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Thursday, July 25, 2024

A Tale and "Sew Day Basket" - A Sewing Freebie

 Hip Hip Hooray! It's a holiday!

Well it should be! It is National Thread the Needle Day! 

There is multiple meanings for "thread the needle", but for us crafters- well we know ,  it is the perfect excuse to sit back and enjoy a day of slow relaxing stitching!  I look for any excuse to sew. How about you? ๐Ÿ˜

For the last two years, I have celebrated this special day with  sneak peeks  of my grandmothers' sewing boxes  and all of the goodies that they stored in their baskets. Great  Grandma Annie had the most unusual things in her basket.  If you would like to take a peek , just click on the colored link above. ⬆

Great Grandma Annie's early 1900's sewing basket

I also shared Grandma Annie's Sewing Basket ,a quick wee stitch, dedicated to my great grandma whom I never met, but who is near and dear to my heart. ❤๐Ÿ’–

Last year I shared , warm memories of my Nanny's "Junk Room" which is what she called her sewing room. That was where all of the magic took place . Little Raggedy Anns and Andys would dance their way out of the "Junk Room"  and into the hearts of us youngin's. In memory of Nanny, I shared the Sew Stitch Tomato Pinkeep- a big ripe tomato ripe for the "sewing" . 

Hmmm what should  I share this year?!๐Ÿค” 

How about another peek into a vintage sewing basket? I am always game to see what is lurking among the needles and threads aren't you? ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿงต๐Ÿชก

A few years ago, Mr. Pinker and I was taking a long romantic stroll in the thrift store on our usual date night when I spotted it - a big copper colored sewing basket ! Hallelujah! Eeeeh!

Vintage sewing box bought in 2019 at the Goodwill

With a click of my heels and a rattle of my buggy, I sped across the aisles right to the display case where the basket was showcased. 

As I stood there waiting patiently, another shopper spotted what I saw, and she rushed right behind me.

"Can I  help you ? " asked the cashier' 

" You sure can! I  would like to see the sewing box in the case, please!" ๐Ÿ˜

She quickly pulled it out  and sat it on the counter. 

"Are you going to buy that?" asked the other shopper.

" I do believe I will ," I said with glee. 

 She looked it over and said , "You are getting a great deal; I would have liked to had it too.  Enjoy. "   She turned away and continued her shopping .

Meanwhile I took a moment  to open the box to see what was in it. "Eeeh! Wooden Spools and lots of goodies ! Score!", exclaimed to no one in particular. ( Hmmm,  I swear I heard the loud speaker say " Husband of Crazy Lady on aisle 1 needed" )  Hee! Hee!๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคช๐Ÿคช

Anywhoo,  I proceeded to do a happy dance all the way to the other side of the counter to the  cashier. Mr. Pinker just rolled his eyes and smiled.

 When we got to the car he said , "How much did you pay for that?"  

With a grin a mile long, I  said, "HOLD ON TO YOUR BLOOMERS! $3.99!"

"  Yahoo! "I yelled out the window .

 Mr. Pinker  shook his head and said "Oh my!  Contain yourself,  my crazy little thrifty quilt lady!!!!" ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ˜„

Now let's see what is in the sewing box. Shall we? 

Wow! This is a neat and tidy box.  I am going to call  this Miss Tidy's Box. You will not find my sewing box this neat. Hee! Hee! 

This is the 1st tray of vintage sewing items. 

The first tray is filled with lots of spools of thread and zippers all made in the good ole' USA.  

Items from the first tray. Colorful zippers and old wooden spools. 

 

Snaps , buttons and a needle envelopes

Vintage needle envelopes. 

The 2nd tray is even neater. Oh , boy! What goodies will we unearth? 

The 2nd tray is neat as a pin.

Buttons, elastic, Hem tape, buckles, buttons. Hmmm I wonder if Miss Tidy made clothing. ๐Ÿค”  

Seam binding $.19 - Wow ! Those were the days. 

Goodies in the 2nd tray of the box. 

