♥ A post for the sewers, knitters and crocheters. ♥
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Look, I should have told you about this earlier.
And I would have, except a pandemic struck, and they had to temporarily close their stores. But now a small window of opportunity has opened up again, so I thought I’d fill you in on The Sewing Basket stores in Sydney.
They’re run by Achieve Australia, a charity providing accommodation and services to people with disabilities, and they’re staffed almost entirely of volunteers. And not just any volunteers, but fabric and wool obsessed men and women who also happen to be passionate sewers, knitters, quilters and embroiderers. My friend Dan and I walked in and immediately realised that we’d found our happy place. We’re missing our new friends there at the moment, particularly Rhonda at Newington (if you’re reading this, Rhonda, we’re waving to you from the other side of the internet! ♥).
Everything in the store is donated. If you’re a sewer, you’ll understand just how wonderful that is – firstly, that you’re getting to rummage through decades of carefully stashed treasures, and secondly, that a place exists where you can donate your excess and have it snapped up by fellow fabricholics who will genuinely love and appreciate it.
Here are a few photos from the Newington store, which is currently closed. There are three stores – Newington, West Ryde and Balmain…
The prices are extremely fair, and because it’s staffed by volunteers, almost all the profit flows through to the charity. Here are just some of the items I’ve picked up so far – mostly craft items, as I’m trying to limit how much new fabric I bring into the house!
This box of (very) tangled Danish flower thread was extremely old, as evidenced by the cards used to hold the floss. It cost me $3 at West Ryde, which I’d have happily paid for just the heavy waxed cardboard box. I spent a joyous couple of hours untangling and sorting while watching Mamma Mia 2. Frankly, if anyone can suggest better relaxation therapy, I’d love to hear it…
I decided that I’d like to learn to embroider, so I brought home this vintage kit for just $2…
It was made in California in the 70s. I found the kit at Newington and the square frame ($4) at West Ryde…
The instructions were hilariously complicated, especially for someone who has barely done any embroidery before. Luckily the West Ryde store had an old embroidery handbook for $1…
I’m still working on the unicorn, but I did manage to finish this small piece. The kit was $1, the hoop to work it on was $2, and the frame was another $1. I pay more than that for coffee. And it was definitely worth $4 to learn that I don’t love French knots…
There are heaps of unfinished projects for sale – quilts in various stages of production, half finished tapestries and lots of partially embroidered table linen. This very old Danish cross stitch from the Balmain store was half completed, with rust spots and lots of loose threads at the back. I didn’t particularly want to finish it, but I also had trouble leaving it behind after someone had put so much work into it. It was $2 and came with the instructions and remaining threads…
So I brought it home, washed it, embroidered in cream thread over the rust spots, then sewed it onto the denim blanket I made last year. It now sits on my bed and makes me very happy every time I see it!
Perhaps the oldest item I’ve found so far is this sheet of transfers from 1924. It cost me $3 at Balmain. There are oodles of vintage knitting and sewing patterns, particularly at Newington…
Before this post gets too ridiculously long, let me show you just one more thing! I picked up these old bridge tablecloths from West Ryde for just $4 each! They needed de-staining and minor repair, but now they’re the perfect thing to cover rising bread dough…
Someone had gone to a tremendous amount of effort, embroidering the card faces on each corner…
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So…why am I telling you all of this when the stores are closed?
Because just this week, they’ve announced that their Balmain store will be open by appointment Wednesdays to Saturdays from next week onwards! Balmain is a quilter’s paradise, but it also has a decent stock of dress fabrics, wools, craft books and haberdashery. Oh, and wonderful vintage sewing machines! You can book a time to pop in and have the whole store to yourself for half an hour! If you’re interested, call or text our darling friend Pauline who manages the store on 0477 900 031 to make a time. And please say hi for me! ♥
The Sewing Basket Balmain
450 Darling Street (Cnr. Elliott Street)
Balmain NSW 2041
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Love it! I quite like rescuing not-quite-finished or finished-not-mounted needlework. I made some into tote bags, and one lovely needlepoint chessboard I liked so much I ordered a coffee table with a glass topped insert for it. Of course, I then had to look for a sew missing/motheaten stitches but I had a stash of Persian yarn….
