Today's project is neither flashy nor elaborate, but it's a very necessary piece for any seamstress to have.
I long ago gave up keeping my needles in a pincushion. They would always disappear into the center, and emerge at the most inopportune time on the other end to prick my fingers horribly. Some people use little wooden or metal tubes to store needles in, but I find these tricky to use when you want to find a particular needle (when they spill, pointy things go everywhere!). Other people use the paper books the needles come with, which is fine until the paper wears out and the needles escape.
The best solution I've found is the homemade needle book, which you can make from scraps you have around, and embellish as desired.
You will need:
Sewing machine
Paper scissors
Fabric sheers
Cardboard
Felt (I used a bit from an old blanket)
Ribbon
Fabric for the exterior
Fabric for the interior (should be easy to stick needles through)
Pins
Cut the exterior and interior fabrics into identical rectangles. Stitch the ribbon down the center of the exterior fabric.
Fold the excess ribbon into the middle and pin the interior fabric over, right sides together. Sew one long side and both short sides. You now have the needle book casing.
Turn casing right side out and press. Cut identical squares of the cardboard and felt to fit inside the casing, with room to stitch the raw edges and to sew a seam down the binding groove.
Stick the cardboard and felt in, with the cardboard against the exterior fabric and the felt on the interior. Sew the center seam down the binding groove. Turn the raw edges in and hand stitch together.
Add needles in desired order.
Fold and use excess ribbon to tie shut. Hey presto, you have a needlebook!
I used a scrap of the velvet I dyed for Regina's Riding Coat for the exterior fabric, as I wanted to have something I could use regularly from that piece (since I worked so hard to get it that color). You could use any sort of fabric for the cover, or you could embroider or bead a design of your own.
Oooh, that's a neat way of making a needle book! I made one years and years ago (and still use it, whenever I get around to actually sewing) but I did a lot more gluing than, well, sewing!
ReplyDelete