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