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#1
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Interesting Needlework Containers
Reading some of the recent posts on biscuit tins and storage cabinets,
got me to thinking about the way I've stored my needlework supplies. I love all sorts of small drawers and cabinets and have several larger pieces such as the DMC 2000 cabinet (anniversary gift) for storage. It's so neat to have small drawers, cabinets and boxes to store floss and all kinds of needlework items, those interesting odds and ends of embellishments I've collected through the years like semi precious beads, handmade beads of all types and button collections.......I love hand carved buttons from around the world......my favorites are a collection of jewel like vintage Chinese cloisonne buttons, carved veggie ivories and Mother-of-Pearls......these will make unique embellishments for my hand knit sweaters.....which accounts for a collection of "knitting" or yarn baskets.... Now that I'm thinking of this, my collection of containers rival the needlework supplies I set out to store! I have a large collection of all sorts of boxes and small cabinets, drawers. And then there are the baskets and other woven containers I use to store the many projects I'm working on. On the subject of tins.........I have a collection of quite large German tin boxes embossed with scenes of landscapes in some and historical subjects in others......these came with selections of gingerbread & other goodies. Holiday tins feature some of the best graphics.......very often I buy a good looking tin and give away the contents just to have the tin box. Other favorite storage containers are my wood Shaker boxes.....I have several sets in graduated sizes....I love the smell of the rubbed linseed oil finish, feeling the satin smooth wood sides and covers.........these boxes store a lot of threads and spools......there are small indiviudal boxes for needles, buttons and so on. On a past trip to Korea, Mr Wooly sent back a pretty small Korean cabinet for my then new needlework hobby not realizing how this hobby was going to mushroom......he thought that little chest would be perfect to store a project or two......... As Mr Wooly became "trained", in another year, he bought me several Egyptian boxes with detailed geometric patterns of mother-of-pearl inlays, the two boxes I use all the time is a large rectangular box where I store my sterling silver needlework tools and a domed box of beautiful inlay work where I store other small bits and pieces. Then there was another anniversary gift of a small, beautifully handmade, detailed handpainted reproduction of an antique PA dower chest.....all completely made by hand including the wrought iron hinges and nails to make the box. Overall, I love boxes and containers such as the above.......have a real fascination for opening small drawers and doors to find "treasures". Guess it all stems from childhood daydreams of reading about Pirate trunks, chests and the Arabian Nights tales, such as an Aladdin's cave full of treasure boxes......and as I became a teen-ager, reading Gothic romance novels where the heroine often had an attic full of old trunks and chests filled with all manner of treasures from by-gone sea captain ancestors and often an elderly Auntie with curio cabinets and drawers filled with ivory needlework tools, silk flosses and such.........I sometimes loved reading more about the descriptions of the contents of curio cabinets, antique room settings, fabrics, costumes and such more than the plot! In the last few years, I've found places like the Bombay Company to offer lovely boxes including some very nice sewing boxes with little brass sewing motifs......of course one can use some of those charming jewelry boxes and chests for needlework storage. The reality is, I like collecting boxes and small chests to store my projects in......the more unusual, the handmade, the better.........sometimes think my needlework is a good excuse to acquire more interesting storage containers. --- Lula http://www.woolydream.com Needlework Adventures |
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#2
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In article , Lula
writes: romance novels where the heroine often had an attic full of old trunks and chests filled with all manner of treasures from by-gone sea captain ancestors Many times I've heard from my great-aunt (whose father and grandfather were captains in the China Trade) that beggars would come to the house, and her DM and DGM would hand them several yards of silk as if it were any old rag, because the menfolk had brought them so much Chinese silk they couldn't use it all. The old family houses in Germany have been handed down for generations, and I would love to have a rummage through their attics. Nothing in my family's attics on this side of the ocean that pre-dates 1930. (Make note to self: call old auntie in Germany before it's too late and see if I can come visit.) -- Finished 11/18/03 -- Bird of Paradise WIP: Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe, Guide the Hands (2d one) Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html |
#3
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In article , Lula
writes: Holiday tins feature some of the best graphics.......very often I buy a good looking tin and give away the contents just to have the tin box. Yep. If it's something I absolutely *must* have, I'll do that. Otherwise, I've found a thrift store in town that quite often has a good supply of the pretty tins for 25c each. -- Finished 11/18/03 -- Bird of Paradise WIP: Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe, Guide the Hands (2d one) Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html |
#4
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Karen, it would be wonderful if you can go check this source out! I'm
