Vintage Stitching Stuff!

That's a very TECHNICAL term for what I'm going to share in this post, of course! Tee! Hee! Hee! A few days ago, Julie over at Provincial Patch shared how she placed an ad in her local paper telling folks she was wanting to buy/adopt vintage sewing paraphernalia (big word!!) and she showed some photos of a few of her stitching treasures. I mentioned in passing that I had a little collection of stitching treasures, too, and Julie encouraged me to share ... so ...!

While I've bought a few of the things in the following photos, most I've inherited from someone or other over the years. My mother says I'm a born pack-rat ... I prefer the term ... COLLECTOR! :0)


Don't you love the tin?! I was given this tin by a friend when we lived in Bourke - they'd bought a house from an elderly lady who was returning home to the USA after living in Bourke (in that house!) for about 50 years and so she was travelling light and left a LOT of 'STUFF' in the house. This tin and another box were full of BUTTONS!! Some were pretty ordinary, some were quite old and some were really pretty and detailed. I actually gave quite a few to a fellow quilter who collects buttons - before I really appreciated what a treasure I had and started adding to it! I have wonderful memories of playing with Mum's button bottle as a child ... and that fascination still stands! Tee! Hee! Hee!


Here is part of my ric-rac collection - some of these are still on their original cards and several are a mix of two colours - pretty!


Here are some of my vintage laces. I love the wide, white crochet lace on the right - I have a length of about 2m of it that I will one day find just the right project for. The dark ivory lace is so soft and intricate, but one of my favourites is the piece on the left - I think it was once a cuff from a piece of vintage clothing - before you hang me ... I didn't remove it, I bought it in a bundle of old laces as it is.


Hmmm ... sorry this one's a bit blurry, but you can see that its my collection of wooden cotton reels. Most of the cotton is pretty useless to use, as it snaps off very easily - makes a nice little display on my pedal sewing machine, though!! :0)


Here are a couple of my big wooden spools. They are part of the collection of 'bits' that go with my little Thumbelina spinning wheel. And that isn't a magic mushroom, it's a darning mushroom that belonged to my beloved Geek Boy's grandmother - looks pretty good with my spinning wheel bits!


I don't know if you can see much in this photo, as my camera is pretty basic and doesn't do close-ups very well. Here are a couple of packets of old needles in their original packaging - good strong needles, too, I might add! And with them are a couple of little treasures that, again, came from GB's grandmother. Here's a better photo ...


The top treasure is a little travel sewing kit. You can't see it in the photo, but the picture on is is London Bridge and it has "London" written on it. The thimble screws onto the tube to act as the lid and inside is a cute cotton reel that has a hollow centre to store a needle or two. The other little "thing-a-ma-bob", I've been told, would have held wax to run thread through to stop it tangling and help it run through the fabric easier. Does anyone know if this is in fact what it would be?

So ... there you go, some of my sewing treasures. It's a nice link to have these vintage sewing bits and bobs, as it gives me a sense of connection to the stitchers who've come before me - some family members, some not. I wonder what stories these treasures could tell if only they could talk?!?! Pop over and have a look at Julies ever-growing collection of vintage sewing treasures, too - it's well worth a peek!

Back to some present-day stitching! Til next time - Bear Hugs!

CHEERS!
KRIS