Thursday, July 21, 2016

Finished needle books

Pattern source Cindy Johnson (c) 

We had the second half of the needle book workshop on Monday.
Cindy showed us how she puts a beaded edge on with a button hole stitch and floss.

Isn't the edge gorgeous? I used three strands of hand dyed floss, a self threading needle, size 8 multi color beads. 



(click to see details)

I made two books, one for my friend's birthday and one for me. I used different floss and beads for each.  The multi colored beads for mine, with green floss. A mix of the greens and blue for my friend's with a hand dyed perle cotton in bright multi color. They came out VERY different.
Snaps for the closure


This is Mary's gift.

Check out the edge. Very different from my edge.
You don't notice the beads as much but the threads come forward.
I suppose it's because the beads match color tone of the background but the thread contrasts.

It's the opposite on mine.

Hmmmmm....


What I learned:
1.I love the spine Cindy built into her book. Done with pre cut pieces of interfacing instead of one long piece. Also she put in two lines of stitching along the sides of the spine's interfacing, like a card maker would.
2. The buttonhole stitch needs to be just as wide as the bead so there is no space between beads for a bold look. It would make a different effect to space them further apart, where you could see the outside thread on the stitch.

This is the inside, with two pages which fold and make four. Cindy places a line of felt along each page, which makes a fab. place for needles to hang out. She also marked each page for machine needle types and keeps one by the machine. Brilliant right?

3. I used thicker felt for my friend's book, and like that better.
4. Use fun fabrics even if it's for a small project
Lastly, I'd like to share versions made by bee-mates.
Remember, click on any picture to see the great details!!
 I think their color choices were outstanding, and they took a lot of care in their workmanship...
photo by Cynthia Y. I love her sandy color background, the blue crab, and the mix of beads around the edge. She used a subtle blue/tan background thread and added a label as hers is a gift. 

Photo by Tamie V. I like her gray background, beaded crab and seaweed, and her pinkish beads

Hope you enjoyed the show... 










25 comments:

Julierose said...

Soooo beautiful--Love the colored threads and multi-colored beads on the edges--my favorite finish...(I think I need a little quilting break--am weary,,,but picked out four green fabrics today for the binding and will cut and sew them together tomorrow--recuperating from a short getaway where I threw my back out--ouch!!) special hugs for Cole ;--))) --hugs, Julierose

PaintedThread said...

That came out great! I do love the edging. The others look pretty neat, too. Thanks for sharing.

Turid said...

I've been around the last month, without my sewing machine and just visiting a computer now and then. It was so good to come back to your blog to see all the beautiful things here. And I imediately fell in love with these needle books. Thanks for showing us.

Maria said...

So amazing! The edging is gorgeous. Thanks for the show😊

Kaja said...

Great show - loved them all. The beaded edgings are a perfect finish.

Shannon said...

These are so cute! I love that beaded edge, I did an edge like that on some Christmas ornaments and I always feel like it give such a great finish!

Celtic Thistle said...

Your needlebooks are gorgeous. I have never thought of having one for machine needles but it makes so much sense :)
Would love you to link this up to this month's Ho, Ho, Ho and on We Sew link party which is over at
http://redletterquilts.blogspot.fr/2016/07/modern-trees-rug-herringbone-chenille.html

Marly said...

They're all lovely! I love the beaded edging!

Lisa J. said...

I can truly say these are the most beautiful needle books I have ever seen. I love the little crabs.

Sara said...

These are so incredible. Love the crab and the beaded edge takes it all over the top. It will make you smile every time you use it.

Deb A said...

Those are amazing! You are one very talented lady.

The Cozy Quilter said...

What fun projects! Very useful too! Love the beading!

Quilter Kathy said...

That was a great show! I enjoyed seeing each one up close and love the beaded edge! Thanks for sharing!

Jennifer said...

These look so fun to make. Love the crabs and beaded edges. Nice work!

Ivani said...

So cute and it looks easy to make. Very nice. You did a great job with the embroidery and beads.

CathieJ said...

Those needle books are fantastic. Thanks for showing all the different wonderful versions. I like seeing the variety.

Tails Around the Ranch said...

They all turned out fabulous! You guys are so incredibly crafty! Well done wit complements to all. ღ

Miaismine said...

Loving the crab embroidery! Isn't it interesting how the same project can look so different in varied fabrics? Never ceases to amaze me! Blessings!

KaHolly said...

These are GREAT!

AlidaP said...

They all look amazing! So different but all so cute!! Thanks for sharing!!

Bonnie said...

Yep! I enjoyed the show. Wonderful needle cases. Enjoy using it. (You are going to use it aren't you? Or does this go on a display shelf somewhere?)

beth s said...

These are so wonderful!!

Kathy H said...

So beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing them all.

Susan said...

What a fun, creative workshop - everyone's needle cases are delightful! Thanks for sharing on Midweek Makers
Susan

Jenn @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge said...

Those crabs are absolutely adorable! Thanks for linking up with TGIFF @ A Quarter Inch from the Edge!