A love of all things French!

Bonjour!

We have a lot to thank the
French for - especially for
so many beautiful, decorative
needlework designs and items.

SAJOU
From 1830 to 1880, Jacques-Simon Sajou
was selling supplies of all types of
needlearts - and reached fame in
France and all of Europe.
Today, Frédérique Crestin-Billet
continues as the owner of Sajou and
presents the vintage designs and
articles as they were over a
hundred years ago.
Here is the website for you to
enjoy......... SAJOU!

You can also view the television
report - spoken in french - but
still a fabulous look into the world of
Sajou.

Below is one of the thread-winder
sets from Sajou.

The contents....

Here are some more
great French sites to enjoy -

Rouge
Coups de Coeur
E Comme Ecriture
Les Paniers - baskets
Idees
Machines - sewing machines

Viva la France!


---[XOX]---

A Pattern for You

I have a free pattern for
you for being so patient with
me!

I was fortunate to find a small
collection of vintage transfers in
an old Weldon's magazine just
recently, so I want to share
a fabulous vintage
crinoline lady transfer
pattern with you.

You could use this lovely design
for many different things.
Lots of linens, pillow shams, peg bags,
sewing bags, aprons, - sewing
and painting!


~~~~~~~~~~~~


I want to also draw your
attention to a delightful blog -
(how's your French?)

"Heritage brode de Victorine"

You will love the images even
if you don't understand French.
Or you could translate the page
via Google.
Enjoy!


...:::[[]]:::...

Children's Craft Sets

It is known by some of you

that I have a collection of children's
sewing sets and embroidery sets.
You can see them here and here
and here and here and here.
I also have many spool knitting sets
of which you can read about on
my SPOOLKNITTER blog.

It is also no secret that I adore
the Spears Games Knitting Nancy
(female form) and I am fortunate
to own some sets of these
as they are now becoming
highly sought
after and because of that
extremely expensive!

I thought I would share with
you another two craft sets which
are made
by Spears Games.

The Little Basket Worker below is
from the 1920's - 1930's and shows
delightful graphics on the top of the
box of three children making
their little baskets.


After all of these years, it still
has some of its contents.
On the box top it reads -
The Little Basket Worker
Spear's Improved Edition
Registered SPEAR'S GAMES
In Great Britain
Manufactured by
the Spear Works Bavaria
Designed in England
(no date)
The directions are under the lid.

Up until now, I had never seen a date on
any of the vintage Spear's Games sets.
It was certainly a big surprise when the
next set arrived.


Beads
and how to use them
A Pastime for Children
- and it further reads -
Registered SPEAR'S GAMES
Great Britain and Canada
Manufactured at
the Spear Works Bavaria
Designed in England
Copyright 1929

Another lovely picture
is shown on this box!
There are many wooden beads
still with the box and it also
contains its instructional leaflet.

I also cannot resist showing you an
advertisement shared with the above
leaflet.......

No doubt, I was very happy to find this!!

You can see many delightful games in the
book - Games We Play - History of
J.W. Spear & Sons and written by
Helmut Schwarz & Marion Faber
The text is English and the games
are those found in Germany,
lovely to look at and
read about!

You can find the book here.
Please note that it states
that you "Ask Francis" and not
use the button on the
"Buy the Book" page.
Francis Spear is a delightful
gentleman and will answer
your questions and be able
to send you your book.
A small photo from inside the book
is this sweet little sewing set
Puppenmutterchens Nahschute 1937
(Making Dolly's Dresses).

The paper dolls sets are delightful!... as are
so many of the games found in the book.


---:::[[]]:::---

Small Display

There will be a post
coming up shortly!




--ooOOoo--

Vintage Tatting Shuttles

This time we are taking a little look at
vintage tatting shuttles
found in a vintage
"Antiques Collector"
US magazine.

(click for larger image)

(click for larger image)(click for larger image)

*************

DAVE & JOANNA STANBROUGH (Part Two)

Being a collector of sewing items
under all the headings of -
vintage
modern
new
handmade,
the search will often bring
many pleasing results, and sometimes
something will just take your breath
away........... as when I discovered
Grizzly Mountain Arts!

If you have heard of Grizzly

Mountain Arts, then of course
you have heard of Dave & JoAnna Stanbrough,
