What Vintagey things do you like doing?

[Marzena]

This question is about arts and skills that used to be commonplace, but now have become rare.
I know many of you can sew, knit, crochet, but do you also engage in other things of the past? Like, perhaps, do you sing madrigals? Play piano? Or sing in a choir? join debating societies? Or others?
On my part I do ice skating, and am a member of a book discussion club. Not much, I know. Perhaps we could inspire each other with new ideas?

 

[Nine]

I'm studying Law, I guess that's pretty vintage! Seriously though, I make jams and preserves and bake cakes and all that sort of thing. I just need a pretty apron to do it in!

 

[Katinka von K.]

Hm, let´s see. I cook (which seems to be totally out of style so I count that one in), bake my own bread, around christmas and birthdays I also make cakes and cookies. Sometimes I sew and knit things. And I just started doing linocut to get away from working digital all day long. But I guess that´s about it

 

[AdrianLvsRocky]

I drink lots of gin! Does that count?

Seriously though, my main "hobby" is socialising and watching bands/ listening to rock music which can hardly be considered vintage.

I do, however, bake occassionally and I cook every day. I also crochet and embroider a little but not very well and not very often.

I suppose the most vintagey thing I like doing is minding my Ps & Qs and trying to be polite and dignified on all occassions (except maybe those nights on the gin watching rock bands! )

 

[Marzena]

I drink lots of gin! Does that count?

I suppose the most vintagey thing I like doing is minding my Ps & Qs and trying to be polite and dignified on all occassions (except maybe those nights on the gin watching rock bands! )

If gin comes with tonic, then, sure it is a vintagey thing.
As to Ps and Qs - one could go far and do worse!

Interestingly, cooking does seem to evolve into a vintage pastime.

 

[sheeplady]

Hmmm... I cook and bake a dessert every week (I do batch cooking so I cook all day Saturday and we eat that dish/ dessert all week). I sew and alter clothing one night a week. I do thread crochet (doilies mostly) or spin/ felt wool for an hour each night. I make all of our gifts that we give to family and friends. I clean, although not often enough or well enough, and I iron our clothes. I also do work around the house- I paint, strip paint, strip wallpaper, etc.

I garden and put up a good portion of our food each year. I also try to be very thrifty with things, so I spend a lot of my time turning used and worn out items into other things. One of my last projects was turning old shirts into napkins, I'll be making some rag rugs with old jeans next year.

I'm working on a degree so I don't have all the time I would like.

 

[C-dot]

I love to make things, too. I have a couple of established hobbies I'm adept at: I've been knitting since I was a wee'un - toys, hats, socks, sweaters and the like. I've done a fair amount of cross stitching too, and have been told I'm handy in the baking department.

As for new hobbies, I've started dressmaking, which is very vintage and lots of fun. I hope to get much better at it.

 

[angeljenny]

I love baking and am learning to garden too. I can cross stitch and have just started learning to knit. Planning on learning embroidery, crochet and cooking too. Oh and sewing and dressmaking.

I have pen pals too and love writing cards and letters by hand and getting post!

 

[Marzena]

Sheeplady - you remind me of my Mom. Same self sufficiency, thriftiness, dexterity, resolve to make things rather than pay for them, AND a degree (in fact she has 3: in Chemistry, Mathematics and Theology). Plus in the times gone by she used to make all our clothes and knit all our knitwear.

BUT, I noticed thatI do ironing too. And regularly take all the (clear starched) bedlinen to the steam press. That might count :eusa_doh:

 

[Miss sofia]

I think be able to handwash and iron well is definetly a vintage skill for sure.

Like the other ladies i like to bake and cook and just generally make do and mend where i can. I do darn nylons and socks and make little bits and bobs, like pincushions and lavender bags etc. I like to embroider and cross stitch, which has been a passion of mine for years.

I do have a guilty pleasure, which is roller skating, i have the same white,leather skates i hate when i was a teenand every now and then i treat myself to a whizz about!

Does anyone flower arrange?? That's a very vintage pastime. Any budding Constance Spry's on the FL?

 

[sheeplady]

Thank you Marzena. Right now I am hoarding plastic tops (think like the tops that are on nut containers) to wrap with scraps and make little wreath ornaments. lol Unfortunately I need to eat more nuts to get enough because I have been saving for two years. Sometimes I am just weird.

I do flower arrangements! I did the flowers for my wedding (artificial) and do wreaths for the door and tabletop arrangements for eachd season. Each week during the spring and summer I put fresh flowers out of my garden in our dining room, kitchen, and a small vase in the master bedroom. When we have guests the flowers go in the guestroom too.

Somebody once asked me at work how I got my clothes so nice and smooth. Finally I figured out that they meant "pressed."

 

[Miss sofia]

I thought you might be a flower arranger Sheep lady, seeing as you are such a talented lady! I would love to learn. I do always have some fresh flowers indoors, but i come from the 'chuck 'em in a vase and hope for the best school'!

 

[scottyrocks]

Seeing that this is not a lingerie-type thread, I'll chime in.

I don't like to throw things away that I can fix. I don't care for today's disposable society. I'll mend my own clothes, and iron them, as well, when needed. I also like to re-purpose things.

 

[crwritt]

I like to go social ballroom dancing. I guess that's vintagey, at least a good amount of the music is. I've been married to the same guy since 1979, and lived in the same house since 1987, which we built ourselves, and it looks a bit like a 20's craftsman bungalow, so that's sort of vintagey.
I sew. I cook.

 

[Retro_GI_Jane]

Oh roller and ice skating! How fun! I haven't done either of those in years but would love to start again when my daughter is a little older so she can experience the same fun my sisters and I always had.

Aside from that, part of my upbringing was baking, cooking, sewing and all sorts of crafts so it's just second nature for me to do all those things. Though lately I've been feeling a little more retro using the vintage lustreware that my husband has been helping me build a collection of. The latest was making some homemade apple pies with Fire King pie plates. I'd be doing my sewing but I'm currently making my best friend's wedding dress so that's taking up a lot of my time. I consider myself lucky if I can sit and work on the vintage cardigan I'm crocheting.

I don't like to throw things away that I can fix. I don't care for today's disposable society. I'll mend my own clothes, and iron them, as well, when needed. I also like to re-purpose things.

I like a man that can sew...my husband is a fine sewer as well and he can also do a good job crocheting lol. I have a lap blanket he made for me when we first got together.

 

[Yeps]

Well, I am an opera singer, so that is pretty old school. One of my hobbies is jazz singing, especially 1920s style stuff. I also swing dance, and tap dance, both kinda vintage. Oh, and I can cook too.

 

[rue]

^ That right there is a catch. Pay attention young single girls

 

[rue]

I love to bake, cook and garden. I can't really sew, unless you count putting buttons back on and mending, but I can needlepoint. I like to drink too

 

[bunnyb.gal]

My main obsessions of the moment are learning Ballroom (Lindy too, next year) and how to sew my own clothing, and I've always enjoyed cooking.
I teach Pilates, which is pretty vintage, and sometimes Yoga (well vintage!).
I'd love to be more crafty - the ladies (and gents, sorry) of the Lounge are definitely inspirations!

 

[Retro_GI_Jane]

^ That right there is a catch. Pay attention young single girls

Rue knows what she's talking about. I married a master chef... Unfortunately he's not much of a dancer...training doesn't come over night though. lol