You can't take it with you!

We've all heard the saying, "Whoever dies with the most fabric wins!" right? Well, if the saying were, "Whoever dies with the most buttons wins!", I think I know who could have won that prize!

I shared a bit in my last post about how I "inherited" (or garbage picked, but "inherited" sounds more polite) a bunch of sewing goodies from someone down the block (you can read all about it right here). After sorting out all the goodies and searching through cigar boxes, old Sucrets tins and plastic baggies, I found what looked like the largest singe button stash I have ever seen, over 5,000 buttons! I spent the past week carefully sorting and cleaning through it all to find beautiful buttons of every imaginable kind - wood, leather, bone, shell, plastic and glass. I have to admit, I love the variety of the plastic buttons most of all.

Great right? Okay, but seriously, I happened to already have just about as many buttons in my own stash as this great seamstress did! And I do LOVE me some buttons! So that got me to thinking - since you really can't take it with you, does it do any good to stash all these beautiful buttons away?

Although it would be seem cool to hoard keep them all, I think it would be far better to see them enjoyed and actually used. After all, wouldn't the seamstress who spent her life collecting and loving these buttons want to see them passed on and used? Yes, I think so!

And so, after picking a few choice buttons to add to my own collection, I did some more button sorting to come up with some very sweet little button gift bags. I'm passing these along to friends and family who craft and sew in hopes that they will use and enjoy them.

But after making about 20 gift bags I still had tons of buttons to pass on, so after further sorting put together these little button grab bags (each with about 85 buttons inside) finished off with one of my little "button business cards" inside. I'm passing these out as gifts to folks who sew, hopefully as a little inspiration!

And yes, I even want to share some with YOU! I'm going to post a little button bag giveaway in the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled! Yay! Just remember, you can't take it with you...

From Trash to Treasure

Friday afternoon when I went to run some errands I noticed a growing pile of garbage in our alley behind one of the houses down the block - one that has been empty for many years. As I slowed down to check it out (you know, see if it was worth digging through) I saw a couple of yardsticks poking out of one of the large, bulky black trash bags and made a mental note to poke around when I got back home.

When I finally did get back to do some official trash picking, I untied one of those large, bulky black trash bags to see some bits of fabric inside! I checked a few other bags and boxes, and ended up hauling two trash bags and three boxes back home to sort through. Unfortunately, most of the fabric was stained and soiled (boo hoo!) and went right back in the trash. But, at the very bottom of one of the big black bags I found this shopping bag all tied up, and when I opened it this is what I saw:

Inside this bag is one of the best treasures I've ever found - bright, beautiful, funky and freaky vintage fabric prints, cut for a quilt top and partially assembled! YEAH!

Check it - there are 16 assembled strips, each made from 21 5" cut squares (sewn with app. 1/4" seams so that each strip is about 94 1/2" long - almost 8 feet wide). And the NEWEST fabrics in the bunch seem to be from the late 1970's, most seem to have white, pink, and green or blue in common.

I am SO EXCITED about this find! I am in love with these fabrics!

And I can tell that the woman who started making this quilt top also loved these fabrics, too. I can just imagine the other things she made for herself and her family from these fabrics - dresses for herself and her girls, and decorations for her home.

I am determined to make this my summer project and finish this quilt!  My idea is to mix strips of solid colors in between these busy and bright strips to break it up and make it a little easier on the eyes. But I need a little help - since stitching quilt tops is NOT my best sewing talent!  What do you think of a small white strip bordering each of these patterned strips with a larger strip of either pink, green, or blue in between? Maybe you can envision something even better?

As for the rest of the trash picked treasure, there were a handful of vintage 1960's dress patterns in my size, a shoebox FULL to the brim with vintage sewing machine attachments (no sewing machines, those were probably already sold), some vintage knitting and crochet pattern books, and the mother of all vintage button stashes housed in several different boxes (a couple thousand buttons all together). I'll post more about some of the other finds later, but right now I am THRILLED about this quilt and want to get stitchin on it right away!