crafters of the most beautiful fiber art
tools, jewelry, and baskets - "finding
inspiration from the natural beauty of
our local landscape" - Grizzly Mountain, Oregon.

(image used with permission from Dave & JoAnna Stanbrough)

(This is Part Two of my article on the amazing
duo of Dave & JoAnna Stanbrough.
Part One was posted on my other blog
- Spoolknitter - and covered the
magnificent spool knitters made by Dave
as well as his profile.
I decided to separate the two fields -
spoolknitters and needlework tools - so that
each of my blogs could carry each
corresponding subject.)

Dave and JoAnna are the perfect married
couple, soul-mates - complimenting each other,
giving of their expertise and ability to utilize those
elements found in nature turning them into
beautiful needlework tools,
necklaces, pendants, and baskets, etc.


With the list of items growing -
Tatting Shuttles
Scissor Fobs
Crochet Hooks
Thread Winders
Lace Bobbins
French Knitters
Lucets
Needle Minders
Drop Spindles
Ceramic Pendants
Necklaces
Rings
Ceramic Thread Waxers
Nostepindes
Niddy Noddies
Pine Needle Boxes
Hitty Dolls
and more ...............
their beauty and quality never falters!


They are truly an amazing couple and when you
look at the pieces yourself, you will see the incredible
artistry that goes into each quality piece.


About JoAnna Stanbrough

........." I studied musical performance in school with flute
being my principle instrument. Dave and I married in 1978
and so began our journey of moving around the country
living on various wildlife refuges. Our son was born in
1981 and I spent the next 17 years being a stay-at-home Mom,
playing music on the side. I had always done some kind of
craft, usually giving away anything I made as gifts.
It never even occurred to me that someone might
actually want to buy anything I made! LOL!
I still think of myself as a musician pretending to be an
artist :) My main medium is earthenware clay,
but I also work with ancient ivory, pine needles
and on occasion do rock mosaics.".......

JoAnna's talents are well and
truly evident in her beautiful jewelry so
feast your eyes and take a look at the
following sites -

Grizzly Mountain Arts Blogspot
Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy
Good Dirt Jewelry Etsy
On Flickr


-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

Again, I want to thank both Dave and
JoAnna for affording me their time and
generosity and help in enabling me
to put this together.

*************

KIT OR ETUI?

In my last post, I asked -

"What is the difference between a sewing kit, etui
and a sewing compendium"?

Well, not a great deal actually!
A sewing kit is explained as something used
as an aid in an emergency, designed to be
carried anywhere (holiday for instance),
handy to have in the car or handbag,
a container holding helpful sewing
accessories.

Etui is obviously French and explained as
a small, usually ornamental case for holding
articles such as needles.
They date back to the eighteenth century with
the custom of ladies taking these
and their needlework to large gatherings
or private social occasions and who would occupy themselves
with their embroidery or other work.
(Further information - Needlework and
Embroidery Tools - by Eleanor Johnson)
And ...... according to Nerylla Taunton (Antique
Needlework Tools and Embroideries) ........
it is often the central appendage of an 18th
century equipage. So from
that it would have been attached to
a chatelaine.

Compendium - a container fitted with a variety
of implements. (from Antique Needlework Tools
and Embroideries by Nerylla Taunton)

Another container from the 18th/19th century
is called a Ladies Companion.

Below is a picture of two of my own.


And in my last post, I also asked if my little tube
container would be called a sewing kit or etui?
Even if it is French and it has depose on the bottom
and it is an ornamental case, I would still call it
a sewing kit.
It couldn't be attached to a chatelaine.


Below - an untidy drawer of sewing kits!


>>>OOO<<<

Sewing Tins

Hi everyone! ..... this is well overdue,
but the "situation" at home
is still "in boxes".
DH has been working extremely hard
and little time is being afforded towards
sorting out, the setting up of the shelves,
and display cupboards, and ultimately
the unpacking of the sewing collection.

Of the little that I CAN get my hands on,
which is found in a few of the sewing
baskets, I will
try to put into a post now,
and hopefully
sooner than later, there will be much
more to follow.

I appreciate you "sticking with me" and
