I added two new (to me) pieces to my vintage suitcase collection. (Or at least two new cases, as the top one in the photo above is really just a wooden box with a handle.)
The suitcase is genuine leather, with contrasting white stitching and beautifully tarnished brass hardware. And the inside is just as gorgeous as the outside…
All that purple silk gets me a little swoony. I imagine it’s the type of case Season 1 Don Draper would carry (and that gets me a little swoony, too).
On the outside, Case No. 2 looks like a plain wooden box. It’s got a surprise inside, though — actually a couple of surprises because it opens on both sides.
The first side I opened had three rows of mostly empty spindles in it. But when I flipped the case over and lifted the lid on the second side …
 … I found four rows of spindles filled with colorful spools of thread. And it gets even better because…
… each row of spindles is on a hinge that rotates up to give you easy access to the thread on it.
Somebody obviously put a lot of thought into the piece. Even the way the box locks on the outside with a hook and clip is a clever bit of design.
 Here are the new cases, stacked with a few of my old favorites.
They’re packed with fabric, craft supplies and holiday decorations for at-home storage…
… because no matter how much I love vintage suitcases, when I travel, purple silk linings and Don Draper fantasies are (sadly) less important than roller wheels and a retractable handle.