Thursday, January 15, 2009

Old Sewing Baskets


It is so good to be back again. The unpacking is still
proceeding - slowly ......... when you have a family
of collectors such as ours, you really do have to allow
for the extremely phenomenal
amount of boxes holding all of your treasures.

So in honour of all those boxes, I thought I would
start the year with another type of container -
old sewing baskets.

Who doesn't love old sewing baskets?
Who recalls the excitement of
finding one lurking away
in the corner of
a second-hand store holding all sorts
of vintage sewing delights?
Perhaps even with its own rare
vintage sewing tool - a silver tatting
shuttle, or gold bodkin!
Who delights in restraining from
searching thoroughly
through that basket UNTIL you are back
home, all prepared with a hot cuppa, comfortably
seated and ready
to unfold the hidden treasures that you
might uncover?
Old wooden spools of cotton, doilies that
need to be embroidered, needle books -
both handmade and company produced,
sewing kits and
beautifully handstitched pincushions,
little china figures holding emeries, silver
thimbles and novel thimble holders -
I could go on ......

Here are just some
of my sewing baskets.

The above small basket is about 100 years
old and needs a little TLC.


The same TLC will be applied to this basket
from the 1930's.


This basket on a stand will need
repair work on its handle. I was told
also that the lower level once contained
a padded satin cushion.


Cane, straw, raffia, grasses, many types
of materials can be woven in to make
beautiful baskets.

The following are made from picture cardboard
and clear plastic/perspex with a solid
wooden base. Who remembers
these from the 40's - 50's?
These are actually knitting
baskets but I couldn't resist
including them in this post!



Do any of you have a favourite sewing
basket?
We would all love to hear about it!

...>>><<<...




15 comments:

Janet McKinney said...

I remember making baskets like those last two - and I have had a hankering lately to make some again.

Janet McKinney

crazyhaberdasher said...

Don't you just love them! I made one myself some time ago and I would love to make more.

Lynne said...

I have only one sewing basket - a small green one similar to the pink one in the first photo. It was given to me by my Nanna 38 years ago; not too old but still precious to me! My knitting basket is one of the rectangular fold-up tapestry styles; about 28 yeears old,I'd guess. Certainly older than DD who's almost 23.

crazyhaberdasher said...

Hi Lynne! Your lovely green sewing basket would be extra special being given to you by your loving Nanna and I am sure that you have had lots of sewing projects made while using it - so precious! And your knitting "basket" sounds like a treasure too! Thankyou for sharing your very dear memories with us!

Lara said...

I love old sewing baskets. Mine looks similar to the 1930's one. It was my great-grandma's. That makes it sound so old, but I remember her well. I guess 1930's would be the right vintage, though. She was born about 1915.

I recently brought home my grandmother's sewing machine. It's in a cabinet with 4 small drawers. Your post reminded me of going through those little drawers and seeing all the treasures and tools grandma put in there.

macati said...

hi!
glad to be back and glad for tou being back too!
oh, yes, I love baskets!!!! I have 2 where I keepthose never-ending projects...
:)

crazyhaberdasher said...

Thanks Lara for letting us know about your sewing basket - a treasure from your great-grandma!
Oh - and sewing machine drawers! - they are another fabulous treasure trove of vintage sewing goodies!

crazyhaberdasher said...

Thanks Macati!
Yes, we do tend to clutter them a bit with many projects!

Linda said...

AAAAAAaaaaaaaah. What a treat after a busy week. We are digging out the OG sewing baskets next week to start and put up a display.

Some of them are on

http://www.flickr.com/groups/410463@N22/pool/

where you have posted some of these previously. Plus one or two that are not in this post.

Just beautiful!

Penny said...

Love your collection. Thank you for sharing. And welcome back!

crazyhaberdasher said...

Thankyou so much Penny!

crazyhaberdasher said...

Thankyou too Linda - so glad you enjoyed the post - I hope to do some like this with sewing boxes/workboxes and then on to sewing kits (but of course they have to be unpacked!)

Gina E. said...

Hi Marian, great to see you back in Blogland again! I love all your baskets, and like Janet, I remember making those paper ones (or something like them) at school, from old greeting cards. Funny how the kids these days think they know it all about recycling...

Molly Mandeville Fryer said...

Girl!! I love them!! I can only imagine the fun you had searching them all out. I had a very small one as a child. My mother probably sold it in a garage sale! LOL I have a wooden one on a stand that belonged to my grandmother. Thanks for the post. When I go antiqueing I will be looking for some sewing baskets. I did go on Friday and will post about my finds soon.

crazyhaberdasher said...

Hi Molly! Your grandmother's sewing stand must be extra special!! I hope that you find heaps of sewing baskets and post lots of pictures of them - myself, in particular, will be drooling and enjoying every bit of them!!