All things Vintage at Woodville Pioneer Museum

What I love about these museums is the peek into domestic life of bygone years.  And vintage abounded at the Woodville Pioneer Museum when we visited a few days ago.  Lots of lovely old china, the table set for tea, interesting furniture, and beautiful linens – each room was beautifully presented.

The parlour

Bedroom

Beautifully stitched baby clothes and old feeding bottles

I even discovered a quilt.  And when the volunteer on duty found out I was a quilter, she unhooked the cord across the door and let me in for a closer look. The pastel squares seemed to have been made from satin, and  I wondered if it was a fund raising quilt, as there were signatures on the blocks.  What a treasure!

5th Ruahine Battalion Band quilt, Woodville, dated 1903

There were treasures in every room, including cabinets full to overflowing with the Bessie Spinett Teapot Collection.  Bessie’s collection started as most collections, do, with a single purchase, a small one cup tea pot.  But it quickly grew over the years, with Bessie buying teapots throughout New Zealand, and on overseas trips.  Many were also received as gifts. 

Just a small portion of the teapot collection

There was a huge back shed filled to the brim with all sorts of machinery, tools, gigs, wagons, and even a fire engine – everything that blokes would drool over.  But I found plenty to get my heart racing too. 

Time to do the ironing

After the washing has been done, of course

Old sewing machines too

It was great to glimpse back into the past – but I wonder how I would have coped in those bygone days.  With looking after big families, milking the cow, churning the butter, and baking bread,  I guess the women just rolled up their sleeves and got on with it.    It must have been a very busy life for them.