Stop The Press!

The trend for hobbies and habits of yesteryear is back in vogue according to Nicky Pellegrino and Big Little is right up there!

I was delighted to be interviewed by Nicky for her article in the Herald this week "Embrace Your Inner Nanna". Click here for the full article.

Lisa of BigLittle in Tauranga sells the baby shoes and zip purses she makes from vintage finds through her shop on popular US website Etsy.com. She's become passionate about recycling beautiful old pieces of fabric into something functional.

"In the 1950s and 1960s in New Zealand there was a lot of amazing handwork done because no one had the money to buy things," she says. "So much care and love went into making pieces that aren't used any more because no one has doilies and tray cloths. This is a way to make them useful again. I go round the op shops at least once a week looking for natural fabrics like linen, cotton, wool, and especially anything embroidered. The other day I found a gorgeous fabric embroidered with violets and was so excited I snatched it off the shelf like I was at a Boxing Day sale and there were 10 people behind me trying to get it!"

Currently she's making a pair of baby shoes out of an old silk tie that belonged to a customer's late husband. "It's a piece of family history and very meaningful to her. She's going to give the shoes to her daughter who's pregnant."

A lot of time goes into these one-of-a-kind pieces, so it's far from a fast way to make money, but for many it has become a passion. All over the country they're cross-stitching, wood-turning, and crocheting, turning over spare rooms and garages to Nana's old hobbies and finding satisfaction in creating things themselves.

I have really enjoyed creating lovely little things from recycled materials for my little shop. Many others must also be enjoying these hobbies and habits of yesteryear, as I can hardly keep my shop stocked!

Thanks for your amazing support.