Today's Weekly Voilà: The Beauty of a Handmade Object 😊💕✂️🇫🇷

PASSION • CREATIVITY • INSPIRATION

Hab·er·dash·er·y | noun
A place where sewing notions, accessories are sold.

I think my life could be told through sewing notions. All of the small objects such as pins, thread, buttons, coming together to create something special and so much more collectively than its individual pieces. Some of my best moments in life are wrapped around textiles:

Receiving my first sewing machine as a graduation gift.

My vintage wedding dress.

My children's knitted receiving blankets.

Plus, I have always adored anything related to needlework. I am happy as a clam combing through drawers of old darning yarn cards, playing with scraps of French fabrics, and seeing what bits and pieces of vintage ribbons I can put together. A good ole' fashioned haberdashery is one of my favorite shops to explore.

Sewing and all its related accouterment spark my creative spirit.

My favorite part of any project is the beginning, rather than the finish. I love to assemble all the possibilities together and see just what might be possible with all the bits and pieces. The act of sewing, of piecing the parts together into a greater whole, is quite the metaphor for life.

I learned to sew when I was 13 years old. My journey began in 7th-grade sewing class. Mrs. Kolpin was stern but what I now know, had the patience of a saint. Imagine a room full of mischievous young girls who were not so much interested in learning how to work needle and thread, then they were by the prospect of sewing someone's skirt hem to their book bag. To this day, I think of her often and appreciate all the skills and expertise she shared with me. I remember she had a small needlebook that she kept in her pocket. That woman was never without a spare needle. Whether to replace a broken needle for a sewing machine, or one that was sharp enough to pierce silk just right in a rolled hem, or to create the perfect embroidery stitch, she had your back every time. I thought that little bundle of felt fabric was ingenious. Thus, when I was pondering what items to create for my online shop, Mrs. Kolpin's needle case sprang to mind.

Voilà! The perfect first item for me to create and share with you.

For this lilac needle case, I gathered together my finds from my favorite Paris haberdashery, Sajou. The fabric, cording, buttons all come from this exquisite little shop. I used a vintage handwoven linen fabric for the lining and pure wool felt made in Germany for the pages. Only the best quality. Then, I tucked in a few found vintage sewing notions for good measure. Still plenty of room to add your favorite pins and needles.

Mid-18th-century style needle books were used to store needles in order to keep these precious objects from being lost or damaged. The wool felt ladened with lanolin helped to minimize the rusting of pins. A needle's thread was often attached to one side and the floss would naturally stick to the wool fabric and prevent tangling. These simple objects held great value 300 years ago and still have a useful purpose today.

You can click here to view my small collection of needle books.

I made this trio of needlebooks from vintage needlepoint pieces. I found them in the most awful of conditions - stuck in the ugliest plastic frames. Released from their bondage, they are now much happier being touched and enjoyed with a useful purpose. You'll find them on my website in Le Shop.

There is such beauty in a handmade item. The maker's thoughts, memories, creative spirit are captured within the object. You can't help but leave a part of yourself in it. They are not sold, or bought, or received in the same way as mass-produced things. Take some time this gift-giving season to support artisans and small businesses that speak to your tastes and values. Buy something that endures. Plus, you'll be helping to keep traditional craft making skills alive. I think Mrs. Kolpin would be pleased.

Get your own creative spirit going this weekend and make something by hand.

À bientôt mon amie,
Karen 😊💕✨🇫🇷