Focus on Finishing

Pin Pillow Tutorial #2

2010-12-05T12:19:00.002+11:00

Here is the 2nd pillow tutorial resulting from my finishing spree last weekend:

You will need:

Stitching for the centre of the cushion
Coordinating fabric(s) for side strips and backing
Sewing machine with coordinating sewing machine thread to match your fabric(s)
Scissors/rotary cutter and mat
Pins
Embellishments (optional)
Polyfil stuffing (or something similar)
Sewing needle and thread to close up the seam opening

1. First of all cut your coordinating fabric into equal width strips, and approximate width of your sewing project. In my case I have chosen to have two different fabrics on the front of my pillow, and have started with a narrow strip of bright rust fabric for the inner border.

Pin the first strip with right sides facing to your stitching (I prefer to start with the pieces attached to the left and right sides, but you may prefer to start with the top and bottom sections first), and stitch a normal seam allowance (alternatively you may prefer to just a quilters 1/4" seam).

Once you have stitched the first seam, attach the 2nd strip of fabric to the opposite side of your stitching and stitch another seam.

2. At this point I cut off my excess fabrics on each side, and trim my seams to 1/4" - I usually prefer to do this because I don't trust myself to get things right the first time!

3. You finish with nice tidy edges, ready to attach the last two sides of fabric.

4. Before we do that, though, we need to open the fabric sides up and give them a quick press with the iron so that they sit nicely. If you want to you can also do a row of top-stitching to assist with holding the fabric nicely, but I don't normally bother.

5. Now we attach the top and bottom sides in exactly the same way as we did with the first two sides. Once all sides have finished, I normally check the side strips to ensure they're nice and tidy and even, and if not I give them a quick trim all round with the rotary cutter.

6. In my case I decided to just have a narrow strip of bright rust fabric as a contrasting focal point, then added some wider strips of fabric for the outside edges. These are attached in exactly the same way as the rust strips, they are just cut into wider pieces. You just need to remember to add the next lot of strips in the same order as you did previously, which was in my case left and right first, followed by top and bottom. Once I had ironed my finished strips I decided that little buttons would be nice in the corners, so I added these before adding the backing fabric.

7. Now you need to cut your backing fabric the same size as your finished article, and pin them together with right sides facing together (the right side of the stitching will be on the inside of the sandwich).

8. Stitch a seam allowance around the edges, but leave an opening at the bottom so that you can turn your pillow inside-out. I tend to leave about 1 1/2" opening and that's normally enough room to allow for turning.

9. I use a chopstick to help push the corners into a nice shape from the outside - you just have to be careful not to force the seam stitching too much! Once you have turned your pillow inside out, it should look something like this. Now all you have to do is stuff it to your preferred thickness with your favourite stuffing.

10. I close my pillow openings with a ladder stitch - and the following is taken from a previous Christmas ornament tutorial, but is the exact same instruction for closing the pillows.

As you can see from the photo below, I start off by slipping my needle into the seam of the backing fabric, then coming back out about 1/4″ along the seam (about 3mm) and bring my needle out.

I then take my needle directly opposite where I just came out of the backing fabric and slip my needle into the linen and follow the seam along for about 3mm and bring the needle back out again.

I’ve left the stitches nice and loose in the photo below to help illustrate how the stitches follow along opposite each other, like rungs of a ladder.

When you pull the thread tighter, the stitches almost disappear into the fabric, giving a really nice clean finish – this is definitely my favourite stitch for closing up openings for that reason!

Once you reach the end of the seam opening, you need to finish off your thread with a couple of teeny stitches – I then bury the needle into the seam and come out somewhere about an inch way and bring the needle back out again – then clip the thread close to the fabric so that my thread tail does’t appear easily.

And here’s the final seam all finished off – see now nice and tidy that ladder stitch is in the opening?

11. And that is the final step in your beautiful new pin pillow coming to life. Now all you need to do is to find somewhere to display it where it can be admired by everyone :D

Pin Pillow Tutorial #1

2010-12-05T12:15:00.003+11:00

Here is a pin pillow tutorial that I put together during a day of finishing last weekend - I finally managed to sit down and put the instructions together today.

You will need:

Stitching for the centre of the cushion
Coordinating fabric(s) for side strips and backing
Sewing machine with coordinating sewing machine thread to match your fabric(s)
Scissors/rotary cutter and mat
Pins
Ribbon/lace/button embellishments (optional)
Polyfil stuffing (or something similar)
Sewing needle and thread to close up the seam opening

1. First of all trim your stitched piece, and cut your coordinating fabric to your preferred length and the approximate width of your sewing project. In my case I have chosen to have my coordinating fabric at the bottom of my stitched piece, and I prefer to have the quilting fabric slightly smaller than my stitched piece so it doesn't take too much attention from the stitching - I have, however, seen some stunning pillows with the stitching taking up just a small amount of room at the top of the pillow. The only difference is down to your preference, as the finishing process is exactly the same.

2. Pin the fabrics together, with right sides facing, and stitch a normal seam allowance (alternatively you may prefer to just a quilters 1/4" seam).

3. At this point I cut off my excess fabrics on each side, and trim my seams to 1/4". This is also the time when you should open up the seam(s) and give a quick pressing with the iron.

4. If you have decided to have fabric on both sides of your stitching (either top and bottom, or left and right) this you will need to repeat the above process a second time for the additional piece of fabric. Once you've finished attaching the coordinating fabrics, check the edges to ensure they're all even, and give it a quick trim with the rotary cutter if needed.

5. At this point I add any seam embellishments to the pillow front. For this particular pillow I just wanted to add one row of matching ric-a-rac. This can either be attached by the sewing machine or by hand (I ended up adding this one by hand, as I didn't have a matching brown sewing machine thread). This is also a good time to add any buttons or other trims you want to add, prior to constructing the pillow itself. Alternatively, you can add your ribbon at the very end once the pillow is finished, but just wrapping it around the pillow and tying a bow to hold it in place :)

6. Now you need to cut your backing fabric the same size as your finished article, and pin them together with right sides facing together (the right side of the stitching will be on the inside of the sandwich).

