Samsonite Sewing Case

I'm joining Soma of Whims And Fancies today with her Wandering Camera series.

Thank you Soma for hosting, I've been taking all kinds of photos this past month trying different ISO settings. These photos are as I took them except for cropping and/or straightening. I put together a collage at the end, but the photos I've shown in this post are the ones I like the best.

I'm also joining up with Jemma, Laura, Stacey and Laura for ...

Thanks for hosting ladies!

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This is a little Samsonite travel case my father gave my mother years ago.

He even had her initials applied to the clasps. 

Mom loved this case, which is a perfect vanity case with a tray set in the top and a deep bottom. It's quite heavy for its size, but all luggage was heavy back in the 50's and 60's. My sisters and I loved this case because it was like opening up a little private room complete with mirror. Mom would even take this camping, so it was a treat to be allowed to use her case to get our hair brushed in the morning with this propped open on our camp cots.

My brother found it in our parents' house while clearing things out, and he brought it home for me when he was visiting. It was in a small basement cupboard under the stairs ... and it reeked of mildew or something (a smell that permeated the basement of the awful little house my parents bought to downsize). 

I didn't know what to use it for ... much too heavy to want to use as a travel case (probably over the carry-on weight limits these days). I set it up in the bathroom with pretty soaps for a while, but it just seemed impractical, so it got tucked into a cupboard at my house too :(

I didn't want to leave it unused and taking up valuable cupboard space. It was too cute to hide away. Putting the soaps in it took away the awful smell thank goodness. Then I saw on Pinterest how someone had used a similar case as a sewing basket. Perfect! My own sewing basket was tiny and I couldn't even close the lid anymore. I immediately dragged out Mom's case and transferred my sewing bits and pieces to its spacious tray and into the bottom. It's rather heavy to use as a sewing basket, but being able to fit everything in there that I need is wonderful. I only have to carry it up and down the stairs at the most. And (so far) I can snap the lid closed making it easy to carry.

top tray

bottom cavern ... elastic pockets all around the edge too!

Even the top tray has a hidden tray in the centre ...

I keep sewing machine needles in the hidden section.

Everything I had in the small basket and more fits into the new case. I have a few pairs of scissors. A couple from the thrift store, small embroidery scissors, Mom's and mine :)

An old small candy tin for pins ...

A needle "cushion" I made for my needles. I've never made another, although I'd like to one day. I made this pinwheel square up when I was learning how to quilt. And a little thread catcher that folds flat for the storage.

When I was really getting into sewing when I was quite young, my mom gave me her mother's thimble. Mom said it was too small for her fingers, so I may as well have it. You can just see the printed number for size "4" on the lower edge. Now I think thimbles are just marked on the package as small, medium or large.

Eventually it became to small for my finger as well, and I was forced to buy a new thimble. Mine isn't nearly as pretty as Grandma's. Don't you love the personal aspect of thimbles? All those quiet hours that a loved one spent sewing, thimble on the finger, thinking of whatever you think of when your mind is able to rest and wander.

This little piece was a quick toy I made for my infant daughter when I was sewing one day. It was made to occupy her while I sewed and came in handy many times. I've always kept it in my sewing case  and I always will  :)

A circle of China men holding the silk pincushion. My eldest sister bought this for me one year from the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition). I was touched that she thought of me when she was there (I was too young to go to the CNE on my own at that time). It's about 40 years old now.

Oddly enough, my dad gave me this little trinket ... a "Daisy Knitter". You turn the little knob in the centre and the spikes come out around the edge. You then wind yarn around the spikes to make little daisies. I've never used it, but it sits in my case always.

I'm really happy with my sewing case now. I just have to remember to put things back in there when I'm finished! I tend to spread my projects far and wide around the house as I set up in various corners of my home :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Wendy

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Here are the collages of various settings ...