A small obsession in the sewing room.

As I walk down the hall, I glance into the joy of my sewing room.  The sun bouncing through a beaded collar.  I'm lost.  No work is getting done this morning.  The room has cast it's spell, time slows as my breathing relaxes.  The rest of the day is spinning past, yet time in this most magical place stands still and allows me to follow creative desire where it will lead.

Baskets of colored threads line a shelf.  Spools of vintage ribbons stacked by color.  Drawers full of carefully stored millinery stems, some so tiny and delicate it's satisfying to just gaze within.  Old, complicated laces pinned to mannequins.  Fabrics stacked on open shelves,  organized by color, with lace, ribbons, buttons and trims piled on top.   Each pile carefully chosen to someday use with the fabrics.  Rows of large antique jars full of tiny parts-embellishments for projects, bits of ribbons to exquisite to waste, Frozen Charlotte dolls peeking out of the glass, surrounded by color and textures. Huge baskets with buttons categorized by color, at least thirty pounds of buttons.  Antique scissors and other tools from all around the world tucked into every wooden box or jar.  

I think it's time to admit to an addiction that consumes me.  I love the look, the feel in my hands, the faded, muted or tattered textiles, tools, EVERYTHING to do with woman's work of times past.  At one point I remember reading that woman's work was a lost part of American life.  This may have been true for a time but I think there is something, maybe deep in our DNA that connects us to our generations of mothers past, that drives us today to continue to sew, knit, embroider, quilt and the many other hand traditions.









  There may be a new spin on designs and materials that we can readily access, but the simple process of pushing a sharp tool through a piece of fabric is still the same, still satisfying.  

Rarely a day goes by that I don't at some point thread a needle or wrap a yarn around a my finger.  When I see an old tool or pattern I have to save it, give it a home in my room.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59705660/vintage-pink-tape-measure-sewing-tool