7. Stitch a seam allowance around the edges, but leave an opening at the bottom so that you can turn your pillow inside-out. I tend to leave about 1 1/2" opening and that's normally enough room to allow for turning.

8. I use a chopstick to help push the corners into a nice shape from the outside - you just have to be careful not to force the seam stitching too much! Once you have turned your pillow inside out, it should look something like this. Now all you have to do is stuff it to your preferred thickness with your favourite stuffing.

9. I close my pillow openings with a ladder stitch - and the following is taken from a previous Christmas ornament tutorial, but is the exact same instruction for closing the pillows.

As you can see from the photo below, I start off by slipping my needle into the seam of the backing fabric, then coming back out about 1/4″ along the seam (about 3mm) and bring my needle out.

I then take my needle directly opposite where I just came out of the backing fabric and slip my needle into the linen and follow the seam along for about 3mm and bring the needle back out again.

I’ve left the stitches nice and loose in the photo below to help illustrate how the stitches follow along opposite each other, like rungs of a ladder.

When you pull the thread tighter, the stitches almost disappear into the fabric, giving a really nice clean finish – this is definitely my favourite stitch for closing up openings for that reason!

10. And that is the final step in your beautiful new pin pillow coming to life. Now all you need to do is to find somewhere to display it where it can be admired by everyone :D

Basic Pillow Christmas Ornament Tutorial

2010-08-07T18:59:00.002+10:00

The following is a very basic pillow Christmas Ornament tutorial designed, in particular, for beginners.

Supplies needed:

Stitched project
Backing fabric
Approx 6" (15-16cm) of ribbon to coordinate with your stitching for the hanger (I normally use 7mm double-sided satin ribbon)
Stuffing
Sewing machine with coordinating thread to match your fabrics
Complimentary sewing thread and needle

1. Start off by laying your stitching piece on top of your backing fabric, with wrong sides facing, as shown below:

2. Now we need to cut the fabric so that all sides are equal. The amount of margin that you leave is up to you, here you can see that I've allowed 3/4" margin on each side. I line up my ruler along the edge of my stitching, and cut the fabric with my rotary cutter (both my stitched piece and backing fabric at the same time).

3. You continue this same way until all four sides are cut away. Remember that your backing fabric is underneath, so you need to be careful when you are moving your stitching around on the cutting mat that the fabric doesn't move out of place or your pieces won't match at the end. Once you have finished cutting all four sides, remove the backing fabric from your stitching fabric.

4. Next I attach the piece of ribbon to my stitching - the ribbon must be attached to the right side of your stitching. Adjust the size of the loop to match your own preferences, then pin in place. I like to have a slight angle to the top of the ribbon where it is pinned in place, so that it hangs nicer when it's finished.

5. Next place your backing fabric on top of your stitching/ribbon, with right sides facing, as shown below. Pin the pieces together around the edges.

6. Now we need the sewing machine - once again, it is up to you to choose how much fabric margin you'd like to leave around the stitched piece.

It's quite hard to see the stitching threads because they match the fabric so well, so I've doctored the photo and drawn a line to show you the stitching line of where I started and finished - hopefully you can see clearly now that I have left an opening of about 1 1/2". I like to leave a long tail of the sewing thread at one end, which I don't trim off, so that I can use it for stitching up the final seam opening.

7. The next step is to trim the fabric at the seams, so they aren't as bulky when you turn the ornament inside-out. The photo on the below left is my bottom seam - some fabrics tend to fray a lot when you are trying to pull the fabric through the opening, so I've learnt to leave the bottom seam a tiny bit wider than the other three seams. The photo on the right is the usual amount that I trim back the main seams.

8. Then you should trim off each of the corners - once again, this allows you to get a crisper point on the ornament corners once you've turned it inside-out and improves the look of the ornament. Just be careful not to snip the stitching!

Your ornament should now look something like this:

9. The next bit can be a little bit nervewracking if you haven't done it before! You need to reach in and pinch a little bit of the backing fabric between your thumb and forefinger, and then slowly and gently pull the stitching and the backing fabric through the opening so it's facing the right-side out. Take your time when doing this, and just pull your fabric through little by little - it seems like it will never come through, but then all of sudden a miracle seems to happen and you have it all turned inside-out. I often enlist the aid of a chopstick to help me get the corners nice and pointy once I've finished turning my ornament inside out.

Your ornament should now look a little something like this. Of course it was at this point that I realised I'd forgotten to attach my little gold charm to this particular ornament so I had to add that quickly before finishing the next stages ... doh!

10. The final stage is to stuff your ornament with stuffing of your choice. I tend to just use polyester fibrefill from my local craft store. Once you it stuffed to your satisfaction (my preference is to fill it to a medium level - if I fill it too much it doesn't sit quite as well on my little tree), you need to thread your sewing needle with sewing thread (if you didn't leave a long tail from the seam stitching). You should use a sharp needle here, not a tapestry needle, so that you can pierce the backing fabric easily.

I use a ladder stitch to sew up the opening. As you can see from the left-hand photo below, I start off by slipping my needle into the seam of the backing fabric, then coming back out about 1/4" along the seam (about 3mm) and bring my needle out.

I then take my needle directly opposite where I just came out of the backing fabric and slip my needle into the linen and follow the seam along for about 1/4" (3mm) and bring the needle back out again.

I've left the stitches nice and loose in the photo below to help illustrate how the stitches follow along opposite each other, like rungs of a ladder.

When you pull the thread tighter, the stitches almost disappear into the fabric, giving a really nice clean finish - this is definitely my favourite stitch for closing up openings for that reason!

Once you reach the end of the seam opening, you need to finish off your thread with a couple of teeny stitches - I then bury the needle into the seam and come out somewhere about an inch way and bring the needle back out again - then clip the thread close to the fabric so that my thread tail does't appear easily.