Oh yes! I believe Miss Tidy was a seamstress. The bottom  section of the box has a Dressmaker's Tracing Paper from Kmart at only $.68 a pop. 

A peek into the bottom compartment of the sewing box. 

Carbon Paper, lace , labels , 

Some of the items in the bottom of the vintage sewing box. 


  Miss Tidy was very tidy -she did  not have any crazy items like Great Grandma Annie had in her sewing basket. ๐Ÿคฃ

There are a lot of great vintage items with fantastic packaging . 

While looking through Miss Tidy's sewing basket , I learned a lot of things. She made clothes, used a lot of browns, blues and burnt red threads, enjoyed using snaps in her clothing and purchased most of her items from Kmart. I also learned she was probably a Tennessee gal based on the matches case. Hmm. I wonder if anyone will ever study my sewing basket. Hee! Hee! 

 How about a stitch?

 My newest quick stitch is called "Sew Day Basket"

It is a wee stitch that can be stitched up in 2 shakes of a lamb's tail! 


 I finished Sew Day Basket using 2" fabric strips and ribbon from Hobby Lobby. 

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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต๐Ÿงต 




Needle and Thread

Oh my, I have been chatty today. I hope I did not talk your ears off. But I sure do appreciate you stopping by to celebrate with me and to listen to my  crazy tales. 

Now tell me. Have you pulled out your needle and thread yet? ๐Ÿ˜€


As always,

Happy Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

"Gather your threads of life and stitch them into joy!"

Hugs and Stitches!!! ๐Ÿค—๐Ÿงต

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy ,   I miss and love you so much.   ❤๐Ÿ‘ผ Also dedicated to my Nanny , Great Grandma Annie and Miss Tidy for the great sewing basket. .

The vintage sewing box was a thrifty find that I purchased in April in Whitney ,TX




































42 comments:

  1. What a find, it’s a great treasure you found. Can you believe the prices back then. Oh, those were the good ole days. Loved seeing your finds. Hope you have a great stitchy day. ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿค—

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    1. Those were the good ole' days, Patti. I marveled over the prices and how well made the items were. I feel very fortunate that I was able to find this treasure. Thank you for the sweet visit. Hugs.

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  2. ๐Ÿ™‹‍♀️ Happy Thread the Needle Day Melisa! ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜‚ As if we need a reason to stitch. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคฃ Another great post! What a find. I do love searching through other people’s sewing boxes. What a darling stitch - can’t wait to make it, especially as it has scissors. ๐Ÿ˜ I think I missed last years post so it was good to read.
    Have a great day stitching Melisa. Hugs, Barbara xx @flashinscissors

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    1. Lol we are always ready for some "stitching time" aren't we? I think I could stitch the whole day away. I hope you were able to enjoy some time stitching today. I was able to work on some embroidery and a bit of cross stitch. Next up quilting time. Thank you so much for the sweet visit, Barbara. Hugs and Blessings.

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  3. What a score in that sewing box, Melisa! I had one of those, but it was olive green. I wonder what happened to it. Sweet sewing basket stitch! I will be threading my needle and making some Xs at the shop in Williamsburg today. Have a great day!

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    1. Oooh stitching at the LNS sounds wonderful. I hope you had a wonderful time and made great progress. I remember the olive green sewing baskets. For some reason the vintage sewing baskets are my favorites. They had a lot of storage space. Have a great evening and thank you for the sweet visit. Hugs.

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  4. I have never heard of Needle and Thread Day but I think that is every day! I just sticked up your Needle and Thread two days ago and finished it and hung it by my sewing table yesterday - going to cross stitch the other two sewing baskets soon! What wonderful stories and designs -thank you so very much for sharing!!! Carrie

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    1. Lol, Carrie, I think Needle and Thread Day is everyday for me too or at least I strive for that. I am so honored that you stitched Needle and Thread . I hope you enjoyed every stitch. Thank you so much for the sweet visit and happy stitching. Hugs.