That shop looks like Aladdin‘a cave, thank you. For now I can’t visit but I’ll get there when restrictions ease. I gave away my 1 year old sewing machine from DJs bought to replace my 42 year old Celestial (Janome) and bought a second hand Elna portable in mint condition, complete with intact tool box. What a find on eBay
What a wonderful shop. I find my craft stuff at thrift stores or estate sales. Wish we had a store like this! We, too are still house bound in the states. Take care and be safe.
What a treasure trove! So many wonderful materials and other interesting things. Too bad I live so far away, otherwise I would definitely stop by. We are still at home as well. Your stitching looks lovely.
I’m whimpering with thwarted acquisitiveness here… It’s so much the kind of shop in which I’d spend happy hours, and it’s so . far . away. Even if there were no travel restrictions in place, I’d never be able to go there.
Yes, I still get these, but they are piling up in my in-basket.
I would love to visit that store, but it is on the other side of the continent. Maybe if we fly there for some event like seeing the Great Barrier Reef. New South Wales is the worst state for COVID19.
I’m very focused on gardening and cooking now. We eat something out of the garden every day. I try new recipes almost all of the time, thanks to the internet!
Lockdown may be eased a little here soon. Schools opening, some businesses reopening. Aus has been very fortunate so far in having relatively few COVID deaths, but winter is coming.
I hope you and yours are well.🙂
On Thu, Apr 23, 2020, 3:06 AM Fig Jam and Lime Cordial wrote:
> Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial posted: “[image: ♥] A post for the > sewers, knitters and crocheters. [image: ♥] . . . . . Look, I should have > told you about this earlier. And I would have, except a pandemic struck, > and they had to temporarily close their stores. But now a small window of > opportunity has opene” >
How lovely that someone’s craft treasures don’t just get thrown away and can be treasured by someone else. I might go a little crazy in there though :)
Oh my such amazing stores crammed full of goodies. It’s wonderful that these items are being re-homed rather then just being thrown into landfill. I am in Melbourne but when we next visit Sydney ( whenever that might be) I’m so there. Thanks so much for sharing and loving your daily posts 🙂
Fantastic way to learn something new / old. I’m now on the hunt for similar stores in Melbourne. Love the blog…keep the stories flowing. 🤗
I live in Wisconsin in the U.S. and have been sewing masks and surgical caps for Covid nurses. I’ve had to order fabric online, and it’s been taking a long time to be sent…so seeing shelves and shelves of gorgeous fabric makes me drool all over my keyboard. I hope I can visit one day.
Wow! What a shop 😊
And the street scene cross stitch you acquired and put in your denim blanket is so charming.
How wonderful lovely to support a charitable enterprise too it’s a win win. I get great pleasure from untangling too!
How fab! Not just because you can find things you won’t find anywhere else but it’s a guilt-free place to take stuff. Not just your own half finished projects and odds and ends that are too good to throw away but wonderful if you have to clear someone else’s house. Wish we had something like that near here.
Oh boy what a treasure of a shop i wish there was something similar in Melbourne or do i i would just be buying more that i would be taking in .
Such a beautiful well organised shop!! Enjoy your stitching…
All fabulous, and we have nothing remotely similar here so I’m unreasonably jealous. Enjoy your treasure 😊
All those half-done projects look like the start of a fiction of some kind, maybe dystopian but that’s the way my mind runs these days. Hard to keep the old imagination in check! I’m a not-at-all craft person, but I think there might be old fabric in my attic. Don’t know, and I’m not sure I want to know.
be well… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Oh my gosh – I am already planning a trip from Adelaide just to visit these amazing shops!! What stories could be told by all those treasures!!
What a fantastic initiative. I love it from New Zealand with all my ❤️ heart.
I have been to the Newington store. Wonderful supply of wool too.
Dear Celia, I visited The Sewing Basket Balmain today and WOW. What an amazingly wonderful happy place, with ridiculously helpful and engaging volunteers. I look forward to donating loads and visiting all locations in the future.
Yay!! Thank you for supporting them!!
Hello Celia, Just wanted to pop in and say hi! I miss your blogs, you are such an inspirational woman. I so hope you are feeling better, brighter and living life happily. Warm Regards Jules