Deeper in Wemyss' Needlework Basket

Recently I had a chance to have a closer look inside the needlework basket owned by my friend Wemyss - she inherited if from a friend. You can see pictures of the basket and the original discussion HERE, and there is an almost identical one on Crazy Haberdasher.

One of my first surprises was to find that, unlike the one I remember from my childhood, it is lined with a second skin, made of flat woven cane, not the split cane of the exterior. The same design applies to the lid:

Next, I had a more careful look at what I thought was a pin cushion. It isn't.

Can anyone tell me the purpose of this little padded chamois, carefully kept in this little pouch that is fastened with a press stud? Is it for polishing something????

Then, there was this little flat basket with a lined silk top closed with a drawstring. Sadly the silk is shredding. It seems to have the fabric glued to the basket, but still makes an interesting starting point for a small gift - maybe in a size a tad larger. I could fill it up with a ready-to-go crazy patchwork kit - a pieced blocks, thread, needles and embellishments ...... Hmmm, lots of potential there.

There is a really big picture HERE if you want a closer look.

There are a few other interesting things in there - you can check them all out on my Flickr set for Needlework Baskets. You are also welcome to join a Flickr group for Needlework Baskets, and post pictures there of old baskets and their contents.

I've just come back from a day of training on storage and exhibition of old textiles - and was so busy I didn't even get to take any photographs. But I have come back with a few ideas and pratices. Like, I knew I should store large pieces rolled, but I didn't realise I should roll them with the front out, not in, so any creases are on the lining, not the front. I'm off to re-roll a heap of stuff.