And here's the final seam all finished off - see now nice and tidy that ladder stitch is in the opening? :D

Your ornament is now finished, and ready to hang on the tree :D

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and found it useful. I would love to see any photos of ornaments you've completed using this tutorial so please do drop me a line or leave a comment with a link to your pictures :)

Christmas Ornament Tutorial

2009-11-01T18:54:00.008+11:00

I personally don't think the Just Cross Stitch ornie magazine is very clear with their finishing instructions for 'newbies' so I thought I'd make one up myself to help people out that haven't done this type of fnishing before - and show just how simple it is :)

This will also hopefully kickstart me into preparing a few more tutorials in the upcoming months ... just need to get some stitching finished so I have some smaller things to finish! LOL. Anyway, without further ado, here's the latest tutorial - hope it will be useful to someone :)

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT TUTORIAL

(The Prairie Schooler finishing style)

Materials needed:

Stitched ornie
Felt in coordinating colour
Cardboard (I use mattboard)
Batting
Ribbon for hanger
Glue
Thread for lacing (I use crochet cotton or pearl cotton)

The following piccies are all clickable for closer views ...

1. Firstly measure your stitched ornie for the size that you want the cardboard to be.

2. Next, cut out your cardboard/mattboard to the desired size. Add glue to one side of the cardboard, and place glue-side down on your batting. Even though I don't show it in the photos, I actually smooth down the glue with a little offcut of mattboard so that the glue covers the cardboard evenly - that way you don't feel ugly bumps on the front when it dries.

3. Once the glue has dried, cut around the cardboard shape and cut off the excess batting (my mattboard is black on one side, it just happened to be the piece that our local framers gave me).

4. Now it's time to attach the stitched piece to the padded mattboard.

Turn the stitching over so the good side is facing down - place the padded mattboard padded-side down on top of the stitching.

5. My instructions for the next part are in relation to lacing the ornie together - I've found that this gives a much cleaner finish on the front of the ornie, and in particular in the corners. If you don't want to lace, you can just use glue to stick the sides down in the same way - you'll just have to be careful that the glue doesn't dry before you have the stitched piece nicely centred on the front.

6. First of all I start by folding over the corners, then the sides. This ornie was stitched by my Mum on Aida, which is quite stiff and stays put, which is great :)

7. Next I start lacing - I usually start with a couple of little anchor stitches at the start, but here I used a waste-away knot first (this will be cut off later) - then you just work from one side of the ornie to the other, as you can see from the series of photos below.

8. At this point turn the stitched piece over and check that the stitching is sitting nicely centred over the mattboard. If it's not centred perfectly, just give it a little jiggle around until it is nicely centred.

9. Turn the ornie back over again, and continue to lace the remaining two sides. Now I usually stitch up the mitred corners, as this really tidies p the corners and gives nice clean points.

10. The finished version should look something like this if you've laced it according to my version.

11. You now have the choice of adding your ribbon hanger now, or at the end. I always used to add my hanger at the end, but decided to try it this way for the tutorial, and have added the ribbon prior to adding the felt backing.

Cut a piece of ribbon to your preferred length - I 'twist' my ribbon to give it a nice loop, if you just fold it in half the ribbon doesn't sit quite as nicely. Hopefully that makes sense, and you can see what I mean from the photos! Attach the ribbon with a couple of little stitches to attach it to the fabric - I prefer to stitch it rather than just gluing to ensure the ribbon hanger doesn't fall off in a hurry.

12. Next, turn your ornie over and add glue to the back - I usually use Tacky Glue and once again I use a little offcut of mattboard to spread the glue out all over the backing, but this isn't essential. I figure this will help to keep the glue stuck down for longer than just having a little bit on the edges :)

13. Now place your glued ornie down on the felt backing and ensure the felt is pressed down nice and evenly onto the glue. Then, using pinking shears, cut around the ornie shape - don't forget to hold your ribbon hanger out of the way so it's not accidentally lopped off!

14. If you prefer to add your ribbon hanger at the end, this is an example of one of my older finished ornies that I completed this way :)

15. And you now have a beautifully finished ornie - all you have to do is to hang it up on your (or a loved one's) tree! :D

I hope that's easy enough to follow - if you have any questions, don't hesitate to scream out and I'll try to answer them.

2009-09-08T07:40:00.001+10:00

Apologies for the length of time I've been absent - just a case of work and life getting in the way, unfortunately. Hopefully it won't be quite so long before the next post!

I am a little mortified, however, as I had prepared 3 separate posts over the last 12 months for posting, with all the latest tutorials that I had found to be added to the site, and they were all sitting in Draft format and not even published ... I've now combined them all together below in one list.

Hopefully I'll be able to share some new tutorials shortly, as I aim to get some life balance back and return more wholeheartedly to my needlework endeavours in my spare time - which means more time being spent keeping this blog, and my own personal blog, up-to-date and active! That also means getting some items finish-finished so I can prepare the tutorials ... which means it's a win-win situation - more tutorials, and my finishing pile being reduced!! :D

Thanks for bearing with me in the meantime - hopefully you have still found the tutorial links useful, even without the blog being active in recent times!

Without further ado, here are the latest tutorial links that have been added to the links pages at various times recently (and not-so-recently):

Anita - Floss Ring Tags
Marjorie - Flat Ornament (canvaswork): part 1, part 2, part 3
Staci - Coffee-dyeing cotton threads
Lesley - 15-sided Biscornu and alternative finishing
Saolya blog - Humbug chicken pincushion (in Russian)
Saolya blog - Ribbon trim for pinkeep (in Russian)
Saolya blog - Strawberry emery with spider web cap (in Russian) and Quaker Strawberry
Saolya blog - Just Nan's Gilded Dragonfly Scissor Purse (in Russian)
Saolya blog - Slipper ornament (in Russian)
Saolya blog - Quaker Christmas Tree ornament (in Russian)
Saolya blog - 'Folded' ornament (in Russian)
Monique - Ornament with Wire Hanger
Alchemy Stitchcraft - Trinket Tray
Mayte - Ribbon bows (for topping pinkeeps etc)
Stitch-Creations - 15-sided biscornu
Swappons blog - Stitching Wallet (in French)
Paper.String.Cloth - Pincushion

If you have any tutorial links you would like to have added to the links page, it would be appreciated if you could leave a comment or send me an email with the details, as I'm sure there are many tutorials out there that I have missed!