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  5. Your stories always have me chuckling! I like your new freebie too;)

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, Vicki. You are the sweetest. I hope you had a great day with needle and thread in hand. Hugs.

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  6. I'm laughing over your romantic date night stroll through the thrift store. :D That is really a bargain at 3.99, amazing! Love the sew day basket pattern - thank you!

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    1. Lol , Linda , can you tell we both love thrift shopping? Me more than hubby, but I am so grateful he enjoys going too. I was over the moon to find the sewing basket and even more at the great price . Thank you for the sweet visit and hope you had a great sewing day. Hugs.

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  7. Your Mr. Pinker is such a gem. . .a romantic stroll through the thrift aisle had me laughing! He definitely lives by the adage, "happy wife, happy life!" He is one wise man. I enjoyed seeing the contents of the sewing boxes. . .each one gave an indication of the owner which was fascinating!--TerryK@OnGoingProjects

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    1. LOL thank you so much, Terry. Yep, that is where we always go on date night. Of course that is not many places to go but Wally World and Dollar Tree. Hee! Hee! He is a keeper. It was a joy to go through the sewing basket and dream of who the basket belonged too I was quite impressed by her collection and organization as well as inspired. Have a great evening. Hugs.

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  8. What a great find! I love to see what people used in their sewing rooms. My mom had some really interesting things too. Blessings!

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    1. Oh thank you so much, Donna. I not only enjoyed looking at the items but looking at the prices of things. So so cheap back then. LOL. Have a great evening. Hugs.

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  9. You got an amazing deal on Miss Tidy's sewing basket. There are some nice little treasures in there. I love all of your little tomato stitches and the finish on Sew Day Basket is adorable!

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    1. Oh thank you so much, Jeanna. It was a great find. We have a great thrift store, but here of late it has really increased in price. I am glad I got this basket when I did. Have a great day and Happy quilting and stitching.

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  10. That is quite a bargain you found with Miss Tidy's sewing basket, Melisa! I remember using that tracing paper when learning to make clothes - ooh, the memories... I love your little "Sew" cross-stitch design, and I may just have to "drop everything and make it!"

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    1. I was thrilled to find the sewing basket. I doubt I could find one filled to the brim like that so cheap now. The tracing paper and typing paper brought back fond memories to me too, especially of home ec. I hope you enjoy Sew. Have a great evening and thank you for the sweet Thursday visit. Hugs. 

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  11. Oho, happy needle and thread day. Never heard of it. Lovely the old sewing machine and the little Singer basket. I go back to my childhood. I remember that I had a red little sewing machine, but don't know what happened to. Believe me, I was a blessed child, had a lot of dolls and toys. Some are still there but most are lost.Sad. I remember a little washing machine in which I could clean my dolls' dresses. I am always happy to see some old things on your blog.
    The new freebie will be stitched soon.
    Hugs, Gabi

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    1. Aaah such sweet heart warming childhood memories. I can just imagine the many hours that you played "house" with the fantastic toys that you had. I had a little pink PlaySkool Sewing machine as a child and always wanted a play stove . My sis did get an easy Bake oven which we thought was the bomb. Lol. I often ask my Mom where are some of my old toys. I am sure she has some in the attic. Thank you for the sweet visit and bringing a smile to my day. Hugs and Blessings.

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  12. Wonderful find! I love that you appreciate everything Miss Tidy had and cared enough to relate it to who she must be/have been. I laughed out loud at your enthusiastic shopping. Woman after my own heart!!

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    1. Lol thank you so much, Betty. I do get excited when I go thrifting. LOL.It is the thrill of the hunt. Wasn't that basket filled to the brim with so many treasures? I wish I knew who the owner was. I will certainly treasure her sewing box. Have a great evening. Hugs.

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  13. What a very fun sewing basket and look back at all the sewing necessities. I remember so many of those items in my own mother's sewing box. I don't have a sewing box anymore. I have storage boxes these days and a whole sewing room!

