Completely.  Sewn.  By.  Hand.

Englishman Thomas Saint is credited with the invention of the sewing

machine in 1790 but it took almost 100 years for a practical machine to

be manufactured and used commercially.  Up until the late 19th century
all clothing was tailored and stitched by hand.

Hand sewn and embroidered British court gown, 1740

Back view of French gown, 1755:

 French day gown, ca 1780

We get eye fatigue from gazing at our computer screen too long.

Imagine stitching this gorgeous creation by candlelight.

English silk wedding gown, 1828:

German silk and cotton gown, 1830:

British silk gown, 1835:

American silk day gown, 1840:

Close up attention to detail

Portuguese Court Gown, ca 1845:

English wedding gown, 1850:

Gown worn by Queen Victoria to the

Great Exhibition in London, 1851:

Italian court gown, 1857:

1860's ball gown:

American evening gown, 1865:

Princess Elizabeth of Austria coronation gown, 1867:

Purchasing off-the-rack machine stitched clothing was considered bourgeois
by the wealthy.  It was well into the 20th century before the upper crust
consented to designers using sewing machines to create their couture clothing.

Because organic fabrics like silk and cotton don't age well it's a wonder
that the gowns shown today have been preserved.  Thankfully (or not!)
non-organic materials such as polyester and rayon will be around for
centuries.  Is that a good thing?!

Upholstery and drapery fabric sample books are fabulous sources
for crafting creativity.   In my area several thrift shops regularly
offer these tantalizing treasures at extremely low prices.

The key to harvesting the beautiful samples is to dismantle the book and
remove the paper backing from each piece of fabric.  You can find
innumerable web sites that offer advice on how to take a sample book apart.

Link
Once the samples are unbound let your crafting imagination go wild!

Link

Classic table runners

Link


Source
Some sample books offer extremely large pieces of fabric,
often enough to cover a bar stool or a crate seat.

Link
Custom totes and purses are perfect uses
 of the smaller pieces of fabric.

Etsy Vendor

Etsy Vendor

Etsy Vendor

Etsy Vendor

Etsy Vendor

Upholstery fabric is quite sturdy and
makes excellent material for crafting:

Source

Source

Link
Adorable pin cushions or . . . . 

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. . . . . sachet bags!

The next time you're out thrifting keep an eye out for fabric sample books.
They contain small pieces of top quality fabric, ideal for quilting or just creating.

Archie and Boswell take two walks around the neighborhood

every day but their favorite day is Trash Day.

This morning we happened upon a pile of discarded drawers.

(Imagine tossing out perfectly good drawers!)

What better subject for the first Repurposeful Monday in November?

Link
When mounting drawers on the wall you can either use
them to hold stuff or turn them upside down and make a shelf.

Source

Mindi, of My Love 2 Create, came up with a
brilliant solution for under-the-bed storage:

Link
Click here for her step-by-step tutorial.

Source
If you don't want one large under-the-bed
pull-out, drawers can be used independently.

Source
Look up!  In apartment or dorm living you need
all the storage space available.  Drawers can help.

Link
Different size antique drawers are a
great way to display a collection.

Wallpaper drawers to highlight their contents:

Source

Turn a drawer into a message board:

Source
It makes a great key holder, too!


Bathrooms can also accommodate
repurposed drawers:

Source

Source

Drawers can help organize a playroom:

Source

Or you can built a bookcase of drawers:

Source

After looking at these great ideas for upcycling old drawers I'm wondering
if I can beat the trash man to that pile of drawers left on the street . . . . .