Colour Coded

When I was repairing the bra this week, I got all my threads out to find the best match. In recent years I have tended to buy spools of Gutermann - but I've been accumulating thread for more than half a century. Many of these have been given by older friends, so I have lots of wooden reels of Sylko. I love the traditional chunky reel, with the branding on one end, and the colour name on the other.

In 2013, Bob made me a side table which I use every day based on a Sylko reel. 

I keep my threads in some square M&S biscuit tins. I put them all in with the colour labels upwards. Much as I love Gutermann, I think names are
So much nicer than numbers. 

spring green, almond green, Chinese green, emerald green, light emerald, lime green, mallard green, light apple green, dark olive, light olive, sage, dark jade , royal blue, saxe blue, light petunia, mid petunia, dark myrtle, wine, dark reseda, pink, geranium, sunrise, light pomegranate, light rose dubarry, mustard, beige, deep brown

Rose dubarry is a pink shade, from a shade of porcelain developed in the 18thC named for Madame du Barry, mistress of Louis XV. Reseda is a deep pink shade [alternative name for mignonette flowers] 

Not all my vintage threads are Sylko. These ones have interesting labels too. 

There is definitely a poetic quality to these names - just reading them, and looking at the jewelled hues makes me want to stitch something...