Antique Wardrobe Turned into Sewing Room

I took an antique wardrobe I recently brought home and created a sewing room.  I have never had a place to create or store any of my sewing gear.  I always just pulled it out, had it in the way, and then put it away hoping the kids didn't destroy it. 

I tried to use only vintage or antique items to store everything in.  This side holds the hanging fabric that is ready to be made into something.  I have a cutting board folded up on the side and a serger in the bottom.  Above the fabric on the shelf, I have a vintage office basket holding my shipping envelopes and a antique punch bowl holding ribbon.

I really thought hard about what to do with the ribbon.  There are many cute ways to store ribbon.  This punch bowl is huge and it was perfect to do the job.  It also gives ma a great way to store the punch bowl and when it is party time I can still pull it out and use it.

Knowing how many beautiful work spaces there are in blogland I had to try to make this small sewing room a little bit fun.  So I created a mini doily bunting and a hand lettered burlap banner to give a little inspiration to the space.

This wardrobe is really huge.  When a whole sewing machine fits on a shelf, it gives you a feel for how much storage space there was to work with.

For a lot of things I create I really never use a pattern, but I had a few patterns I placed in this vintage hanging basket.  The only new thing in the wardrobe is the bulletin board, which I can use for inspiration pictures, fabric, or trim swatches.

The rest of the punch bowl set came in handy too.  The under plate is holding the twelve cups which make a nice place to store lace.  I am always throwing a pin or single button into the cabinet that holds my sewing equipment and I thought the under plate will be a great thing to use in this way as a catch all.

I thought this was a perfect place to show off a few treasures from some important sewers in my life.  This is a vintage Holly Hobby doll hand made by my Grandmother for me. 

Another treasure, on the left, is a china doll handmade for me by my mother.  A piece of art pottery holds some rope and a vintage Ball canning jar holds all of the scissors.

A zinc cloche holds a stack of thread, making it easy to see which color you need.

This shelf has vintage tins and canisters full of lavender to make sachets.  There is also a vintage sewing kit made out of a jelly jar, a white picket planter holding white lace and rick rack, and an antique toy Singer sewing machine.

And, here on the final shelf is the sewing machine, a vintage card file box, and a "Butts" pail.  The "Butts" pail still has the Woolworth's sticker on it and I found it for nothing at a yard sale.  It was a perfect place to store a bunch of buttons on cards.

Here the wardrobe is closed.  I keep a table right by this which will be the perfect work surface and possibly not too disturbed by my kids if I pull something out to work on it.  Possibly... I will get more made for my Etsy shop now!?  

  Sherry 

  I will join:

Sunday's Best Party  at My 1929 Charmer

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Sunny Simple Sundays  at Sunny Simple Life

Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick
Cottage Style Link Party  at Lavender Garden Cottage

Say G'Day Saturday  at Natasha in Oz

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Transformation Thursday at Shabby Creek Cottage
Furniture Feature Friday  at Miss Mustard Seeed
Summer Cloche Party  at A Stroll Thru Life

Burlap Hearts

I have been really liking anything made of burlap lately.  I have been seeing burlap creations on Pinterest.  So, I took my Pinterest inspiration and created a burlap heart of my own.  I didn't have a small nest but, this worked out. 

I had an old lace applique that worked out really well on the smaller heart.

These are very easy to make.  I just cut a heart pattern out of newspaper or notebook paper.  I sewed the two pieces together, turned , and stuffed the hearts with fiber-fill.  Then decorated with whatever I had on hand.   Create some of your own for spring!

 

Sherry

 I will link this to:

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

White Wednesday  at Faded Charm

What's It Wednesdays  at Ivy and Elephants

Wednesday Show Off  at Elna-Sudden

Air Your Laundry Friday  at Freckled Laundry

Time For Angels

An Angel in the House

How sweet it were, if without feeble fright,

Or dying of the beauteous, dreadful sight,

An angel came to us, and we could bear

To see him issue from the silent air

At evening in our room, and bend on ours

His divine eyes, and bring us from his bowers

News of dear friends and children who have never

Been dead indeed, as we shall know for ever,

Alas! we think not what we daily see

About our hearths, angels that are to be.

Or may be if they will; and we prepare

Their souls and ours to meet in happy air,

A child a friend, a wife, whose soft heart sings

In unison with ours, waiting for future wings.

Leigh Hunt 1784-1859

 Sherry
 I will join:
Show off Your Cottage Monday  at The House in the Roses 

Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life

Your Cozy Home Party  with Cozy Home Scenes

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tea Pot and Tea Things Tuesday at Breath of Fresh Air

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Tea Party Tuesday  at Sweetology 

Tuesday Cuppa Tea  at Antiques and Teacups

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

Lace Plates

I have been seeing plates Mod Podged with lace and I have been wanting to give it a try.  So, today I took two little white plates and gave them a generous coat of Mod Podge and then saturated the lace doily with Mod Podge and applied it to the plate.  Topping off with another coat of Mod Podge.  They could hang on the wall or sit on the shelf.  They have a very vintage look about them.

 I will link to:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Go and visit these lovely blogs.

Laundering Vintage Linens

I was given some beautiful vintage linens that I wanted to use for an upcoming table.  But, there were a few stains and they were just overall dingy.

I had heard of Oxi Clean and I thought I would give it a try.  

 I decided to try the power paks.  They dissolve right in the water as soon as you drop them in.  Run the hotest water your fabric can tolerate and swish the power pak around till dissolved.

Put your linens in and swish often.  Changing the hot water and using another power pak if needed.  The directions said to soak 1-6 hours.  I changed the water once and soaked mine 24 hours.  

Here you can see the water is dirty.  Right about here I changed the water.

After I was done soaking them, I filled the sink back up with cool plain water and swished them around to rinse.  Then I squeezed them out and put them on a towel like this.

I rolled the towel up and pressed the water out of the linens.  Then I hung them to dry.

Last, I pressed them with a hot iron.  I was really surprised the napkins with the crocheted edging were this fabulous peachy/pink shade. All of the linens got very clean and I didn't see any stains.  I give Oxi Clean a thumbs up!  It works great.

I will link to:

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

My Favorite Things at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie

White Lace

I got into my sewing notions a few weeks ago and I didn't realize how much lace I had.  I love lace and obviously I never have thrown a scrap away!

This piece was embroidered.  I am not sure if it is by hand but, it is quite old.  I got it at a flea market.

  Here is a vintage crocheted lace collar.

Here is a collar embellished with battenburg lace.

Lace collars were all the rage on floral print dresses in the 80's.  Here I have a collar I purchased then and it never was used.  

 Where as the collar above looks very dated to the 80's, this collar looks timeless.  Very romantic and Victorian.   I might have to find a project to use it on.  Thanks for having fun peeking at my lace collection.   
I will join Kathleen for White Wednesday at her blog Faded Charm.
Go over and visit her and view some very romantic and lovely white decorating!