counting sheep

Monday, September 19, 2011

It came from across the sewing room!


For years now I have been a seller on eBay. First I sold antique and vintage clothing buttons and then went to other vintage items that struck my fancy. Now I list for a partner who frequents the auction houses looking for domestic items for me to sell on paulsdomestiques1.  He does the leg work and I do the research and listing. So you can imagine I have a lot of domestic paraphernalia laying around. Two years ago I turned half of my basement into a sewing room. Complete with machines for the granddaughters and their friends to learn to sew.  When school started back up I decided I would sew down in the catacombs by myself.... yeah right....


For about a week I sat down there and sewed by myself. It seemed that every time I would go upstairs for a tea break and come back down to my machine the tension would be almost falling off my machine. I would fix it, sew for a couple of hours and it would do just fine. I thought maybe it was vibrating itself loose or something, but it wasn't, I checked.

One evening I was sewing away and stopped to check my underneath stitching to make sure my bobbin tension was alright. I was just staring at the stitching when from across the room a button flew, a little china calico button. It hit me on the cheek.  Now.. I  had another disturbance while upstairs but it had been awhile.  I have been told that energy or ghosts or whatever can stick with their possessions, especially possessions they loved while alive...

Well every  machine I own is at least my age or older and some way older. And I do have lots and lots of sewing machines, old antique sewing baskets filled to overflowing with old needle packets, threads and all manner of millinery items. I have found marbles, little trucks and cars and lots of little toy things in these baskets as well. Sewing machine drawers overflow with bits of antique laces and rick racks of every imaginable color. Stacks and stacks of vintage fabrics and unfinished quilt tops and blocks.  Now I don't know how others feel but I love any quilt block I manage to make with all my heart and treat it as something special but I hope I can let them go once I buy the farm, if ya know what I mean!

To get back to the button story you can imagine I was kind of freaked out. I slowly stood up from my Singer stool and walked to the staircase and ran up the steps! Although I work downstairs sometimes on machines and what not (when the hubbs is home) I have never sewn down there again.  Oh don't worry, I have machines upstairs too. I think something was trying to get my goat. Messing up my tension and trying to get my attention my flipping a button at me. I still have the button. Another interesting fact is that I would have never have left a calico china button laying around down in the basement in the first place, they are very collectible and I have quite a few. I have no idea how it got there in the first place.She t must have had it in her pocket I guess!
(not the button that was thrown)

I have several other spooky stories related to vintage items that have passed through my home, maybe I will jot them down for you in a day or two. It seems this time of year brings about chills, don't you think? Stay under the covers if you can!

3 comments:

  1. Wowzers! spooky stuff!
    Love your vintage-y items. I am very much in lust.
    Love your blog, btw.
    My kinda gal.
    Always blessed
    Blondie

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  2. Oh Gwen, I am really enjoying you "spooky" stories! And how cheeky of that "ghost" to throw a button at you.... I mean, you are taking very good care of those old machines and sewing items, so she should be happy! I sew in my basement, and sew on two vintage machines, but so far, I haven't had any "unseen visitors"! :o}

    XOXO,

    Cyndi

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  3. Wow - what a great story! Love the blog.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

    ReplyDelete