A tisket, a tasket, a pretty sewing basket

Before I begin to 'charm' you with the tale of my pretty li'l sewing basket, let me first say thank you to everyone who conveyed such loving thoughts re my last post. I have felt your warm hugs all the way down here at the bottom of the world......indeed they have warmed my days!

A li'l over a year ago I unearthed this sewing basket at my favourite market with the intention of tarting it up some time in the future. Oh dear.......in the very distant future it seems.......but......I do get to these pretties..........eventually.

I have a penchant for collecting receptacles; baskets, boxes, vintage tins, crystal bowls etc in which to store ribbons, laces and all those bits and bobs that us needle workers hoard  stockpile in the name of all things stitching. I always stash away fragments from whatever I am working on. One just never knows when one will need a snippet of a doiley or a dash of lace in an exact colour when one is fashioning a pretty.

I adore sewing baskets from yesteryear. This basket with it's pastel coloured cane  just shouts ME........so there was never any doubt that this pretty would remain hidden in the corner of the market booth for all time eternal. And.........the lady was more than willing to part with it for a song, so she and me were both delirious with great joy!

The basket is in good condition so with a li'l fixer-uppering; the affixing of some pretty fabrics, a smidgen of trimmings and a li'l free hand machine sketch of a little girl quilting, me thinks my li'l basket will look quite spiffy.

Just a li'l machine sketching bordered with some pretties; with a touch of silk ribbon embroidery highlighting a trailing leaf trim, some ric rac (I lurve ric rac), some loop-de-loop cording and a whiff of pom pom trim.

Of course I had to, had to cover those rusty nails around the top of the basket, so I affixed a li'l ric rac. I just lurve ric rac....ooops......but  you knew that, didn't you!

As the interior was looking a bit ho hum I lined the bottom and sides with some pretty strawberry fabric. Soooo much snazzier than the colourless interior of before. This strawberry print is one of my favourite fabrics.

And....of course, me being me, I simply couldn't resist adding a li'l embellishment to the interior of the lid! See.....those snippets of past makeries do come in handy.

The tarting up of my pretty sewing basket didn't take very long.....not too long at all. Hallelujah! Oh I do love a quick stitching project. In this li'l corner of the world, a quick stitching project doesn't come around too often. A "quick stitching project" is not an oft-used phrase uttered in this li'l ole abode!

So another pretty to house some more of those stitching trappings that seem to escape all too often in my sewing room. I must say I lurve it!!

Now let me see......what other pretty can I stitch and while away an hour or two this weekend. I will get back to you.........shall I. Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend filled with some pretty stitching!