Kind regards,

Pillow Finishing Tutorial

2008-11-30T06:49:00.012+11:00

Now that you have your supplies gathered, we are ready to start making a pillow!

All of these instructions are written to create an envelope style cover to put over a pillow form. However, if you only want to make a small pillow, you could leave off the large border. If you want to stuff your pillow instead of using a pillow form, you would make a one piece back and leave an opening to turn and stuff your piece. The basic principles are the same, so you should be able to modify to suit your needs. Personally, I do like to make the envelope style pillows and use a pillow form. This eliminates storing bulky pillows, and allows me to switch out the covers with the seasons.

The first thing that you need to do is draw out your dimensions. I strongly suggest that you don't skip this step if you are planning to use a pillow form! (Even though I drew mine out, I still messed up...hence the delay in getting this posted...and an unplanned extra border around the edge).

You will need to decide how big your finished pillow should be. That will drive all of the other measurements. I used 0.25" seam allowances throughout this project. I used a 14" pillow form, so the size of my front piece needed to be 14.5" x 14.5", which is the 14" finished size plus 0.25" seam allowances all around (to allow for attachment of the back panel).

Here is what my diagram looked like:

Here is how I figured out the finished sizes and cut sizes:
Section A - Stitched Design Area: My stitched design size was 4.0" x 4.0". I wanted to leave a 0.25" margin around my stitching. I allowed 4.5" x 4.5" for the design portion (4.0" stitched area + 0.25" margin on each side). The cut area needs to be 5.0" x 5.0" to allow for the above finished size, plus a 0.25" seam allowance on all sides to attach to Section B.

Section B - Narrow Border Area: I wanted to have a 1.0" border all around the stitched area. The cut size of the strips for this area needed to be 1.5", which is the 1.0" finished size, plus a 0.25" seam allowance to attach to Section A and 0.25" seam allowance to attach to Section C.

Section C - Wide Border Area: This area is flexible based upon the finished size. The total width and height of the front needs to be 14.5" as discussed earlier. This measurement includes the 0.25" seam allowance on each side to attach to the back. The finished size of this area will be 14.5" total minus 4.5" (A) minus 2.0" (B on two sides) divided by two (top, bottom) = 4.0". The cut size for the strips in this section needed to be 4.25". This is for the 4.0" size just calculated, plus 0.25" to attach to Section B. The seam allowance to attach to the back was already taken into consideration when calculating the 14.5" total size of the front.

Hopefully that all makes sense. Draw yourself a diagram, and calculate carefully. Be sure to do your finished size calculation first, and then do the cut size calculations.

Now that you have your diagram finalized, it's time to get down to work. First, we'll cut the stitched piece to the correct size. I like to do this by pulling threads to make a visible cutting line. This ensures that you are starting with a nice, straight edge. Measure 0.5" from the top edge of the stitching. The 0.5" is for the 0.25" border, plus the 0.25" seam allowance. Pull out the horizontal thread closest to 0.5".

You could also count threads rather than measuring. For example, if you stitched your piece on 28 count, you would count out 14 threads and pull out the 15th thread. Repeat all around the piece. Cut out your piece using space left by the pulled threads as a guide.

Cut your strip of fabric for Section B, using the cut size width that you calculated for this section. Don't worry about the length. When I cut my stips, I just cut the appropriate width of fabric and for the length I went from selvage to selvage. One strip was plenty.

Cut your strip of fabric for Section C, using the appropriate width that you calculated for this section. Again, cutting from selvage to selvage gave me plenty of length.

Iron your stitched piece and your strips of fabric. The good news is that the hard part is over, and we're ready to sew!

Start at the top of your stitched piece. Pin the right side of your Section B strip to the right side of your stitched piece. Cut off any excess length even with the edge of the stitched piece.

Sew a 0.25" seam. Repeat at the bottom edge of your stitched piece. Iron the seams open.

The front of your piece should look like this:

Attach the Section B strips to the sides. Iron your seams open.

The front of your piece should now look like this:

Repeat the steps to attach the Section C border. Your piece should now look like this:

Important! Measure your piece, and make sure that it is somewhat close to what you calculated. I messed mine up, because I had forgotten about the seam allowance to attach the front to the back. I had to sew a little strip all of the way around, so in the following pictures you will see an extra brown border. I wasn't thrilled about this, but it turned out okay. Now is the time to make any corrections, if you miscalculated.

Cut your back pieces. You will need two pieces. The width should be the same as your front. The length should be about 70% of your front. Hem one edge of each of the back pieces. I like to use the selvage edges for this, and fold up about an inch and sew it down. If you don't have a selvage edge to work with, you will need to do a double fold and sew it down.

Lay your front piece face up.

Lay one of your back pieces face down on top of your front piece. Line up the unfinished edge of the back piece with the top of your front piece. The hemmed edge should be towards the middle of the piece. Pin.

Lay the other back piece on top of your front piece, lining up the unfinished edge with the bottom of the front piece. Your two backing pieces will overlap. Pin.

Sew all of the way around the piece, using a 0.25" seam allowance.

Turn right side out.

Insert your pillow form into the "envelope" opening in the back. Stand back, pat yourself on the back, and admire your finished pillow!

If you have any questions, please contact me and I'll try to help :)

Supply List - Pillow Finishing

2008-11-25T11:13:00.002+11:00

Alright, everyone! It's time to gather up your supplies for a pillow finishing frenzy this weekend. I will be posting instructions on how to do either a small pillow, or a larger pillow with a flap back that you can use with a pillow form (and swap out throughout the year).

