Treasure Trove - Part 1

I have a bit of a thing for old sewing boxes.  I have found a few in antique and thrift stores that have neat folding out sections, and I think they are just the best for organizing threads.  But what really draws me in when I see an innocuous sewing basket sitting in a store is the possibility of what could be inside.  At least three times in the last year I have bought a vintage sewing box, not because I wanted the box itself, but because of the delicious filling inside.

The latest box wasn't even hiding it's goodies, it was sitting open and the price tag proudly proclaimed that all within was included.

As sewing boxes go, it's a pretty dull one.  Also with no dividers or anything for organization, the jumble of threads and notions was just dumped together in the cavernous space.  It was hard to tell at first glace if there was anything worth the price inside, but a few treasures peaked out of the mess and beckoned to me.

I must admit, I felt a bit like a character from one of my favorite old RPGs opening a treasure chest and hoping the random drop would be something good.


I was not disappointed :)

 After an hour or so of sorting and rewinding errant spools, I finally had the whole trove laid out.  Thoughts of dragons poring over their hoards went through my head as I began the difficult task of deciding how much of any of this I really needed.

Spools of thread are always good to keep, you never know when you might need just that one specific color.  Most of the embroidery floss I gave away, all of it was from old companies that no longer make floss, and thus would be very hard to match to modern colors.

I did have a lot of fun going through the spools, as there was a wide spread of ages and manufacturers.  I tried to line up a timeline of sorts based just on the labels and company names.

Most were Coats, Clarks, or some combination thereof, but there was also a handful of nice silk thread all bearing the name Belding with various & 'so and so' afterwards.  Interesting not only because I really like silk thread, but also because I live less than 20 miles from the town of Belding where it was produced back in the day.


The heaps of bias tape and lace were definitely on my keep list.  I don't think I've had to buy bias tape new for at least a year or two, just because there always seems to be some in the sewing boxes I buy.  I am also the proud owner of three wooden darning eggs for the same reason.  Also among the treasures in this box was a nice tracing wheel, the one tool I hadn't managed to come across yet.

The tomato pincushions and more specialty items deserve their own post, so stay tuned for part 2.

The buttons I definitely kept.  I think I have some sort of compulsive button hoarding disorder.  I do use them in things, but it often seems as if more come into my sewing room than ever leave.