I assure you that when all is unpacked,
the future posts will hold a great deal
of subject matter..... just as I have done
from the start of the blog.

>>><<<

Sewing Tins

There are a few headings under Sewing Tins which I could talk about -
Tins showing advertising e.g. - Singer, Butterick, etc.
Tins that came with sewing machines which hold
sewing machine parts
Tins that hold sewing kits
- however, we will look at two recent samples of
sewing kit tins.



Here is dear little Minnie Mouse on the lid
of the Disney sewing kit. This is the only Disney
kit that I have and I am sure that there were
many other different Disney sewing kits
available over the years, but as yet
I have not found any. There must some
readers who would know of others.


Inside are the typical contents however, I did find
it a little unusual to have a "ring" shaped thimble though
I guess it fits better in the container.


Below is the Dumpling Dynasty sewing kit by Wu and Wu.
A very new product and a delightful tin.
Truly a collector's treasure for the future.
You will see all sorts of delights at their website
to do with all sorts of activities for children.

The tin is about 4" X 8" which is a little large for
a kit, and the contents are -
six different cotton spools,
wheel of pins,
a large assortment of needles,
safety pins,
seam picker,
buttons,
thimble,
tape measure,
and scissors.


Lastly, I have a couple questions for you -
What is the difference between a kit, etui,
and sewing compendium?
I would love to hear from you and see
what you think, and
see this metal sewing tube below -
Would you call it a kit, etui, or sewing
compendium?

Above - showing contents.
There is also a small metal piece at the top side of the
tube which pulls out a tape measure.

I look forward to hearing from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Few Words

We all know that not everything goes to

plan - my little matchbox project has been
put on hold for now.
I do hope to bring you something of
interest very soon.


<<<>>>

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!

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

Photos for you!

This might be my last post for a few weeks.
I hope you will enjoy this display of
some of my collection.
These photos were taken about 3 years ago.


**************

SANTA PINCUSHION

I am very pleased to tell you
that I have now got a tutorial for
my Santa Pincushion in
pdf file

(Right-click to save as...)

I hope you have fun making it!
I would love to see your finished pincushion.




***************

Needle Boxes

Here is part of my

needle box collection.
Made from velvet, card, and
paper, and decorated
with scraps, they are most definitely
of the Victorian era.


They measure 5 x 7 x 3 cms
and when opened, the needle pages
concertina out to reveal small
needle packets secured in
place with red ribbon.
Starting with the blue velvet box,
the inside shows
a delightful "needle box print"
of a vintage lady wearing a hat.
The needle packet is by
T. Harper Redditch.
The scrap on the lid says "With
fondest love of Thee".

Inside the faded burgandy needle box
shows another vintage young lady.
The needle packets are Sheffield prize
needles. The scrap on the lid says - "To
one I love".


Inside the palest needle box and the one in the
least good condition we see a print of a child and
and her dog. It is missing its little concertina
folded pages and the needle packets are from
John English, Feckenham, Imperial Diamond Sharps
.......etc.......Great Britain 1863.


The scrap on the lid of this box says - "The
business of my life shall be - Forever to
remember thee".


**********

A Little Look at Sewing Trade Cards

Sewing Trade Cards

Most of you would know about Victorian
Trade Cards. They advertise all manner
of goods and services and thanks to the
ladies of the Victorian era, we have many
surviving examples to behold today.
They were a popular pastime, with
Victorian ladies pasting their collections
of cards into scrapbooks.
As you search for trade cards, you
soon discover that many of them advertised
sewing goods - cotton threads
and sewing machines.
Below is a small selection in my collection and
if you would like to know more, please
see here - Victorian Trade Cards.

Above and Below (front and back)
Chadwick & Bro's 6 cord cotton.

Above and Below (front and back)
J & P Coats' Thread.

Above and Below (front and back)
Willimantic Thread

All of these cards that follow
are blank on their
backs.

(Also - there are trade cards in the side
bar of the blog which I will be altering
sometime soon).

~~~~~~~~~~