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    1. Happy Thursday, Kate. I had a great time looking through the basket and seeing what treasures if housed. Aren't we lucky to have a room dedicated just to sewing? Lol. Thank you for the sweet visit. Hugs.

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  14. A wonderful find full of wonders!!!!
    And at what price!!
    You are an unbeatable treasure hunter, Melisa!!!
    Hugs

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    1. It was a great thrifty find. I think I was in the right place at the right time. LOL. Thank you so much, Isabel. Have a blessed day. Hugs.

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  15. Christina Christmasnonnaof3July 25, 2024 at 1:43 PM

    Melisa, you never cease to amaze me. This is soooo adorable ๐Ÿฅฐ

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    1. Hi Christina! Aaah you always are the sweetest. Thank you so much for dropping by to visit me. I hope you have had a great day. Hugs.

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  16. Happy National Thread the Needle Day to you and all stitchers everywhere. I certainly enjoyed peeking inside those sewing boxes.

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    1. Oh thank you so much, Jenny. I hope you had a great day and was able to enjoy it with needle and thread in hand. Hugs.

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  17. Visiting your blog is always a happy occasion although I end up going down many rabbit holes! LOL! I love your Granny's sewing basket...what a treasure trove! I had no grandparents but I did have an Aunt that taught me to crochet and sew....that's all it took and I've been "making" ever since! I didn't know it was needle and thread day but I did use them! Love the sewing basket you got at the thrift store! What a find and what a price!!! Congrats! Thank you also for your kind comment yesterday....it meant a lot to me.
    Hugs ~ Sam

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    1. Happy Thursday , Sam. Aaah thank you so much for the sweetest compliment. I have been known to go down a lot of rabbit holes myself. I am glad to hear that I have tempted you. LOL. It was a hoot to go through my grandma's sewing baskets. I always love to see what is in baskets. I bet you have so many fond memories with your Aunt. How fortunate you are that she taught you those skills. Sewing is addictive isn't it? LOL. Oh yes, that was a great find. I went to the thrift store the other day and their prices have gone up in just a month. You take care , Sam. Hugs.

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  18. What a fun find, Melisa!! I loved seeing all the goodies in the box. I think I had one just like that years ago! The look of it certainly brought back memories!

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    1. I was super excited to purchase this basket of goodies. It is hard for me to resist vintage sewing goodies. Thank you so much , Brenda for the sweet visit. Hugs. 

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  19. Thank you for the sweet new sewing stitch. It's so cute! Your thrift find reminded me of my MIL's sewing things I inherited and got to rummage through. She and Miss Tidy could have been related with many similar items owned. LOL I have many, many practical and odd things now that I probably will never use but do enjoy looking at occasionally. I also wonder what "they" will think of me when it's my turn to have my things are gone through.

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    1. How wonderful to have your dear MIL's sewing items. When the "treasures" are from a family member they mean so much more. I enjoy looking at and owning vintage sewing items too whether I will use them or not. There is no telling what will happen with my sewing boxes , but I hope one of my girls will enjoy them. Thank you for the sweet visit, Ginny. Hugs and Blessings.

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  20. What an awesome thing to find that sewing box! You got a lovely treasure of things for sure! You don't see wooden spools anymore to begin with. I would have done a happy dance too, hehe.
    Love your new Sew Day Basket, such a pretty design, thank you for sharing!
    Hugs

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    1. I was really excited that the box was filled with the wooden spools. I have been trying to collect the Lily brand threads for awhile. Thank you so much , Diana for the sweet visit. Hugs.

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  21. What a great find at a fantastic price! I think I have several of the same threads and that pink satin blanket ribbon. I have all of my mom and grandmother's sewing items. I think I have some of an aunt's sewing items also. I have used a lot of these things throughout my sewing/crafting journey. Enjoy! Thanks for the stitching freebies!

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    1. What a treasure to have your mom's , grandma's and even your aunt's sewing treasures. I bet they bring back fond memories when you look at them or use them. I was overjoyed to purchase this great thrifty find. Thank you so much, Cathie for the sweet visit. Hugs. 

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