I was working on my Runway Monday design Saturday when The Brides joined us for a Craft 2.0/games/whatever Night. I mentioned that I needed to buy some new thread because I’d run out of a few colors. Lindsey said that she’d brought her late Aunt Gwen’s sewing box home and might have some of the colors I needed. When she and Tom went to the RubinSmo Manor to pick up some other things, she brought the case back with her.
Of course, I couldn’t wait to dig into it, and we found all kinds of treasures. Some buttons that Lindsey could use in jewelry making. Tons of old packets of snaps, hooks and eyes, and needles. An envelope with Aunt Gwen’s Chicago address from many years ago; Rhonda Google street-mapped it so they could see the location as it looks today. I had so much fun reorganizing the case, looking at the old Marshall Fields tins containing straight pins, and picking out lots of thread that I can use (plus some other stuff that I can incorporate into doll fashions).
It reminded me of going through Mother’s sewing case and all the things I found there. One thing I told Lindsey was that as I emptied the spools, I’d return all the wooden ones to her to keep. I still have some of Mother’s wooden spools. In fact, here are several she tied onto a ribbon for the grandkids to play with. It’s amazing how much enjoyment those babies got out of a bunch of old wooden spools. Yes, they did put them in their mouths, but no one got splinters or mangled them. Babies and spools used to be more durable, I guess.
old sewing stuff is great. i love to look for it.
You’d have enjoyed digging through this with me. I had so much fun organizing it. Do you remember the pack of needles I found in my mother’s stuff?
All the way from Germany.
Aww… I thought Aunt Gwen got a little cameo… I didn’t know she was getting a whole post! Love this. And I’m so happy that some of her things can be used by someone who greatly appreciates them. 🙂
It makes me happy when women who love working with their needles become part of what I’m doing–my mother, Lynne and her mother, and Aunt Gwen, included. I have nowhere near their abilities, but they do inspire me to create.
i love those old needle packs
I still have my own original needle pack from Home Ec. Crazy!
So neat.
Vintage sewing cases are great.
I still miss my pink (vinyl) one which was quilted with gold thread.
It had a clear Lucite handle with gold glittered flecks in it.
I loved it as a kid. Somehow my former step-father ended up with it when he and my mother divorced. I have looked for one, a few times…to no avail.
I can live vicariously through this post!
Sort of, anyway.
🙂
Keep looking, Cari. I think that sooner or later, everything we’ve ever loved and lost ends up somewhere on the Internet! Even people. Though I think there are rules against buying and selling one another on eBay. 😉