The supplies needed are pretty basic:
Stitched piece
Poly-fill stuffing or pillow form
Sufficient fabric for finishing your piece (depends upon your desired finished size) *
Sewing thread to match your fabric

Tools needed:
Sewing machine
Rotary cutter and ruler (not essential, but it sure makes everything easier!)
Scissors
Sewing needle

* Notes on how much fabric to buy: A fat quarter is generally more than plenty to do a small pillow. For the larger pillow, you will need to measure your stitched piece and pillow form. For the front, you'll need to have enough fabric to cut 4 strips to get you to your finished size (leaving the seam allowance). You will also need enough for your back, with extra for overlap. If you have any specific questions, e-mail me and I'll try to help :)

Gather your supplies, your finished-unfinshed pieces of stitching, and get ready to have fun this weekend!

Gallery - Needlebook

2008-09-21T21:51:00.004+10:00

Finished by Barbara J
(Full blog post found here)

New tutorial links added

2008-09-21T15:07:00.004+10:00

The latest tutorial links to be added are:

My Mark Designs (Monique) - Ornaments using metal finishing forms
House on Hill Road - inserting zippers into a cushion/pillow
Knit One Quilt Two - button back pillows (quilted tops, but can be used for needlework)

Have a great week! :)

Gallery - Seen on the Blogs

2008-09-21T13:03:00.013+10:00

I have tried to keep a note over the last 12 months when I saw mention of a finish made using one of our Focus on Finishing tutorials - I have since been in contact with the stitchers on my list, and have heard that it's OK to post piccies of their finishes on the blog ... so, here's a bit of eye candy that I hope you will enjoy (hopefully there will be another post over the next week once I hear back from a few more people) :)

Flanged Pillow Tutorial

Finished by Jenna
(full blog post is found here)

Stitcher's Bourse Tutorial

Finished by Terri for Melissa
(full blog post is found here)

Finished by Jeannie-Marie
(full blog post is found here)

Beaded Scissor Fob Tutorial

Finished by Dawn B
(full blog post is found here)

Needleroll Tutorial

Finished by Kim B
(full blog post is found here)

It's particularly good for the tutors to see that their classes are being used - and don't forget, if you have some finishes to share we'd LOVE to see them here too! All you have to do is to drop me an email with your Blogger details, and I can add you as an author :D

Latest Tutorials added

2008-09-16T06:59:00.005+10:00

I've been very lazy in adding the latest tutorials I've been made aware of, but finally they're added and ready for you to share (if you haven't already seen them, of course):

A Stitchinaddiction (Carol) - How to frame your own needlework (using pins)
Just One More Stitch (Cyndi) - Framing needlework in a CD cover to stand up on a desk
The Twisted Stitcher (Vonna) - Lining a Decorative Basket
The Twisted Stitcher (Vonna) - Mattress pincushion/pinkeep

If you come across any other tutorials you think would be a good addition to the tutorial list, please don't hesitate to let me know. Also, if any of the links are no longer working please let me know so I can remove or update the link.

Have a great week :)

Blog Awards

2008-09-14T18:59:00.001+10:00

I have been very lax in thanking a couple of people who have nominated our blog here for an Award in recent months - and today is the day to rectify that:

First of all, thanks go to Sandra, Nela and Lisa who awarded the blog with the Brillante Award.

Here is what Sandra and Lisa had to say about the blog:

Sandra: Focus on finishing: I don't know these bloggers personally (Anne and Karen are the managers), but my life has been saved thanks to its posts lol I think it's a huge reference for cross stitchers and needlepointers. Lots of useful and easy to follow tutorials with pictures.

Lisa: Anne S-not new to me, but as busy as she is continues to provide us with the Focus on Finishing blog with tons of contributions from stitchers from all over the world chock full of complimentary tutorials. "Hi Anne!"

Then Ezia kindly awarded us with an Arte Y Pico award.

With the acceptance of these awards, are some rules, which are to then nominate at least 5-7 other people for these awards. Because this is more of a 'public' blog, not a personal one, I hope you don't mind if I don't do that here ... instead I will try to continue to highlight some great blogs regularly that have some great finished items on display :)

Thanks again ladies, though, for the lovely awards - the feedback we get every now and then makes it feel worthwhile :)

And on that note I will walk away from the blog tonight, after spending the entire day working on its contents. I've copied so many posts over they've started making me complete a word verification after every post, so I think it's time to call it a night (apart from the fact my eyes are now getting blurry - I guess that means no stitching for me tonight LOL).

Kind regards,

Welcome to Focus on Finishing!

2008-09-14T11:03:00.002+10:00

Welcome to the new-look Focus on Finishing blog!

This blog was originally set up in Wordpress, but posed a difficulty for stitchers and tutors wanting to contribute, as the Blogger platform is more commonly used than WP. Some pages, however, will remain within the original Wordpress blog, as they are maintained by me and WP is my preferred platform.

This blog was created as a resource both for stitchers who already enjoy finishing their own stitching creatively and want to develop and share their skills and also for those stitchers who would love to do so but don't know where to start.

It aims to be a place where you can learn new techniques, receive and give finishing help and advice and share pictures of your finished items with everyone.

It also aims to provide a centralised information resource of finishing techniques, with pages dedicated to both tutorial links and links to websites/online albums for inspiration.

We hope to continue to organise regular finishing classes where people can learn specific finishing techniques. All tutors who put together the tutorials do so on a voluntary basis, and I am indebted to their assistance in keeping this blog active by continuing to provide some high quality and wonderful tutorials for us all to enjoy and learn from. More information can be found on the Class/FAL schedule page.

When the blog first started back in February 2007 we tried to have regular FALs (Finish-A-Longs), where we set aside a certain time every week or month to finish up some of those stitched-but-not-yet-finished projects using any method. Unfortunately, there were no takers, so this was cancelled. If enough people would like to have a weekend set aside for finishing, I am happy to start the ball rollling once again.

