Dunton Company in Providence, Rhode Island, probably in the 1920s. M.W. Dunton was in business for nearly 100 years before being purchased and absorbed by Rectorseal in 1998. More info on M.W. Dunton is available here.

 

vintage ring boxes

One of my finds from Saturday's antique market: two vintage ring boxes, quite worn but still charming. One box reads "W.E. Watts Ltd, 25 St. James Street, Derby, Founded 1858", the other is unmarked. They look like leather but are some sort of light wood.

Moonstone and citrine rings from Leader of Men.

the easter bunny was good to me

I spent a lovely Easter weekend doing all sorts of things, none of which were things I was supposed to be doing. Sunday's weather was miserable, cold and wet and windy, so naturally I decided venture outside to take a bus for an hour across town to visit a chair. And said chair ended up coming home with me, being cheap and of loose virtue.

Here she is:

Before anyone who is a fan of midcentury modern design starts squealing loudly and wakes up the cat, this is not the classic 1956 Eames lounge chair. This chair is an Eames-style lounge by another MCM company called Plycraft. Not quite the same cache, but still a great vintage find and without the ridiculous four-figure price tag. I picked this up for $200 CAN including taxes and delivery, which for you American folks is about $5 plus a Twinkie.

The leather is in rough shape with some fading and a couple of small tears, but eventually I will have it reupholstered. The wood is in good condition and the swivel and tilting mechanisms work flawlessly. It is also dangerously comfortable. As if I needed another reason to avoid fresh air and the outside world. It is also dangerously sexy. Sitting in this chair is like beer goggles; everyone looks better with it on. Bunnies too.

everyone should wear robots

 

I was excited to receive several packages in the mail yesterday, one of which was this utterly adorable fabric button ring from Melissa Abram, featuring a little retro-style robot.

 

I love the fact that he has a) a nose, and b) a clock. And that he is looking sideways. What is he looking at? A hot girl robot? Some tasty grommets? Who knows? He's a mysterious robot who's always on time.

I'm also rather partial to this little guy with the pointy Tin Man hat and wind-up key. He looks like he's going places, and I like a robot with ambition. If you're looking for a robot of your own, Melissa has plenty more, including robot bobby pins and hair elastics as well as rings (and other cute images if robots aren't your thing).

green aventurine

I'm usually not a fan of green aventurine, but I could not resist these luscious 16mm rounds.

These are a good deal more transparent than much of the green aventurine I've seen, and have dense mica inclusions. Their colour is closer to grass-green than the typical dull aventurine green and very intense. Mmm, juicy.