Out With the Old...

and in with the new...to me. This is an excerpt from an email I got from a friend of mine, concerning the demise of her sewing basket:

"The subject was to be : 'I guess I'm all growed up now.'
    It was a sad day when I finally had to discard the only sewing basket I've ever had...
I've had this little purple basket since I was 9.
Actually, I knew I had to do something when Rob described it as 'brown'.
Well, men tend to be colorblind, so that wasn't enough for me to dump this still functioning memento.
    Over time I have rewoven & glued the 'straw' back in place, glued & stitched the straps that prevent the lid from opening too far,
there is a safety pin holding one side of the handle to the lid...
   Still useful...
   What finally set this in motion was a cat knocking over a Spider plant that was rooting in water.
Landing, of course, in the open sewing basket. When I dumped out everything, I saw how torn & stained the lining was.
Help me say goodby to a dedicated, loyal, trusted friend who, over the years, stood by silently, ready to serve...
Whew - I need a moment..."
AW! She also went on to comment that her brother has a replacement for her.  "I haven't asked why he has a rose colored sewing basket in his possession, but you know my brother." Ha, I do know her brother and that makes it quite a bit better!

This all made me think about my first sewing basket, which was a gift from my grandmother when I was quite young. Maybe five? I still have it and it is a little tattered, too. I rediscovered it packed away at my mom's a few years ago. It no longer contains sewing materials, just a few oddball mementos of my grandmother. It sits on a shelf in my sewing room.

At a yard sale in 1985, I picked up a NOS hatbox style sewing box from the 50s or 60s. I seriously chiseled the lady down on it (I was so poor back then!) and it has been my box ever since. When I pulled it and my first box out for photos I realized for the first time what my friend had discovered: they're kinda icky! It's funny how we think they are so precious that we'd never want to let go of them. Someone else would probably find some of the contents of interest, but, not much else.

The image at left is part of my Christmas haul: my husband purchased these old needle cases for me. How awesome is that? Things like this are not expensive and I am sure the sellers aren't retiring to Hawaii off of the profits. But, it's nice that they came up for sale rather than hit the curb.

I always find it is interesting what people do and do not value. As an avid yard sale/ flea market/ junk shop/ garbage picker, I do appreciate the fact that some people understand that some things have value to others and pass them on in a usable fashion, rather than destroy them. Case in point: I made mention today of a stellar vintage mink-lined rain coat that I garbage scored in the 80s. I was glad to get it for free. But, if I hadn't been there, it could have easily gone to the dump.

My husband also picked up this Singer Puzzle Box. It is not in the best of shape and it is missing many of the attachments. I think it's condition is fine and I was especially interested in it because it contains a gem: the item to the far left of the second compartment down is a shuttle for my Singer 27. I now have a spare and that is a great thing! I've also ordered a reprint of the 1906 Singer Attachment Manual, so that I can begin refilling this box. :)

For Christmas, I also received this intense jello mold of Liberty Lighting the World.  Seriously, short of a winning lottery ticket; it doesn't get much better than this. I hope Santa was good to you, too!

More photos are here.