Torn, tattered, patched, and darned, vintage fabrics have a story to tell. Representing three decades of collecting, I have lovingly gathered together vintage fabrics and sewing notions from my personal collection to create these one-of-a-kind bundles.

I never throw away a piece of fabric. There are always buttons to cover, appliqué work to ponder, and decorative ways to mend a garment. I love to use expensive textile samples and ribbons to create a special pillow, make a ribbon bookmark to adorn a handmade book, or design piecework for a quilt or hexagon squares.

To create my bundle, I first select a focal fabric and go from there. I add a few pattern samples from high-end designers, choose vintage silk threads and ribbons, and search for an old sewing notion to pull it all together.

Voilà! Beautiful sewing bundles to grace your creative space and encourage your imagination.

Small pieces of bits and bobs have a lot of life left to give. I love the tiny holes, obvious mending places, and the patina of well-worn French linen. You have to see the beauty in the imperfections. If perfect condition is what you want, then these vintage bundles are not for you. However, if you desire to see and feel the maker's hand, you will appreciate these fabrics and trims.

As I turn each item over in my hand, at a country brocante, standing on a narrow, cobble-stoned medieval street in a sweet French village, I think that these textiles represent the cycle of everyday objects.

For me, they capture the simple beauty of everyday life.

The piece that began this bundle was the 1920s card of mother-of-pearl buttons. I love the combination of blues and greens. From there, I went through my collection and pulled quality samples that I have collected over the years in various fibers such as silk, linen, and damask. Being that it is one of my favorite color palettes, it was easy to find several special examples.

Included is a vintage, linen guest towel with an applique of two birds. I love the composition and the color. Anything with birds always captures my attention.

The antique hanky has the most exquisite, delicate crocheted border. I saw at an art show several years ago, pincushions made with linen and topped with a vintage handkerchief. They were filled with buckwheat hulls and dried lavender so that they were very full and the hanky’s border was stretched and starched. One of these days, I have to make one.

The button is from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Several years ago, there was an exhibition on William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement. There was a collection of handmade clay buttons and this is one of the ones I purchased. I include it because I thought it worked beautifully with the bundle.

A couple vintage ribbons, silk threads, my favorite French safety pins, and a vintage tape measure in the perfect blue finish off the collection.