My love of threads and fabrics started when I was about 11.
My nan took me into Norwich to buy some sewing supplies. I’d been given my first
workbasket not long before and had told her that I was keen to have a go at
some cross stitching. We went to a sewing shop called Aldertons (closed many
years ago sadly) and I well remember my excitement as we walked in and I saw
the vast array of pretty threads and bewildering selection of fabrics. The old
fashioned shop seemed to be bursting at the seams with crafting goodies.
Nan told the lady what I wanted to stitch (a needle book)
and we were told that we needed a fabric called ‘Binca’. We thanked her and
started to select some brightly coloured embroidery flosses – Every so often as
we browsed though the shop she sneaked up behind us and boomed in our ears
‘Binca…… Binca….. never forget, you need Binca! Anyway we did indeed get a
piece of Binca, as well as some lovely threads and as we were leaving the shop
the lady followed us to the door and boomed after us again ‘BINCA…. Yes it’s
Binca you need, don’t forget that will you!’ As we walked up Swan lane nan turned to me and chuckled ‘We
never will forget that stuff is called Binca will we!’ And of course I never
have.
I have a different more grown up workbox now, a treasured gift from my sister, and it is as delightfully full of crafting treasures as ever….. but not a single scrap of Binca. I’ve recently added a full set of DMC metallic threads and a beautiful brand new book of embroidery stitches to add to the vintage ones . The 11 year old me would have loved experimenting with those!
I have a different more grown up workbox now, a treasured gift from my sister, and it is as delightfully full of crafting treasures as ever….. but not a single scrap of Binca. I’ve recently added a full set of DMC metallic threads and a beautiful brand new book of embroidery stitches to add to the vintage ones . The 11 year old me would have loved experimenting with those!