Hey Sewists,

Well, it’s been lurking in the shadows for some time now and today is the day it finally sees the light! It’s the needle case tutorial!

(Broken wrist update for those who are interested… it’s on the up, I hadn’t realised how long it would take to build up the strength and mobility, but I’m getting there. The pain is easing a bit every day and I’m itching to get back at the sewing machine any day now! Annoyingly I think it’s still going to be a week or so before I can get back to work properly.)

I’ve been dismissive of this handy little sewing helper in the past. I suppose I just wish it looked a bit cooler! But the reality of it is that it’s gaudiness is exactly what makes it so useful. Picture the scene…

It’s the 11th hour, you’re up to your elbows in sewing and no one’s getting fed tonight… you break a needle… where are your spares…??? Easy, they’re in that bright yellow beacon… it’s RIGHT THERE… You can’t miss it…!

So, I decided to make it after I posted a little video of the (much cooler looking but, ultimately harder to find in a crisis, prototype) on Instagram and although it by no means ‘broke the internet’ it did go down well! Maybe you’ve seen it… 😉…?

It suited the purpose but was hastily made. If I was going to share it with the world (😉) I’d need some photos. So I set to making the ultimate needle case! I raided my scraps and found a piece of felt I’d used to play with the stitches when I first bought my machine. It seemed perfect. I’d picked up a square of binca (… or is it Aida…?) from C&H by my mums at some point too.

Supplies:

1 x sheet Aida/ Binca

A couple of fabric scraps- use a stiffer fabric for the outside than the inside. (I used drill on the black one and felt on the yellow one)

Ruler

Snap fastner

Chalk/ marker

Fray glue

Scissors

Sewing kit

Here We Go…!

Keep cutting the Aida in half until you are happy with the size.

Check all the pieces are the same height and glue the top & bottom edges to prevent fraying.

Assemble two sets of pages. Mark the centre and stitch together.

Fold along the stitching line and neatly trim off the excess from the sides. Apply fray glue to the newly trimmed sides and allow to dry.

Check the finished measurements of the pages to draft the cover. Add seam allowance and cut a simple pattern piece, or draw the size directly onto the felt.

My felt already had the stitches in it, but now’s your chance to pimp it up! Use your machines stitches to decorate the felt. Either just decorate the size you need, or do the whole piece… you could use the leftovers for a matching pincushion…(I’ve got one!) If your machine doesn’t have many stitches, then you can be even more creative with stitch length, zigzag and intersecting lines. Or even give free motion stitching a go! ‘Pollock’ the hell out of it!

Cut out the outside and inside pieces for the cover. Sew with right sides together, leaving an opening for turning through.

Turn through, press and topstitch around the edge, closing up the gap as you go. (I couldn’t help but use another crazy stitch setting for this…)

Hold the pages inside the cover to check the placement of the sewing lines. Mark on the edge of the cover. ( you can just about see the chalk marks in the photo below…)

Following the placement markings, sew one then the other set of pages onto the spine along the previous stitching line.

My book is so fat it won’t close properly, so I made a strap and zigzagged it onto the back.

And attached a snap to the front.

To finish, mark each page with what type of needle it holds. For a quick fix, do this with a permanent marker…

However, if you really want to show it some love, you could hand embroider on each page… I’ll leave that up to you!

(That’s a lot of size 70’s!)

Cute huh? So I line them all up neatly and take one out at the beginning of a project. If I put it back, I place it at 90° to the fresh ones, so I’ll know next time. Cute… and foolproof!

Go ahead and treat yourself! Don’t be afraid to make it VISIBLE!!

Happy sewing!

Notes to self:

    It’s time to start sewing a few small projects.
    Im sticking to my stretching & exercise regime and feeling a bit of progress every day (… but, WOW, is it BORING!!!)
    I must organise my sewing plans… I’ve got SO MANY ideas flying around, I’m like a maniac! (… ‘like’ a maniac…!?)
    Although I’m sure I won’t make it to complete #sewingthescene again this year, I might just be able to get an entry in for #therefashioners by the end of October… we’ll see!