Posted on 64 Comments

basement day!

Today is basement day and the Langs are very excited. Today we spend the whole day in the basement working on projects. The basement fast became the dumping ground when we moved in and fixing it up is our Winter project. I spent this morning unpacking boxes marked “Fabric – basement”. These were filled with mostly thrifted finds that haven’t seen the light of day in years. They’ve been moved from one basement to the next. I seriously weeded through it all and I think I’ve finally gotten it down to the stuff that I’ll actually use. I was looking at everything with new eyes this time. Now that I’ve got a girl I was thinking a lot about doll clothes, dress up outifts, did I have big enough pieces for toddler/little girl outfits, etc.  I’m feeling pretty good about where I’m at now. Good enough that I’m dying to go thrifting. It’s a sickness. What I really need to do is come up backstairs and start sewing! But it’s still basement day so it’s on to the rest of the tasks… toys, books, magazines, etc.

A big part of what made the whole fabric reorganization so fun were the huge garbage bags full of new to me second-hand fabric that I was lucky enough to pick up yesterday. A gal who reads the blog emailed me that she was helping a friend take apart her mother in law’s home and that she had a bunch of old fabric that needed a home and was I interested. Interested? Heck ya! Here are a few pics I snapped while going through it all. I’m so excited!!

Sifting through bags of old fabric is easily in the top five of my all time favorite activities. What will I pull out next? What could I make with this? And I love the notions boxes, all sorts of little treasures. Heaven! Thanks again Angie for thinking of me. You made my weekend!

I was thinking it’d be fun to spread a little basement love so if you want a silly little package of oddities from my basement leave a comment and I’ll send them out to the first 5 commenters.

64 thoughts on “basement day!

  1. Sounds like fun!

  2. you are too funny – sure i’d love some basement oddities. just a little something something to brighten a cold weekend! LOL

  3. oooh! i would love some basement goodies! (although this may not help with my own effort to organize my supplies, um yeah. about that…) thanks for sharing the love!

  4. I love going through the old stuff we have packed away….you never know what “new” treasures you will find!

  5. I would love one!

  6. Amazing what you can find in a good clean. Can get your creative juices flowing.

  7. I love basement oddities, count me int! 🙂 Betz

  8. Holey Moley! I’d LOVE some odds and ends from your basement. But I guess I’m not in the first five comments…Too bad.

  9. Oh, how fun! Lucky you. Would love to share in the joy but too late. I understand the thrifting sickness, I have it as well. It is genetic. Thanks, grandma and mom! 🙂

  10. a Basement Treasure Exchange would be a wonderful thing! 🙁 I’ll have to settle for a wonderful idea since I’m not in the 1st 5.

  11. I have a different illness. I’m a yarn hoarder. It’s an addiction.

  12. That is a fun thing to do – searching and finding treasure – not the cleaning part!

  13. I’m with Peggy U. Sorting through a big bag of YARN would be in my top five, (which is why I’m still scouring ebay although there is no room left in our house)
    Im with you on the notions though, I love vintage haberdashery!

  14. that is so awesome that you could find a treasure like that. cannot wait to see some of the things you come up with.

  15. Basement day sounds absolutely glorious!

  16. HILARY i’m like number seventeen so i propose a trade. i’ll send you some of my weird stuff for some of your weird stuff. it would be fun. holler if you are interested : )

  17. Ahh….doomed number 18…if you’re still drowning in extra weird-fabric love, I’d be thrilled to be on the lucky end of your generous give-away fever 🙂 sorting through mystery-bags with a past is my all-time favorite…unfortunately, my dad was a big purger so most of the old grannie-goodness had been given away before I was old enough to claim some of these treasures 🙂 enjoy your newly gained space!!

  18. I wish I had a basement! Maybe if I started digging under the floorboards……

  19. ooh! I want in! guess i’m too slow though…

  20. What a fun day! I dream of some older woman in my life offering me bags full of vintage fabric. As of now it’s never happened and there are no prospects. I do however have one of those fabrics up there in a different color. You can see it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/harvatine/473699765/in/set-72157594329796787/ . I bought it at a thrift shop and the edges were finished. I think it was used as a tablecloth.

  21. Wow I am nowhere near the 5, but what a fun day you had. I love unexpected treasures too. Have a wonderful time enjoying the organized basement and all the new projects you have dreamed up. I know I can’t wait to see what comes of it all.

  22. A day late & a dollar short as usual. That’s what happens on a Sunday. 🙂

  23. okay… so I’m not in the top 5 – but just wanted to let you know I love the fabric you picked out as your favorites! Happy basement day!

  24. happy basement day indeed
    lucky you with such great old/new treasures to play with
    i got a little of the third from the bottom at a church sale a few years back

  25. Darn I’m too late! 🙁

  26. Okay – I never comment (says in a rush of breath – I adore your blog and admire you tremendously) but I too did some basement cleaning recently, and I too found some old doilies, and decided that next year I am going to stiffen them and hang them in the windows like snowflakes. But now, I can’t wait to see what you’re gonna do with your doilies!

  27. Oh dangit, I’m too late. But, I have to say I love your fabrics and think it’s great that you are sharing the love 🙂

  28. Oh drat! I’m too late for goodies…but I’d be soooooo happy to trade you some of my handmade soap for a goodie box too :o) I’m just sayin’!