slightly envious...... My late Mother had many wonderful things brought over from China but much was destroyed by a house fire in my childhood. Fortunately, bolts of vintage silks were stored in a carved trunk in another area and not affected.......years later, my Mother gave me all these bolts of silk. I used to practically "live" in the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC in the American wing admiring the many beautiful room settings and objects of the China trade.......recall one favorite piece was a large, tall hand carved ivory masterpiece of an incredible pagoda full of amazing details........then there were the beautiful blue and white ceramics....that has inspired my collection and lifelong love of blue and white porcelains. --- Lula http://www.woolydream.com Needlework Adventures Karen C - California wrote: In article , Lula writes: romance novels where the heroine often had an attic full of old trunks and chests filled with all manner of treasures from by-gone sea captain ancestors Many times I've heard from my great-aunt (whose father and grandfather were captains in the China Trade) that beggars would come to the house, and her DM and DGM would hand them several yards of silk as if it were any old rag, because the menfolk had brought them so much Chinese silk they couldn't use it all. The old family houses in Germany have been handed down for generations, and I would love to have a rummage through their attics. Nothing in my family's attics on this side of the ocean that pre-dates 1930. (Make note to self: call old auntie in Germany before it's too late and see if I can come visit.) -- Finished 11/18/03 -- Bird of Paradise WIP: Angel of Autumn, Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe, Guide the Hands (2d one) Paralegal - Writer - Editor - Researcher http://hometown.aol.com/kmc528/KMC.html |
#5
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Lula - I loved your post about the interesting needlework storage. I
have to say that I am far from emulating you - most of my stash lives in canvas tote bags (many bags). But for my birthday I got a little chest from Pier One with 16 ceramic drawers. The drawers are all brightly painted with different designs. It could be a spice chest but for me it's a beading chest - all the little clasps, rings, charms, etc. now have a place to live. Otherwise I have floss in plastic boxes - I got some nice big ones at the Container Store and have broken the lids on two of them trying to get them open (they close very tightly.) I enjoy reading about other people's storage/stitching situations! Alison |
#6
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Alison,
Thanks for telling me about your neat bead storage cabinet, now I have a good excuse to visit Pier One......those ceramic drawers sound very pretty and so perfect for your beads and supplies.......I'm going to go look for a similar chest! My needlework stash is an excuse to "collecting" all sorts of interesting boxes and chests........I recall my trip to the Container Store a few years ago and the difficult time I had deciding what to buy! Now that you're mentioning tote bags........I also have quite few interesting tote bags that I store yarns and all sorts of projects in! Makes it easy to grab a project and go. It has gotten to a point where one of the ways I decide what handbag to buy is it's ability to hold a needlepoint project. --- Lula http://www.woolydream.com Needlework Adventures Alison wrote: Lula - I loved your post about the interesting needlework storage. I have to say that I am far from emulating you - most of my stash lives in canvas tote bags (many bags). But for my birthday I got a little chest from Pier One with 16 ceramic drawers. The drawers are all brightly painted with different designs. It could be a spice chest but for me it's a beading chest - all the little clasps, rings, charms, etc. now have a place to live. Otherwise I have floss in plastic boxes - I got some nice big ones at the Container Store and have broken the lids on two of them trying to get them open (they close very tightly.) I enjoy reading about other people's storage/stitching situations! Alison |
#7
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...those ceramic drawers sound very
pretty and so perfect for your beads and supplies.......I'm going to go look for a similar chest! They're on sale at Pier One right now- I know because I've wanted one for a long time and I'm headed over there after work today! SueS |
#8
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A whole 'nother area here is containers for WIPs! I usually have at least a half dozen projects in the works, and I keep them in a collection of pretty baskets. Each project has all I need to pick it up and get going, except for a few tools like scissors, dolollies, etc., which I keep in a bitty basket of their own. I just stack the baskets (no handles) in a couple of piles in a corner. Felice |
#9
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On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 15:54:27 GMT, "Felice Friese"
wrote: A whole 'nother area here is containers for WIPs! For my at-home WIPs and soon-to-become WIPs, I have a letter-size hanging file container on my desk. Each project has a hanging folder that contains the chart, fibers, embellishments and fabric until the piece is started, and if it's a smaller piece (less than 11 inches wide including scroll bars), the actual piece will be in there as well. At the immediate moment, the sorter contains only 1 current WIP (Lady of the Flag), 3 fully kitted STBWIPs, and 4 charts only that are high on my list. My other current WIP is a purse project that never hit the sorter. Jenn L. http://community.webshots.com/user/jaliace http://sewu9corn.blogspot.com Current projects: Gertie the Witch (Faithwurks Seasonal Spoolie - October) Lady of the Flag (Mirabilia) |
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