TUTORIAL - bonus Splendid Sampler needle-book!

It's been a while since my Splendid Sampler block was shared, but to celebrate the half-way point of this mammoth year long project a few of the Splendid designers are sharing various things on our blogs.

Today it's my turn and I have a needle-book tutorial for you using my free Splendid Sampler stitchery as the cover!

First of all you'll need to download my free "Blossoming" stitchery pattern (here) and once you've completed the embroidery trim the block to 6 1/2 inches square.

You will also require these fabrics and trims:

One, 6 1/2 inch square of pink floral fabric

One, 6 1/2 inch x 12 1/2 inch rectangle of blue check fabric

One, 7 1/2 inch x 12 1/2 inch rectangle of pink/red floral fabric

One, 5 1/2 inch x 12 1/2 inch rectangle of green floral fabric

Two, 1/2 inch x 13 inch lengths of cream cotton lace

One, 8 inch x 14 inch piece of scrap cotton quilt wadding

One, 2 inch x 4 1/2 inch scrap of cotton quilt wadding

Assortment of trims such a buttons, labels, ribbon or fabric stamps

Let's Begin:

Sew the square of pink floral to the left of the stitchery block.

This is your needle-book cover.

Fold the rectangles of pink/red floral and green floral in half lengthwise and press the fold flat.

Sew the lengths of cotton lace along the top edge of the folded and pressed fabrics so that half the lace peeks over the top front.

Lay the blue check fabric onto the rectangle of scrap quilt wadding. If you have a little fabric stamp pin it 2 inches in from the left side of the fabric. 

Pin the small scrap of wadding 1/4 inch down from the top right edge of the fabric, about 3/4 inch from the side edge. Blanket stitch in place with two strands of embroidery thread or a length of Perle 12 cotton.

Sew the fabric stamp in place with running stitch.

Lay the pink/red floral pocket across the bottom edge of the blue check fabric, and lay the green pocket on top of that. 

Use a pencil or a heat erasable pen to draw a vertical line from the top edge of the red/pink pocket to the base of the green pocket, 3 1/4 inches in from both side edges. Use your machine to sew a double seam (sew up the line, then down again)  down both those drawn lines.

This is the inside of your needle-book.

Place the right side of the needle-book cover over the inside of the needle-book. Pin together.

Sew around all four sides with a 1/4 inch seam, leaving a 3 inch opening along one side for turning out later.

Trim away the excess quilt wadding.

Turn the needle-book right side out, pushing out all corners gently with a rounded tool such as a large knitting needle or a chopstick.

Blind stitch the opening closed and press the needle-book flat.

Machine sew along the middle seam between the front and back cover. This stabilises the fold as well as creating two pockets inside the needle-book.

Hand sew a line of running stitch around the front cover with two strands of thread or a single strand of Perle 12 cotton.

Sew a line of running stitch around the back cover.

On the inside sew a couple of buttons beside the fabric stamp (or decorate how you like).

You can use one of the buttons to hold a ribbon scissor keep.

Fill your pockets with sweet stitching supplies and tools.

Enjoy your new needle-book!

All of the Splendid Sampler blocks are the same size so you could use this tutorial to make any number of beautifully varied needle-books!

What about a Splendid Needle-book Swap within your quilt guild or sewing group?

Most of my time is taken up designing and stitching six new embroidery patterns for each monthly issue of The Stitchery Club so I've only been able to sew four of the other Splendid blocks shared thus far. 

I love each of the blocks in Splendid so hopefully by years end I might have a few more made and then I can display them as a table runner for my sewing room!

IDEA:

All of the Splendid Sampler blocks are the same size so you could use this tutorial to make any number of beautifully varied needle-books!

What about a Splendid Needle-book Swap within your quilt guild or sewing group?

Visit the Splendid Sampler blog (here) for links to the other designers sharing blog posts today!

If you've enjoyed stitching my "Blossoming" design you might be interested in The Stitchery Club!

Once a month my members receive 6 new stitchery patterns via email.

Here's one of the patterns members will receive in the next Club issue.

To see the other five designs, or to find out more about The Stitchery Club go HERE.

Have a splendid day!

My Splendid Sampler block...

When I first answered Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson's call to design an embroidery block for The Splendid Sampler project it was August, 2015. Wow, almost a year ago! I had no idea at the time just what kind of buzz this Splendid Phenomena would create across the globe, but today we're on to block 31 of 100 and this thing gets more and more popular every week. Brilliant, eh?!

First off, WELCOME to all the new visitors to Elefantz. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I do hope you stay a while and have a look around. It's a friendly place where we chat a lot and I get to share bits and pieces of life, sewing, and Jesus.

