How to... Make a NEEDLEBOOK

Since I broke my collar bone and have been totally incapable of making things for the past two months, this month's how to is again a fairly easy one: how to make a needlebook. I lose needles all the time - whenever I need one I have to hunt for about 15 minutes in all the different places I keep my sewing bits before I can find one so this project is going to come in useful. It's not very hard - I guess it will take you about an hour tops really unless you want to go over the top and make your book super decorative. Obviously what you put on yours and what your design is, is up to you. I have just received some lovely fabric from http://www.myfabrichouse.co.uk/ so I decided to use some of it for this. I have to admit though - the REALLY cool patterned material I just got from MyFabricHouse I've kept aside for a different project... but you'll see that another time!

What you need:
A sewing machine
Thread
Two small rectangles of felt (folded should make a small page)
Some material of your choice.
Pinking shears
A button
Trimmings / Sequins / Decorative bits...

Step 1:
Decide what size you want your needlebook to be. Fold 2 pieces of coloured felt and cut them to the same size. These will make a double page each. Cut around the edges of these with pinking shears to give them a zigzag edge.



Step 2:
As I decided to have a bit of a patchwork design, I cut strips of material and sewed them together - obviously if you don't want to have a multi-materialed cover then you just need one single piece of material cut to size.
Don't forget to leave a few millimetres on each side for hems. You need another piece of the same size for the inside cover.

Step 3: 
Place the front and back covers together with the right sides facing each other and the inside of the material facing out. Pin them / tack them together and sew around the 2 long sides and 1 short side leaving a couple of millimetres seam allowance.
I always 'hem' the edges of my seams - use a zigzag stitch along the edges to prevent fraying and to strengthen the seam.

Step 4:

Cut the corners diagonally so that you don't have bunched up bulky bits in the corners and then turn inside-out  (thus making it the right way round if that makes sense!)

Step 5:
Place your button about halfway down the sewn short side of your cover on the 'front' cover. Sew it on.

I did this in the wrong order so please
excuse that I haven't put my button hook
inside my cover!

Step 6:
Use either a bit of ribbon or some plaited wool as a button pull. Cut to size and then place between the two pieces of unsewn material. Fold the material in and pin/tack so that you have a smooth edge encasing the button thread into it. Sew along this edge.



Step 7:
Add any extra decorations you want - I had some pretty lacy ribbon that I decided to sew all along the edges by literally holding in place and sewing a straight line along it.





Step 8:
Pin the felt pages into the cover - make sure that the halfway line of the pages meets the middle of the cover. Use a sewing machine to sew down the middle line - reinforce by doing this twice.



Step 9:
Fold in half with the outer cover on the outside, do your button up and then check it works. And then start putting your needles in it because you're done!