  29. Ooooh! That brown fabric is adorable!!! I love those odds-n-ends treasure bags – you are right – so fun wondering what treasure you’ll pull out next! Looks like this bag was loaded with some good ones!

  30. What about your 32nd commenter?!?

  31. Wow, I love finding stuff I’ve forgotten about! Looks like you’ve found a lot of gems to work with!

  32. oooo, i agree. it’s so much fun to go through a big bag of mystery fabric. so many fun surprises! lucky you!

  33. What is it about free stuff like fabric that makes you wish you had about 100 more hours in each day?! So many possibilities!

  34. I’m soooo glad I’m not the only one! I love going through my stash and rediscovering forgotten treasures. And I’m blessed to have a friend who has on several occasions sent me huge boxes of vintage fabric & sewing notions–after opening, I put it all back in the box and relive the thrill of discovery over and over before putting everything away. But, the more I get, the more I want!! When I should be grabbing up the goods and putting them to use, I start itching to go thrifting and find more! It’s pitiful really.

  35. OOO – Love the brown one with the tiny flowers on the bottom!
    I love basement finds!

  36. Love the plaid. Good plaids for quilting are hard to come by don’t ya think?

  37. love those fabrics… great finds! you lucky girl, you!

  38. oh bugger I’ve missed out. But oh well, I spent the last two weekends uncovering treasures buried in four rooms of storage. Very exciting!!

  39. In one of our homedecoratingmags. They had made bowls form those crocheted circles. Coated them in fabric hardener (sorry don’t know the english word for that) and then dried them on an existing bowl. I think that would suit your style..

  40. other people’s fabrics and left overs are so fun-can’t decide which I like more, those or stuff I find thifting. It’s all unexpected and I love finding uses for it, or just LOOKING at it!

  41. You have some great fabric there… I love the brown calico! I can’t wait to see what you make with it!

  42. wow. those last 3 fabrics! those are true vintage gold!
    lucky duck!

  43. I just keep thinking how thrilled your friend/readers mother-in-law would be to know her fabric stash went to someone who really appreciated it. So cool. (As a side note, my post today involves doilies too!)

  44. At my house we call the basement the “Land of forgotten boxes”. I am returning to the crafting world (sewing in particular) and would love some “new/old” fabric to help jump start my collection and encourage me to maybe buy some corresponding ones too.
    Take Care,
    Lisa

  45. I know what you mean- my grandma let me have free reign in her fabric stash- in fact she said it’s all mine, whenever I can take it! The cool 70s calicos make my heart sing!!! There are even fabrics that were used to make dresses for me when I was little……

  46. I’m so bummed about my local thrift store. It used to be a treasure trove of things. But several college kids took over the organization and management and now there is nothing earlier than 1985 in it.
    I suspect they are ebaying the good stuff as it comes in. I hope they are at least giving the profits back to the thrift shop but my cynical side doubts it.

  47. i would have loved to have been one of the first to comment!!! i made a post on my blog today that i thought you would appreciate. its about a favorite children’s book of mine.

  48. I’m so disappointed. I check your blog RELIGIOUSLY, but I missed out on this one. I love playing around with fabric in my basement.

  49. hah! you are lovely! da best!
    don’t need it but just wanted to thank you for such a nice idea for sharing and caring. (now if you had only offered to come and have a basement day clean up to the first 5 with scary basements……hah!)

  50. hah! you are lovely! da best!
    don’t need it but just wanted to thank you for such a nice idea for sharing and caring. (now if you had only offered to come and have a basement day clean up to the first 5 with scary basements……hah!)

  51. oh wow nice scores!
    and it would be lame of me to beg for some stuff-but if you have any extra. . .;)

  52. Gosh, that sounds like me – as soon as I pass along the fabric I haven’t used in years, I’m ready to add more! I especially like the last fabric – the brown with little flowers, too cute! Can’t wait to see what you sew up with all your “new” finds!

  53. Loving basement day. Be proud it is a -day-. I’d designatied Feb. as “basment month”. And what a great gift! Love the doilies and such. :>

  54. OOOH i love the surprise of going through fabrics. It’s so much fun to think about what projects can be made!

  55. ooh that blue and red print makes my heart pitter patter…

  56. I would love a basement! Sounds like you enjoy your time down there.

  57. I too would be in heaven going through a bag of vintage items like that…. Makes you wonder what projects she originally purchased them for as the crafting has changed over the years!!

  58. what a fabulous haul of old fabrics – lucky you!

  59. The doilies are beautiful. Learning how to crochet lace and make doilies is always one of those things that I keep meaning to getting around to learn it.

  60. Just found your blog via Shannon Lowry’s blog. One of my favorite things ever is boxes of notions from the houses of little old ladies who were once into craftiness like the rest of us. It’s like a sourdough starter; we take what we need and pass on the rest for the next person to use in their own crafting. I suppose our own boxes will one day be considered treasure by some future crafter somewhere down the road.

  61. Always a late bird, I am. But if you would consider one more basement bundle, I can trade you a pile of wonderful crocheted lace doilies of all shapes and sizes that I picked up at an estate sale for free. I knew I wouldn’t use them, but figured one day I would find someone to give them to. Any interest?

  62. I guess, I’m not going to make the first 5 comments…
    sigh.

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