Friday, January 13, 2012

Needlebook Tutorial

A few days ago Almost a year ago, I said I would do a tutorial for a felt needlebook. Well finally, here it is. I'm certainly no expert at these things, but I love making them, they work up very quickly and make sweet little gifts for sewing friends. Enjoy!

Voila!

First things first, gather your supplies:
-co-ordinating colours of felt (I get mine from Wool Felt Central)
-embroidery floss
-glue or applique pins
-embroidery needle

Supplies

Cutting: 
-outside piece 4"x5" (light blue)
-inside piece 4"x5" (dark blue)
-needle page 3.75"x4.75" (yellow)
-header (dark blue)
-flowers (red)
-leaves (green)

NOTE: I used a gift tag pattern from the book Fa la la la Felt as my cover design.

1- Cut a wave along the dark blue header piece and use either a dab of glue or pins to attach it to the upper right corner of the outside piece, Sew with a running stitch along the wavy edge and the left edge only.

*terrible picture, I apologize, I didn't realize it until I'd gone a couple of steps ahead!*
Wavy Edge

2-Cut out your flowers. Since I used a pattern from a book I had a template to print and trace. Decide where you'd like the flowers and hold with glue or pins. Stitch down in a star pattern, it's meant to look like the stamen of a real flower.

Flowers

3-Cut out your leaves and again glue/pin and stitch onto the cover.

Leaves

4-Now it's time to add the vine. Stitch a meandering vine in the empty spaces. If you want to add any additional embellishment, now is the time to do it. French knots maybe? More vine? Words on the header?

Vine

5-Layer the outside and inside pieces, blanket stitch around the edge. I'm certainly not an expert blanket stitcher. If you need a tutorial, I used Futuregirl's

Blanket Stitch

6-Next, place your needle page inside. Being cut a bit smaller, it will line up just inside your blanket stitching.

Needle Pages

7-Fold your needlebook in half and mark a sewing line along the "spine". Sew along the spine of your needlebook, using a lockstitch at both the beginning and the end.

Spine

8- Press flat. Steam or don't, it's up to you.

Press

9- Fold and press into a book. Again, steam or don't. I steam.

Press

10- Voila! You have a cute little needlebook....or two!

Two!




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