Needle Book Classic

Sugar Paper’s Needle Book Classic by Seleena Laverne Daye

Posted by Cicada

About

Give your sewing needles a home of their own.

Seleena Laverne Daye likes to refer to herself as a Felt Artist, which means she likes to spend her days in her closet-cum-studio making things out of felt. She also likes to refer to herself as a Professional Zinester, being co-producer of biannual craft zine Sugar Paper; 20 Things
To Make And Do. When not distracted by her cat, tap dancing and collecting bits of tat, the things she makes can be found on her blog: www.sugarpapergang.blogspot.com.

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You Will Need (9 things)

  • Dressmakers’ Pin(s)
  • White Sewing Thread
  • Embroidery Thread in black and orange
  • Approx 5cm x 5cm of black Felt
  • Approx 23cm x 23cm of orange Felt
  • Approx 23cm x 23cm of white Felt
  • Sewing Needle
  • Scissors
  • Pinking Shears

Steps (12 steps, 20 minutes)

  1. 1

    Cut out a rectangle measuring 5cm x 20cm from the white felt – this will be used as the title strip of the book.

  2. 2

    Fold in half. With the fold to your left, faintly mark out in pencil the title, A LOOM OF ONE’S OWN, and the author, VIRGINIA WOOL.

  3. 3

    Cut a length, about 40cm, of black embroidery thread, and split the strands in half: two lengths of three strands. With one three-strand piece, make a knot at one end and thread the other end through the needle. You’re now ready to start stitching the letters: use a backstitch and follow the pencil lines.

  4. 4

    In orange embroidery thread, sew a couple of stitches between the name of the book and the author.

  5. 5

    From the remaining white felt, cut out an oval measuring 2.5cm x 5cm, then cut it into a round-edged diamond shape. Pencil on the words NEEDLE B BOOK and stitch in black embroidery thread as before.

  6. 6

    Cut a slightly larger oval shape from the black felt.

  7. 7

    Cut out a rectangle from the orange felt measuring
    15cm x 20cm for the book cover.

  8. 8

    Pin the white title piece in the centre of the orange rectangle. Using the white thread, sew a running stitch all around the edges of the white panel.

  9. 9

    Place the black oval above the title panel, in the centre. Pin the white “NEEDLE BOOK” piece on top of the black oval, and stitch around the white shape as before.

  10. 10

    Using pinking shears if you have them, cut out a rectangle of white felt measuring 13cm x 18cm.

  11. 11

    Open up the orange book, and pin the white felt in the centre.

  12. 12

    Along the middle of the white felt, where the book folds, sew the white felt to the orange with a straight line of stitches – the smaller the stitches, the neater the look. Fold in half, and stow your needles away safely.