If you wish to contribute to this blog as a poster rather than just a commenter, please email me (Anne) with your details (including the email address you use for Blogger posts) - I will then add you as a contributor so you can post your finished piccies etc.

When you post to the blog, please assign one or more relevant labels to your post. It is preferred the label should describe the type of finishing method you have used (eg Pinkeep, Bookmark, Biscornu, etc), and any personal details you wish to add. This means that all the posts will be searchable by category, thus making it easy to find all posts on the same subject. If there isn't a label available that is relevant to your post, feel free to create one. Please note that labels may be edited to ensure consistency and categories may be added to posts where necessary.

We would LOVE to see any finished items published to the blog where you have used our tutorials - this is a great motivation for other stitchers, as well as for the tutors that have taken their time to prepare their tutorials for your use.

Welcome again to the Focus on Finishing blog - I hope you enjoy your time here!

A Needle Case for your needle packets

2008-08-17T14:31:00.001+10:00

Who doesn't need a special something to hold their needle packets? Since I use a lot of different types of needles in my embroidery, I like to keep them in their packets. I've made a needle case to organize my packets that will help me find the needles I need easily.

To make the needle case, you'll need:

your finished embroidery, 12 inches long by 6 inches wide
light weight cotton for the lining, 27 inches long by 6 inches wide
#12 perle cotton
a small length of ribbon
2 pieces of skirtex or light weight cardboard, 5-1/2 inches by 5 inches each
a hot iron

I stitched a stumpwork design for my needle case but the finishing instructions will work for surface and counted embroidery, including cross stitch and crazy quilting.

Click here for the needle case instructions (pdf)

I hope you will enjoy making your own needle case and will find this tutorial useful. If you have any questions or need clarification on any of the steps, leave a comment here and I will try to answer in this section for everyone's benefit.

Tutor = Celeste

Strawberry Fob Finishing Class

2008-07-13T15:13:00.001+10:00

Hello all,

I'm running a bit late this month but have finally cobbled together some photos and text for Strawberry fob finishing.

First gather your equipment...

For this project you will need:

Stitched project - some suggestions: Prairie Schooler chart 100 - American Strawberries & chart 101- Prairie Strawberries (used for this tutorial), Anita's little Stitches designs, Blackbird Designs - there is a strawberry fob in the Secret Garden pattern (OOP) from the Loose Feathers series of 2006 and a Blackbird Designs also designed a fabulous quaker strawberry for the 2006 Annual Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornaments issue (I'm sure this one is still available).

Interfacing

Ribbon, felt

Stuffing

Scissors, needle, thread, pins.

Iron

And you can see in this photo, I also made sure I had a cup of tea to work with.

Take your stitched piece and iron a piece of interfacing to the reverse of the stitching.

Make a semi-circle template, pin to the stitching and cut around. You can see I have mucked up centering this up with the "quiltish" strawberry above - this is not really a problem for this finishing technique.

Next, finger-press a small seam along the straight edge. Make this seam as close to the stitching as possible.

Fold the semi-circle to form a cone (see above). Stitch the straight seams together. I like to use a ladder stitch to do this, but you can use a sewing machine if you wish (I find it is easier to do this by hand).

I kinda hoped you'd be able to see the ladder stitch in this photo. If you pull it nice and tight it disappears into the seam. I'm pretty pleased with the join for this strawberry.

If you used the ladder stitch to join the seam, secure the thread and then run a gathering stitch around the top of the cone around 1/2 an inch from the top.

Draw the gathers together a little and stuff your strawberry - I've used hobbyfill.

Draw the gathers tighter and run a few stitches across the "opening" and pull these tight to secure your thread. You can insert a hanger at this point if you wish, stitch through it as you secure your thread.

For my first strawberry, I've attached a felt cap. I cut the felt out using the template in the pattern (Prairie Schooler pattern 101: Prairie Strawberries) and tacked it to the strawberry.

Next, I stitched around the felt using a buttonhole stitch - making sure I caught the linen beneath. Then I attached the second felt star (template from the prairie schooler pattern) using buttonhole stitch.

Attach a hanger to the top. I made a loop of ribbon and secured with tiny tacking stitches and slipped a bead over the ribbon to hide the stitches.

Another pretty way to finish the strawberry is to tie ribbons around the hanger - I learned this technique from Janie Hubble from The Cat's Whiskers Design Studio at a class last year.

Here's the other design I stitched from Prairie Strawberries by Prairie Schooler. You can see in the photo I have gathered the top and inserted the hanger. I've cut a length of ribbon and tied it in a bow around the hanger. Just keep tying bows around the hanger - pushing them down towards the strawberry. Have them facing in different directions.

When you are satisfied with the ribbons, trim the ends and you are done.

Here are the two finished strawberries. I love them! - So cute!
I hope you will enjoy making your own strawberries too and will find this tutorial useful.
Cathy.

Tutor = CathyMK

Treat Bag Class

2008-05-16T15:19:00.000+10:00

Here is the wonderful Treat Bag Tutorial put together by Celeste - I think you'll all agree that it's a real stunner, and the instructions put together are superb!

Due to the difficulties of learning to use the Wordpress platform, and to allow us to get this published on time, this tutorial has been prepared in a .pdf format. Hopefully I can work out myself how to get this file attached here so you can download it! ;)

As always, please feel free to leave any questions and/or feedback in the comments section of this post.

Enjoy! :)

Treat Bag Tutorial instructions are here (please click for .pdf).

Tutor = Celeste

Tuck Pillow - Class

2008-05-03T15:23:00.000+10:00

Welcome to our tuck pillow tutorial.