So today it's my block you'll be stitching, and the brief I was given when designing it was to share a story about my love of sewing and bring that story to life in my block. So I did. 

It's called "Blossoming"...

....and the story it tells is of me and my precious daughter Blossom and how we taught ourselves to stitch and quilt in a tiny cabin atop the icy highlands in winter.

We learned from magazines and library books, everything was hand sewn, even our first quilts. That was 2005 and for the next four years my girl and I were rarely seen far from needle and thread or each other.

By 2010 Blossom had grown up quite a bit and her interests fell elsewhere, but by then I was designing and had been featured in a few Australian magazines.

The memories of those four years with my girl, learning the ropes in a new-to-us quilt and stitching world is a highlight of my life thus far. We were totally blessed to be 'blossoming' together. 

I've stitched this block three times now. Here's the alternate version on tonal fabric and in different 

thread colours...

Those two blocks were both posted away to Pat Sloan in the USA last year so this month I decided to sew a third version 'just for me'. I'm rather fond of adding little pops of applique so I tweaked it!

You can download the pattern to stitch "Blossoming" over here at the Splendid Sampler website, along with all 30 of the previous blocks shared so far.

Perhaps you'd like to add applique to bits of your own "Blossoming" block?

Here's a few simple tips:

Trace the design onto your fabric but omit any sections you intend to replace with applique, like I did with this bird's wing...

 

Turn the pattern sheet over on your light box and trace the reverse shapes you intend using for the applique onto the smooth side of some fusible applique paper (I use Vliesofix)...

 Cut out each shape from the fusible paper leaving a 1/4" buffer all around. Fuse the shapes behind scraps of fabric with a warm dry iron.

Cut away each shape along the traced line with small sharp scissors. 

 

 Peel away the paper, fuse in position on your traced block with a warm dry iron.

Fuse some stabiliser behind the block (I've used Weaveline) and you're ready to begin stitching! 

I blanket stitch applique with a single strand of thread, and backstitch with two strands.

 One other thing - you'll notice I don't trace the petals of small daises.

Instead, I put a small dot where the lazy daisy stitch petals start and finish. This means no tracing lines show when you stitch the lazy daisy petals.

Need help with backstitch or lazy daisy stitch?

I have a tutorial just for you in THIS blog post, and it comes with a free practice pattern too!

Want to share photos of your completed Splendid Sampler blocks? Pat and Jane have a Facebook group with over 13,000 members sharing their versions of each Splendid block - head over HERE. 

If you'd like to stitch more of my designs you'll find quite a selection HERE in my Craftsy Shop and HERE in my Etsy Store. 

I also have a Stitchery Club! 

6 new patterns are emailed to my members on the 17th of each month.

Learn more HERE on the Club page.

Well friends, that's it from me today. I hope you've enjoyed getting to know a little about Elefantz and the story behind "Blossoming".

I should tell you that I'm about to take a 10 day 'holiday at home' break from Elefantz. Yay! I want to declutter a bit, potter around and sew 'stuff', take afternoon naps, watch good movies, read a book or two, and generally recharge my batteries after this incredibly long tropical summer which resulted in Autumn never arriving. 

I'll still blog the two free BOM's on the 1st (Postcards from Heaven) and the 5th (Gentle Domesticity), but that's all.

All going according to plan I'll be back on board per usual on June 7th - which also happens to be my daughter Aisha's birthday so it's one of my favourite days of the year!

Till then, be blessed, breathe deep, have fun and make memories.

hugs

Sewing from The Splendid Sampler...

It's only two weeks now until I can show you my design in The Splendid Sampler project! It has plenty of stitchery so you may need to find a comfy spot on the day because your fingers will be busy for awhile. 

In the meantime though, have you made any or all the blocks from the 27 already shared?

I'm picking through and choosing sewing themed blocks for a wall quilt to display in my sewing room.

Yesterday's honey of a block was Pat Sloan's sewing machine and because the designers have had access to all the blocks since last year I was able to make my version a while ago. The fabrics used are scraps  of Lecien and Moda pieces from my oddments bin...

After stitching down the applique I added one of my treasured vintage buttons for a pop of creativity which gave it a retro style finished look!

Here's the first two Splendid Sampler designs I made in my choice of sewing themed blocks...

 

Head over HERE to the Splendid Sampler website to download all 27 blocks shared so far.

Some are patchwork, some applique, and others are embroidery - but they're all free and gorgeous!

 I'm waiting to begin the next few Splendid blocks for my quilt because I need to complete the tutorial for a set of hanging pockets I'll be sharing here on the blog later this week.

I said the other day it would be ready on the 17th, but as this sciatica issue has slowed me down a bit recently I'll push the tutorial forward to the 19th. 

A wise decision, methinks. 

 Enjoy your day sweet friends,

hugs