Sewing Machine Day/Sewing Stories

Photo from Cornell University Library

To some people, June 13th is Sewing Machine Day, a day to celebrate the invention of the sewing machine and take a moment to think about how it has changed our lives. I'm sharing some of my favorite sewing stories today and invite you to do the same! After reading a bit about my personal sewing story here, why not join me over at the BERNINA USA Blog to learn a little history about my favorite sewing family - and then share your own story with us there!

Just as many of you learned to sew from your mothers, my mom was also first and foremost my sewing inspiration. I wish desperately that I had some old photos to share with you, but since I've just moved those old memories are still buried in a box somewhere, so I'm sharing some newer things that I have sewn with you. I remember at about age 4 my mother would whip up all kinds of playthings - she would make little bean bags filled with beans, corn kernels or birdseed and super soft stuffed animal toys. (A tradition I am proudly carrying on!) 

Softies I stitched up for my daughter last year.

She also decorated my room with the coolest alphabet fabric for curtains, bedspread, and on floor cushions. Also a great tradition to carry on, and my little tot adores her room.

Some of the things I've stitched up for my tot's room.

Of course she also stitched many of my clothes as a kid, too! And I know why - because stitching up little girl dresses is totally fun!

A dress I stitched up last spring.

I think I first learned how to hand-stitch from my mother at about age 8, but only remember stitching the occasional simple doll dress or easy bag. It wasn't until my mother showed me how to use her sewing machine at age 10 that I REALLY started to love sewing! One of the first things I ever stitched was a stuffed television set for my room (well, since my mom said I couldn't have a real one, this was the next best thing) complete with rope electrical cord and button knobs!

In the years since I first touched a sewing machine, I've been on a constant journey to learn more. I've had the pleasure and good luck to have met some wonderful people along the way and always manage to learn a little something from each kindred sewing spirit - sometimes it is a new tip, short cut or technique, and sometimes it is a little life lesson. And although have become a Sewing Arts Educatory myself - passing on my love for sewing to others - I still feel like there is so much yet to learn. I am grateful my mother started me on my journey with the sewing machine, and I hope to keep sewing and learning for years to come!

Just dreaming, no sewing!

Still no idea of when I'll have a sewing area in the new house. Meanwhile, I'm running across some absolutely awesome sewing projects. At least I can dream about sewing, right?

I absoluam IN LOVE with this project from Bugglebee reusing a shirt and making it into a cool looking bag. Check it out: Upcycle: Shirt to Purse

This is so cute, I would love to stitch a few of these up for my little tot! Maggie from Smashed Peas and Carrots actually made this pretty little tot apron from a vintage one she used to wear as a little girl! Go to her blog for the Vintage Tie Apron Tutorial {and Pattern}

This is so rad  and would also make a great craft carry all for kids. Fabric Bento Box pattern and tute from LarkCrafts.com.

And finally, THESE would look so good in my new dining room! Long Stemmed Fabric Flowers from Snowy Bliss.

The State of Things

We've spent the past week and a half getting settled into our "new" home. It's not really new, but is a home owned by our family in which the first floor has been vacant for several years. So, we've taken up residence to cut costs.

We're using much of the furniture that was already here, and...well...it's a little like living at grandma's house! This has been my "office" where I work during the days. I clean up all my work stuff for dinner and breakfast, then get it all out the next day again.

My old sewing room/office is currently living in the basement. Here is my mangle iron, ironing board and irons under the stairs,

and here is part of my desk (I don't really know where the other half is right now) perched on top of my cutting table,

and here are all of my sewing supplies and sewing machines jammed into the corner.

There are several other rooms to unpack and get organized before we can even contemplate how to set up a sewing room/office in the basement! I think we're looking at two to three months before I'm up and running again.

Since the kitchen is one of the only rooms we actually have completely unpacked, and since I spend so much time in here, I'm really itching to stitch up some new curtains. I can't believe I'm going back to sewing on the kitchen table for a weekend and then putting all my sewing supplies away! On the bright side, there is plenty of room here in the kitchen to invite a friend or two to come over and sew with me. Because you know what they say, misery loves company!