This tutorial will be for a 7" flat door hanger tuck pillow but you can make yours any size you like. Smaller tuck pillows are good for Christmas ornaments. To recap, following is a list of what you need to make the pillow.

your stitched piece

main fabric for pillow - a fat quarter will be plenty

neutral fabric for back of opening - a scrap piece the size of your pillow. I use calico/quilters muslin/homespun or whatever it’s called in your country.

fusible fleece wadding - the width of your pillow. I use fusible fleece on my pillows as I prefer the finish it gives to the back of the pillow. You can, of course, use any batting you prefer. Something not too thick is best.

cord for hanging

sewing machine

thread

Cut 1 piece of main fabric 7½” by 7½" for the back

Cut 1 piece of neutral fabric the same size

Cut 1 piece of fusible fleece the same size

Cut 4 strips of main fabric 7½” by 2½"

Fuse the fleece onto the wrong side of the main fabric piece - this piece will form the back of the pillow. I always use a pressing cloth for this step. If you are using a non-fusible batting, pin the batting to the wrong side of the main fabric piece & sew using a ¼” seam. Now treat this piece as one.

Fold the 4 strips of main fabric lengthwise, wrong sides together. Press.

Place 2 of the strips onto the top and bottom of the right side of the back pillow piece, raw edges together (the folded edge will be in the middle) & pin.

Place the other 2 strips on the sides of the right side of the main piece & pin. Do not sew yet!

At this time, you will add your hanger. First of all you need to ascertain which edge is the top of your pillow (this is only crucial if your pillow is rectangular or the fabric strips/main fabric have a one way design). Pin your cording piece between the strips and the main fabric piece making sure the cording loop is in the middle of the pillow, NOT poking out through the seam - the ends WILL be poking out of the seam and will be trimmed later (see pic for clarification).

Now sew all these pieces together using a ¼” seam. To ensure the cording stays put, you can backstitch over this part or sew that part of the seam again to reinforce it.

Place the neutral fabric and main pillow piece right sides together with the strips sandwiched in the middle and pin.

Now sew these seams using a ¼” seam, leaving an opening for turning. Trim the seams, corners & cording.

Now turn the pillow right side out and VOILA, your very own tuck pillow!

You may, if you wish, whip stitch the opening (which will now be situated inside the pillow) closed. However, I usually just leave it as no one can see it. Give the pillow a good press to make it nice and flat.

Now you can add your finished cross-stitch piece which, hopefully, will fit into the opening. You can secure it with buttons at the corners or just leave it. I find that the stitched piece doesn’t move much unless the cat gets at it & gives it a bat!

Calculating other sizes of pillows

To calculate a different pillow size, all you need to do is measure your finished cross stitch piece and add 1½” to all sides. That measurement will be your main fabric and batting size and strip length. The width of the strips will be 2½”.

Keep in mind that the larger you make your pillow, the wider the strips should be. This, in turn, will also affect the size of the opening so double check that your stitched piece will fit!

Tutor = AlisonC

Tuck Pillow - Class - Materials List

2008-04-26T15:30:00.000+10:00

Next weekend will be our tutorial on making tuck pillows. Tuck pillows are very versatile. They can be stuffed like a pillow or left flat. They can be used for Christmas ornaments and hung on a tree, or used as a door hanger. This tuck pillow tutorial will be for a flat door hanger about 7" square. Instructions to calculate other sizes will be included in the tutorial.

You will need:

Your stitched piece (duh!)

Fabric for your pillow - a fat quarter should be plenty unless you're making something bigger than 9"

Scrap of neutral fabric for the back of the opening - calico, muslin, homespun

Fusible fleece wadding - same size as your pillow. You can use a non-fusible batting if you prefer. Something not too thick is best.

Cord for hanging

Sewing Machine

Thread/scissors etc

I'll be back next weekend with the tutorial!

Tutor = AlisonC

Book Cover - Class

2008-03-21T15:32:00.000+11:00

Hello everyone! I hope you've got the items ready. Here's a recap:

You will need the following items:

A stitched piece, size ½” to 1” allowance around the front of your book or a part of it if you prefer.
Some coordinating fabric for the side, back and inside flap of the book.
Muslin or calico for the backing
Book to cover ;)
Matching sewing threads
Ribbons to tie (optional)

Instructions for a particular step will be at the bottom of the picture (if any).

Step 1

Determine the size of your stitched piece that will cover the book and pull one thread from each side of the stitched piece. This will help to ensure the lines that you machine sew are straight. The stitched piece can cover the front of the book or partially or cover the front and back of the book. It’s up to you. In my example the stitched piece covers the front of the book partially.

Step 2

Measure and cut the length and width that you will need to cut from the co-coordinating fabric. Wrap from the left edge (where one thread was pulled) to the back of the book. Add necessary seam allowances on all sides. Machine sew the coordinating fabric and the stitched piece. Iron open the seam.

Step 3

Cut 2 additional pieces of the coordinating fabric about ½ the width of your book, add necessary seam allowances. Machine sew one edge of both the flaps after measuring and ironing a double seam.

Step 4

Cut the backing fabric the same size as the cover piece.

Step 5

Sewing them all together. Lay the cover piece right sides up. Place the flaps, wrong side up on the both sides of the cover piece with the stitched edge towards the middle. Pin accordingly.

Step 6

Place the backing fabric wrong side up and again pin accordingly.

Step 7

Machine sew from the top of the back portion of covered piece, about and inch before the flap starts. Backstitch a couple of stitches to fasten the beginning. Proceed to sew up all 4 sides but leave about a 3” opening for turning. Again backstitch when you end.

Step 8

Trim all sides to 1/4" and cut the corners to reduce bulk.

Step 9

Turn the cover inside out. It’ll be a mess but nothing that cannot be ironed out :)

Step 10

Stitch by hand to close the opening with matching thread.

Step 11

Give it a good ironing. Insert the book covers into the flap and there you have it your very own book cover! :)

Optional embellishments:

Add a piece each of rick-rack, lace or ribbon on the sewn edge of the book flaps
Add two long strips each of ribbon at mid point of the right and left edge of the book for a ribbon tie closure
Add a small loop of ribbon/cord on the front side edge of the book and a larger loop at the back. Slip the larger loop into the smaller loop creating a closure that you can wrap around your wrist
Add a ribbon/cord for bookmark where the opening was and stitch by hand or securely by machine.
And anything else you can think of!

