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Violet Vale Needlebook Tutorial

A hand sewn needlecase, with a patchwork flower.
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Equipment

  • 1 Frixion pen or other marking device
  • Hand sewing needles Multiple sizes will be needed. A 9 or 10 milliners for the EPP, a tiny sharp for the applique, a regular sharp for assemply, and a large embroidery needle for the floss or pearl cotton.

Ingredients

  • 2 4.5"x8.5" piece cotton fabric May be different, if you prefer for your cover and lining
  • 7 fabric scraps for hexies I used some mini charms
  • 7 ½" paper hexagons for EPP
  • embroidery floss or pearl cotton
  • 1 button
  • 1 3.5"x7.5" piece wool or wool blend felt

Instructions

  • Cut out 7 hexies and baste them to papers. Cut out your cover and lining fabric, and your felt,and set them aside.
  • Using a tiny whip stitch, sew your hexies into a flower. I used a size 10 milliner's needle for this step.
  • Once you've made the flower, press it thoroughly, to crease down all the seam allowances. Remove all the papers, and press again. Now, take out your outer case fabric, and draw a line dividing it in half - front and back sides of the case. Then make a cross with your marking tool. The vertical line should be 2" from the center line. The horizontal line should be 2.25" from the bottom of fabric. This cross will allow you to center your hexie flower on the front of the case.
  • Pin your hexie flower in place. Tiny applique pins will hold it without getting in your way as you sew.
  • Then applique the hexie flower to the fabric. Use a fine thread, and make your stitches as close to invisible as you can. Trim the dog ears on the seam allowances as needed, but be careful not to overdo it. You don't want holes fraying in your hexies later. Pin the finished case top to the lining fabric. Sew around, leaving a 0.25" seam allowance, and leaving a 3-4" opening along the bottom to turn. Turn the pieces, using a knitting needle or skewer to poke the corners all the way out. Press.
    Before you sew up the hole, we're going to do two things. First, sew on a button. Use whatever you like, but a shank button makes a better closure. Second, we're going to make a loop to close our case. Thread a needle with all 6 strands of embroidery floss or the pearl cotton. Knot the end, and work through the hole, bringing the floss out in the halfway point of the edge of the back of the case.
  • So, take your thread inside the case, between the cover and lining fabrics.
  • And out at the edge of the case. Take a small back stitch, then loop the floss around the button with enough room to open and close it easily.
  • Take another little backstitch, then make several more small buttonhole stitches to secure the loop.
  • Take your floss back through the fabric, inside the case, and tie it off in the seam allowance.
  • Press the piece again, then close up the opening with a ladder stitch. Redraw your center line on the cover. It should now be 4" from either edge. Place the felt on top of the case, centering it.
  • Hiding the knots under the felt,stitch the felt to the needlecase with a large running stitch and floss or pearl cotton.
  • Remove the markings, and give the piece a final press.