The one thing that anyone needs to understand about me is that I am a “hoarder.” Yes, one of those! I am also a “recycler” and just love to find something that is beyond its prime and renew it, or create something different than its original intended use. Such is the case with the item I am going to show you.
This is a sewing basket now, but in its former life, it held a wheel of cheese
I do not recall when exactly I re-purposed the item shown above. The body of the old box is stained, stenciled, and has an acrylic finish. Squares of cotton fabric were folded and joined to create the top. So much time has passed since I made this item, I do not recall if the pieces of fabric were sewn or glued or both. I may not even have adhered to the sound principles of archival textile management!
In fact, I made a similar item, in different colors, which I gave to a friend, and a small one that I still have, but whose navy blue (not indigo) colors have faded due to normal light exposure (as happens, I’ve found out).
Often, I have seen unfinished, basic cheese boxes, such as the one I used, at the Vermont Country Store, stacked up on their front porch and available for just a few dollars. They sell a lot of cheese, and it is excellent, by the way, (and available through their mail order catalog).
That is my “show and tell” item of the day!
Do you have a favorite repository for organizing items in your sewing work space? Why not send a photo to pat at quiltersmuse dot com?
Patricia Cummings
Tags: stenciled cheese box
