Following the trail...

On my first full day in Edinburgh, I set off with full treasure hunting kit: my Clover Cottage bag (with plenty of other cloth carriers inside), my mum's vintage map of Edinburgh (this is not an affectation, it is just the map she found me in a drawer!) and the first of the Charity Shop maps - Stockbridge! This area of Edinburgh is known as a wonderful place for charity shopping. I ticked off the shops as I came to them. Two had closed, but everything else was accurate.

I found a modest but pleasing haul: two fat quarters from a bargain box, a pretty necklace and a few MOP buttons.My moment of discovery came when the St John's Ambulance Book Shop was actually open! I've been past many times, as this is my normal hunting ground in Edinburgh, but it's not often open. This battered but superb book should please the boys - Ben and I both adored the Adventure series when we were their age.My mum also remembers loving it, but it wasn't new, even then...Another vintage Enid Blyton should give the boys a proper taste of what the characters look like - I'm annoyed by the modern reinterpretations.I also got two other books that should get my boys, and my pupils, reading...
So this is the Stockbridge treasure:Yesterday I looked up as I walked between shops and was given the chance to think on Higher Things!I started at Castle Street, in the wonderful Self Aid Society craft shop. I cannot praise this shop too highly. Amazingly, Jackie, my fellow 'nearly Edinburgh' blogger, was in their yesterday too, but we didn't meet. So near and yet so far! I had the brainwave of looking for some teacosies for my garden party. The choice was endless...
Is this actually Cath Kidston, or does it just look like it? There are at least five more in the shop, ladies...This traditional teacosy has already been useful, as it matches my mother's teapot and kitchen perfectly. It's still coming home with me, though.Leaving the New Town and heading up past Greyfriar's Bobby, my feet started aching as I headed for the charity shops. I resolved to buy myself a more sensible pair of shoes in the first charity shop I came to, and now am the proud owner of a pair of very pink trainers!

I was following the Old Town charity shop map, which takes the shopper into student territory. I found this lovely piece of Sandersons fabric, which is the same design as the glazed blue one I've used for many projects - I bought the blue as an offcut in the 1980s. This is my old friend reinterpreted with a white background.Some charity shops looked bemused at the idea of stocking buttons, but others had a few pleasing sets:And two had proper button boxes! Oh, the delight... This tiny one was right at the bottom of the last button tin.
In the same shop I found another 1930s piece.

How summery!

If we can dodge rain showers, my mum and I are going for a walk in the Botanic Gardens tomorrow morning (they have free wheelchairs, which is really helpful), and I'll aim to polish off another segment of the Charity Shop map in the afternoon!