Vintage Treasure Box

At a estate sale last summer I walked into a closet and found only one thing - a worn and shabby box sitting on the floor. The wooden box was covered with faux woodgrain paper and lined in flannel. 

The box itself was sort of interesting, but of course I had to take a peek inside. It appeared to be filled with tattered and torn strips of organza, a few strips of silk, and bits of ribbon and lace. My junking heart started to beat a little faster!

I dug a bit further and what I saw intrigued me enough to take the box to the check out table. I couldn't wait until I got home, so I started pulling things out in the car while the DH drove. 

There were bits of lace, a ribbon rosette, and a bit of tucked trim.

There were a few crocheted pieces, including a doily edged with a silk ruffle.

There were lots of tassels and cords in various states of shabbiness, and a bit of fringed trim.

There were tools and bits of thread and a few other miscellaneous things, but possibly the best thing in the box was a huge knot of vintage French metallic trim with matching thread. It took me over an hour at home to disentangle it all. What you see below is just a portion. I've since sold and gifted quite a bit, but will be keeping the most of what remains.

At the bottom of the box I found a Brainerd & Armstrong Co. book titled "Embroidery Lessons with Colored Studies" printed in 1900. The book has over 100 pages of embroidery illustrations and stitch instructions. It also contains sixteen full-color plates of embroidery designs. The former owner tucked bits of embroidery floss between many of the pages - some in the original late-1800s packaging, and some loose. Bits of crochet and newspaper clippings were also tucked into the book.

I thought this hand painted hankie with the note folded inside was sweet. 

And what about the bits of fabric that were at the top of the box? I've yet to wash and press them, but I rather imagine I'll find a use for many. 

My visit to the sale was late in the day so apparently this box of goodness wasn't to most people's taste. I'm so thankful for that, as I think it's found the perfect home with me!

Journal Making

In 2013 I signed up for Mary Ann Moss's Full Tilt Boogie on-line journal class. I watched the video tutorials right away but didn't make anything. About 18 months ago Mary Ann announced she was switching her blog to another platform and the class link I subscribed to would be going away in January 2016. That seemed like forever but I watched the videos again, found an antique photo album to use as a cover, made up some pages, then didn't do anything else. In early December it occurred to me that January 2016 was right around the corner! I decided I'd best get in gear and make at least one journal before the class link expired and...voila!

It's hard for me to believe that I actually made this! The late 1800s celluloid cover came from an estate sale several years ago, but the velvet along the spine edge was threadbare and filthy. What a perfect place to use the striped grosgrain ribbon I love so much! 

This book was made using the sewn tapes method, with the pages stitched together with waxed linen. The fabric "tapes" are from an upholstery sample I picked up somewhere years ago. The velvet bow came from a vintage hat.

The velvet ribbon tie was originally the binding on another 1950s hat. I stitched it to some vintage picot-edge grosgrain ribbon from my stash.

As for the style of the pages, most of you will get it. For those who don't and who think I've lost it, the book is meant to be a place to stick bits and pieces of paper ephemera and other things I've been saving just because I like them or they speak to me for some reason.

The quote on the inside cover came from a Hallmark bag. Washi tape figures prominently on these pages and throughout.  Most of the pages are made from partial pieces of scrapbook papers that I love. I use a lot of paper for packaging of items I sell on Etsy, so there are always leftover usable bits.

I've shared a few page spreads below. Most have already changed significantly as I've added a lot of things since I took these photos. I'll share new photos in a couple of months, but I can tell you that I've already emptied out one drawer of my paper treasure chest!

Just one more!

The Full Tilt Boogie class is available on Mary Ann's Dispatch from LA web site. The class includes several binding options. She offers other classes as well, and her blog is a great read.

My plan for the year is to MAKE a lot more things and to USE lots of the crafting supplies and vintage items I've collected. I'm starting the new year with Mary Ann's Remains of the Day journal class. I've watched all of the videos and can hardly wait to start my next journal. It will use up a lot more of my stash. But for now, back to adding to this one!

A Bit of News for Those Following Blogs Using Google Friend Connect

I hate technical posts so apologize up front, but I'd hate to lose any of you as followers. I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but apparently if you read Blogger-based blogs using Google Friend Connect you'll no longer be able to do so after tomorrow unless you have a Google account. I've copied the information Blogger provided below in purple. 

(From Blogger:) In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.
We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.
We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

If you use Bloglovin or another reader program, you can search for my blog by title and follow it that way, or just click on the Bloglovin button at the upper right on my blog. I've been using Bloglovin for a while now and am pretty happy with it, but I know there are other sites out there that allow you to choose and follow the blogs you like to read.

On a related note, I noticed about a year or so ago that when I leave a comment on blogs linked to a gmail account, the blogger author no longer receives an email showing my comment. I do receive a long and technically detailed email telling me so. As I've yet to figure out how to get past this hurdle, many of you aren't being notified by email when I comment on your blogs. I don't have a gmail account, but do have a Google account and am still blocked. It's annoying and mystifying (in a bad way.) I've been resistant to adding a gmail account as I already have two Yahoo mail accounts, but may have to give in and see if that solves the comment problem.

Thanks in advance for sticking with me! I have a fun post coming up about a journal I made using a vintage photo album cover. Here's a sneak preview, just so you have a photo to see in this otherwise boring post!

Pincushion Cuteness

Vintage cotton pom pom fringe is one of my favorite things, so I'm always excited when I find enough to keep some for myself and sell a bit on Etsy. Recently a customer - and fellow vintage pom pom fanatic - purchased some and let me know that she would be using it to make pincushions.  I'm so impressed with her creations and the way she's used the pom poms that I asked if I could share.

She has such a great eye for design and color, and uses only quality materials and methods. Plus...these are just so clever and charming! I would never have thought to use the pom poms this way.

Here's another of her pom pom creations. Wouldn't these be a fun addition to any sewing space? She even makes and includes decorative pins. 

She also makes darling little clay creatures. This adorable possum family recently made its way into my shopping cart. We have possum guests on our fence almost nightly, so I thought it was appropriate and these are so cute I just couldn't resist!

Photo from LucysLocket on Etsy.com

Her tiny little wool and felt creatures would make anyone smile.

Photo from LucysLocket on Etsy.com

If you want a new pincushion that's a little work of art and will brighten your day, or need a great gift for a creative friend or family member, she has lots of great options. Visit LucysLocket on Etsy here.