FREE Pattern Simple Sewing - Tiny Needle Book - 5 Easy Steps

Recently I have been enjoying doing more and more stitching by hand.  A dear quilting friend Lisa, introduced me to hand stitching EPP,  English Paper Piecing, to create small hexagon shaped fabric designs, aka "hexies."  And now I have my paper pieces and little hexies with me everywhere I go just in case I have a minute or two to stitch one, because that is all the time it takes to create one.  I love to stitch with Aurifil thread, and the smaller spools are just so easy to use.  So I created this little needle book to be the perfect size to hold a small spool of my favorite Auriful thread.  The spool will tuck perfectly in the little pocket in the fabric book.

Size: 3 x 4 inches when closed, 6 x 4 inches when open

Supplies needed:

2 fabrics, 6 1/2 inches wide x 4 1/2 inches tall

Pocket fabric, 2 1/4 inches x 13 inches

Pocket binding strip, 2 1/4 inches x 6 inches long

Binding strip, 2 1/4 inches x 26 inches long

Tie fabric, 1 3/4 inches wide x 18 inches long **(or just use a pretty ribbon like I did)

Aurifil thread, neutral or matching the fabric color

One piece of wool/felt 5 wide x 3 inches tall

scrap of batting 6 1/2 inches x 4 1/2 inches 

Step 1:  Layer fabrics, backing (outside fabric) right side down, batting, inside lining fabric right side up.  Machine or hand quilt with straight lines 1 inch apart or with a pretty free motion quilting design.  Trim any loose threads if needed.  Trim to size, 6 inches wide x 4 inches tall.

Step 2:  Create the pocket.  Fold pocket fabric in half, wrong sides together.  This creates the pocket strip.  Stitch the pocket binding strip across the top of the pocket piece (just as stitching binding on a quilt.)  Layer the pocket centered on top of the quilted fabric, with raw edges matching at the bottom.  Baste down the center and along the raw edge at sides and bottom.  

Step 3:  Fold the piece of wool felt in the center, place centered on top of the pocket.  Stitch using a pretty matching thread,  down the center to secure in place, back stitch at both ends to hold securely.  Remove the other basting thread.

Step 4:  Create binding.  Using the strip of fabric, 2 1/4 x 26 inches long, fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.  Stitch binding onto and all around the project piece, just as stitching on a quilt.  Be careful to fold in and pin the felt wool needle page out of the way if needed, so it will not be caught and sewn into the binding.  Where binding ends meet, just fold one end under just a bit, about 1/4 inch, trim the other end so you have just enough to tuck under where you folded. Finish sewing binding down.

Step 5:  Create the tie.  Use the 18 inches x 1 3/4 inches wide fabric strip. Fold short ends in about 1/4 inch and press.  Fold the strip in half lengthwise and press, making a cease down the center.  Open and fold the raw edge on both long sides to meet in the middle. Press.  Top stitch all around.  Top stitch the tie in place in the center of the outside of your needle book.  *******Or use a pretty strip of ribbon as shown. 

Front of Tiny Needle Book

Inside front pocket and wool felt needle/pin pages

Inside back pocket with thread tucked in

Ribbon tie shown on outside

Now tuck in a small spool of your favorite Aurifil thread, place your needles onto the wool felt page.........and take along with your next favorite hand stitching project.

I hope you enjoy creating this little project.  Remember there is no true pattern for this design, only my little design created by the size of the thread spool!  However, please make as many as you want for yourself, please do not make to sell, please comment here on the blog, please tag me and mark with the hashtag from my Instagram #vintagebloomsquiltdesignsfreepattern, #vintagebloomsquiltdesigns

Find me on Instagram at:

vintage_blooms_quilt_designs

Credit:  Fabric shown in the background photo is by Corey Yoder, Moda fabrics.  Fabrics used to make the project were bits and pieces in my stash basket, I am sorry that I do not have the selvage strips to credit the makers, I found the ribbon at a local quilt shop, and  I always sew with Aurifil threads.

Quilts on Barns

I received this colorful Star Barn Quilt as a Christmas gift.  My sister-in-law, Ann, has a cabin up in the mountains of North Carolina, and travels through north Georgia to reach the destination.  Somewhere during a recent trip, she stopped along the way at the place that creates these wooden barn quilts. She knows how "quilty" I am, that I love to sew, stitch and make quilts.  She really surprised me this year at Christmas with this wooden painted "quilt" to be placed on our barn.  In our area, many of the days since Christmas have been gloomy, foggy, and raining.  So finally today was a nice sunny day, and my hubby was home from work to help hang the quilt. So the wooden, painted Barn Quilt is now hanging on the side of our barn....(aka - the pumphouse for our water well.)  If you are driving by, be sure to look for it.  

Instagram

You are invited to come on over and follow my Instagram account where I share photos of what I like to create.  

Vintage_Blooms_Quilt_Designs

Get ready for a photo overload!  I have several quilts that I want to share.  

Coming soon..... 

My Quilting Studio - New Lights! Stella Lighting

I tagged along in November 2018 with a few "Quilty Friends" to my very first attendance at International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.  We had the very best time exploring the vendors at the show, we took a lot of photos!, and we admired the many beautiful quilts in the quilt show.  I have to admit the floral quilts were my favorites of course......
My most favorite purchase from the vendors is my new Stella TWO LED Task Light.  I purchased the white one because I knew it would look just perfect on my sewing table.  I love the features on this table top lamp with touch pad controls, 10-step dimming, and a weighted base that keeps the lamp steady even though the arm flexes in nearly any direction to direct the light anywhere I need it. The LED lights are the brightest, yet they produce very little heat. 
I just love my Stella, and I know you would love to have one in your sewing space too!

  

stellalighting.com 

Autumn Quilt Show Memories

Autumn season is finally here.  The second of my favorite seasons, of course Spring is my first favorite.  The leaves are changing colors, cooler temperatures, lots of pumpkins and Fall Festivals.  My favorite colors, orange and sunflower yellow are in bloom everywhere.  
During October as part of the Landmark Park Fall Farm Harvest Day, (Dothan, Alabama) there is a quilt show held in the Activity Barn.  Several years ago, I used the pattern, Sheep In the Meadow, by Kay Whitt - Serendipity Gifts, to create an embellished sweatshirt jacket.  The jacket was entered in the Clothing Category at the Landmark Park Quilt Show.  I was honored to be given a first place blue ribbon from the Quilt Show Judge.

Sewing Room

Today is Black Friday 2017, and I am home in my jammies and fuzzy slippers enjoying my coffee and shopping via my computer online.  Looking at coffee makers, quilting patterns, (I just ordered a few); and quilt ladders.  I have asked my sweet hubby for a quilt ladder to place in my sewing room as a Christmas gift this year.   We will see what he comes up with, old or new, painted or rough cut lumber, maybe vintage....he is pretty crafty in construction, he may even make me one!
I wanted to share with you a few photos of the sewing room in progress.  I will be adding blinds on the windows, and a rack on the wall between the two windows for displaying quilts.

 Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Enjoy time with family, and shopping too!

New Shop Sample for TJ's Fabrics in Troy, Alabama

( photo taken inside my new sewing  room)

The photos shown above are the new shop sample that I just created for TJ's Fabrics located in Troy, Alabama.  My pattern to make the Sewing Machine Mat is  used with some of the newest fabrics in the shop.  I really like the ric-rack and the colored buttons for accents.

tjsfabrics.com