Empty sewing basket gone. Enter the sewing box.

In a recent post, I shared a picture of my temporary sewing basket…

On its own, this is a fine little basket, but with no lid, little space, no pockets, and holes, it is usually empty. The woven surfaces are quite rough and hazardous to fine fabrics, and those open spots allow small pins and other notions to sneak through.

Obviously, a genuine sewing box was in order. I wanted a small, tidy box for transporting project bits and bobs from room to room. Searching through craft and fabric stores resulted mainly in frustration; there was just nothing that took my fancy.

What to do?

If you are reading this, you probably know Lynn, from Tialys. And you are probably aware that she makes the most beautiful sewing boxes. A cruise through her Etsy site convinced me one of her boxes was what I needed. We had many conversations as she patiently listened to my desires, and suffered through my myriad of mind changes. (A saint, she is.) Finally we ended up with a beautiful black/white toile with red lining.

So, let me introduce you to my beautiful new custom sewing box.

Shall we open the box together?

Lynn did a lot of fussy cutting to place a different illustration on each side piece. I asked for florals, and a cow…..and here she is! Oh, and just look at that cheery cherry lining!

Each side has either an elastic strap or a pocket for notions. Most of them were filled with surprises, hand-picked for me by Lynn.

A large vintage button (maybe for a coat?), some fine black wool (to repair a hole in my old cashmere sweater?), some lovely brown thread (look at that sheen!), and a teeny tiny vintage baseball bat. No, of course it’s not really a bat, I believe it’s a lace bobbin? The lovely lady in the red swing coat and stylish hat is Lynn’s business card. A perfect vintage French card for her.

The only thing left to do is fill my lovely new box with the accoutrements of my current project: baby girl bib and little boy neck pillow for my great grands.