Sewing baskets and drawers

Everyone that sews usually has a sewing basket of some sort, sometimes it's a small tin, some times its a large plastic container and some times it's really cool drawers that hold all your sewing notions. One of my favorite things to find at an estate sale is the sewing basket. They are usually filled with forgotten treasures and cool notions. A friends mother passed away a year ago and she told me that she found something of her mothers that she thought I would like. We saw each other a few times and she said I still have that thing for you, I will get it to you soon. About a month ago she brought that thing over to the All Girl BBQ. To my surprise it was a set of old thread drawers filled with sewing notions that belonged to her mother. The set of drawers alone are a beautiful gift, but then to open them and find all kinds of other cool things...well I was blown away. The items in the drawers were beautiful, old scissors, beautiful threads, cool boxes and brass military buttons were just a few of the items that I discovered in the drawers. I wanted to savor the drawers, like opening a present that has several layers I kept finding things that made me smile. The items in the drawers were things that her mother had treasured, put aside to use at a later date or just saved because of course if you sew you will use that piece of ribbon on another project. 
The top two drawers had thread. Lots of thread on old wooden spools and in lovely boxes. I have heard that using old cotton thread is not recommended because it does tend to deteriorate. I really don't know if this is true or not, I have used old thread that I had on hand when making clothes. To date I have not had anything come undone or rip because I used old thread. Does thread have an expiration date? I'm sure there are some that say yes but so far I have been lucky and not had problems. The third drawer had a lot of old buttons & needles, most of the buttons were brass military buttons. There were 2 other small boxes, a small box of beautiful dark glass buttons and what looks like a gift box of Coats & Clarke thread and Milward Helix Needles. The bottom drawer was filled with iron on patches, seam rippers and scissors. There were a couple of very cute little shears, one with very decorative handles. My friend put some very cute ribbon in the drawers for me specifically because it was decorated with cupcakes. I can't wait to use the ribbon on my next Dottie Angel dress. 
My friend said that she wanted it give her mothers sewing notions to someone that will cherish the things in the drawers and use them. Looking at everything in the drawers she probably could sell everything at an estate sale, all the vintage notions would bring a decent price, not to mention that the drawers themselves are very cute. I felt honored to be given a gift of someone else's sewing basket as these types of things are very personal for each and every sewer. I know I have some random things in my sewing basket and one day I will get all the baskets that I have collected together and put together one supper sewing basket. Till then I will go from basket to basket looking for the perfect thread, button or random sewing notion that I know I have somewhere in my collection.