Victorian Sewing Basket

Isn't this wicker chest something else?  I found it over in Roseburg several years ago. I was told at the time of purchase that the owners great grandmother used it to hold sewing items back in the early 20's and that it was old then.  I later found similar examples online and they were popular in the late 1800's and were used by Victorian ladies for sewing paraphernalia.

I use to keep it in the spare bedroom to hold the linens for that room and towels for guests.   

It's only about 3 feet high and 20" wide. Of course you have to allow space to open it up.

But when I opened my shop I needed pieces to fill it with, so I took it in for a display piece. I priced it, but, never really wanted to sell it. So awhile back I brought it back home (where it belongs!).

In my shop as a display piece. From this post.

I love the plaster swags and baskets on the front. And they are mostly intact, and in fact for it's age and being wicker it's in remarkable condition.

A wicker, long handled basket, filled with flowers is one of my favorite Victorian motifs!!!

 

 

The center of the dome style top has suffered the most loss of plaster adornment.

 There are four of these floral pieces on top.

 

When you open it up you can view all four compartments at once, they are not very deep and because of the way it folds together you can't stack items very high.

I've been reworking my bedroom so it's going in there and be the new home for my ribbons and laces.

Thank you for Popping in~~~

Happy Hunting and Gathering!!!

Roll and Sew

I have discovered the most amazing little attachment for the sewing machine. 

Isn't it cute!!  I found it while out thrifting.  It was in the hardware section in a bag of useless, broken things. Yeah, I look at everything. Hey, you never know what you'll find.

I know the rollers help the fabric move more easily over the feed dogs. But little did I Know how easy. I went up over the double thick side seams and didn't miss a stitch. I didn't break the thread and most importantly I didn't break the needle.  Nope, not one needle in hemming all of these pants. My personal best!

I usually have to stock up on needles, for I will go through 3 or 4 before I just give up and quit.  I use to have a this piece of plastic that you would position in front of and/or behind the needle to help get over the seam thickness.  It skipped stitches and occasionally I would sew right over it as in breaking the needle by sewing plastic. The other way was to try and force that thick side seam through the feed dogs~~~you just break needles doing that. And my final option was just wear the pants as they were.

Now I can wear these pants and they won't drag the ground, it was just a smidge~~~but it drove me nuts. When pants touch the ground they soak up water and it rains alot here. Soggy hems are kind of unattractive.

Happy Hunting and Gathering~~~

Joyeuse Saint Valentin

Happy Saint Valentines Day and Happy Birthday to Lilly

          Lilly turns 1 year old on Valentines day.

I've been busy sewing up these hearts...got the idea from Carol over here.   They were fun to make.  I just used old ratty embroidery pieces, a couple of very faded 5 pound sugar and salt sacks, and scrap pieces of fabric. Printed the blue bird with clover on my computer and just top sewed, got a new set of stamps so I tried them out, added a few white buttons here and there, and VOILA!!! all done.  I'll be listing some in my Etsy shop.