Samples of book covers:

Appliqued book cover with ribbon closure

Patchwork book cover

If you have any questions please feel free to comment here and I will answer them in the comment section itself so as to centralise the Q&A for everyone's benefit.

Thank you all for joining our tutorial this weekend. Pictures are always welcomed :)

Tutor = Barbara J

Needlebook Class

2008-03-12T15:37:00.000+11:00

Making a needlebook really isn't all that difficult. Here are my step-by-step instructions for making a needlebook:

Materials Needed:

• Whatever you'll be using for your stitched piece. You choose the design, fabric, embellishments, etc. Stitched pieces should be approximately 3-4" square. If you want the back cover stitched, you'll have to take that into consideration also. Size is approximate. You can make it larger, smaller, rectangle, square, etc. It's up to you!

• Coordinating cotton fabric of your choice. I've found that the quilt fats (18x22" fabric) are perfect. Or look in the odds and ends bin at the fabric stores to see if there's anything that might work. If you want pockets on the inside of your needlebook, you'll need two pieces of fabric. This is the fabric that will go on the inside of your needlebook, so the size depends on the size of your stitched piece, and whether or not you stitched a back cover.

• Matching 1/4" ribbon. Shouldn't need much more than 14".

• Flat quilt batting - again, the amount depends on size of needlebook. 1/4 yd. should do it.

• Piece of coordinating felt. 5x8" piece should work.

• Coordinating thread to sew it all together.

• Scissors to cut fabric, batting, and felt.

• Sewing Machine. You can sew it together by hand, but a machine makes it go faster and easier.

• Iron

Step One:
Decide on what to stitch for your needlebook cover.

Step Two:
Choose coordinating fabrics for the back cover and inside cover. Cut the back cover the same size as the front cover. Cut the inside cover the same height as the front/back cover, and twice as wide minus 1/2". Cut the quilt batting the same size as the inside cover (Quilt batting not shown in pic). Press all the pieces with an iron, except for batting.

Step Three:
Take front cover and back cover and place right sides together. Stitch right hand side with 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 4:
Press seam open.

Step Five:

Here's where the fun part starts! Assemble your pieces. Front/Back Cover, Inside Cover, Batting, Ribbon.

Note: If you want to put pockets inside your needlebook, you will have to cut a piece of fabric the same width as the Inside Cover, and 2/3 the height PLUS 1/2". Fold 1/2" to the wrong side of the fabric, along the LONG edge. Press flat with iron. On the same long side of fabric, stitch a seam 1/4" from folded over edge. Place Pocket with right side down on table. Place Inside Cover on top with right side down, matching bottom edges. Make 1/4" seam on each short edge. The drawing shows what it should look like with the right side facing you. (There are no pics because I didn't put pockets in this one).

Take your Inside Cover and place it right side down on table. Place batting on top. Set aside.

Place your Front/Back Cover right side up (stitching facing you). Cut two pieces of ribbon 6-8" each. Place ribbon on right and left side of cover. You may want to (temporarily) pin the ribbon in place. There are no pics of this part because I forgot (!!!) to put my ribbon on and had to improvise. However, I have relied on my artistic talents to draw a diagram.

Place the Inside Cover/Batting on top of the Front/Back Cover and Ribbon. You may want to pin all three layers together to make sewing it together easier.

You will want to leave a 3" opening at the bottom of your needlebook so that you can turn it inside out. Notice where I started my seam?

Stitch 1/4" seam all the way around the edge of the needlebook, stopping about 3" from where you started. Notice where I stopped?

Once the sewing is done, you can remove the pins. This is what your needlebook should look like once you've sewed the outside seams.

Trim the batting close to the seam. Be careful not to cut the fabric. Once you've trimmed the batting, cut the corners at an angle. This is what it should look like.

Step Six:
Carefully turn your project inside out. Your Front/Back Cover, Inside Cover, and Ribbons should be on the outside. The batting should be on the inside. To help get your corners "pointy", use a slim object to push them out. I used a wood skewer. You can also use a knitting needle, crochet hook, pen with a cap on. Be careful not to poke the object through the fabric.

Using the iron, press the front and back of your needlebook. You will have to tuck in the fabric where the opening is at the bottom of your needlebook.

Step Seven:
Take needle and thread to sew the opening closed. Press both sides of your needlebook again.

Step Eight:
Cut felt 1/4" smaller than the inside of your needlebook. One piece of felt will make 2 pages. If you wish to have 4 pages, cut 2 pieces of felt. I personally wouldn't do more than 4 pages as it would make the needlebook pretty bulky. Optional: I used pinking shears to cut the edges of the felt.

Place felt in the center of the needlebook. Use pins to hold it in place.

Place needlebook on sewing machine with felt side down and Front/Back Cover facing up. Stitch a line where the front and back covers are seamed together.

This is what it should look like when the felt page(s) are stitched in.

I hand-sewed on the gold cording to match the closure. Tie the ribbon and viola, you have a finished needlebook!

Here are other needlebooks I've made:
Je Brode/I Embroider
Friendship Grows

Here are needlebooks created from my tutorial: More Needlebooks

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at mearitaira@yahoo.com.

Tutor = Meari

Bookmarks are not Boring! - Class

2008-03-08T15:39:00.000+11:00

Bookmarks don't get enough credit, IMHO. They're a great way to show off and use a small design, they're a quick and personal gift for a friend, and they're a chance for even the most fumble-fingered finisher to express her (or his!) creativity. In this weekend's tutorial, I'm going to show you how to make three kinds of bookmarks - but don't let yourself be hemmed in by my suggestions! Your imagination is your only limitation. :)

All the pictures can be clicked for a larger, clearer image.

the standard band bookmark

We've all seen them, we probably even have one or two of our own - a bookmark stitched on linen or Aida banding. The pre-made banding makes it incredibly easy to whip off a bookmark in an afternoon. Using scraps of linen can not only put you on your way to a tiny work of art, but can also help you make the most frugal use of those expensive hand-dyed and over-dyed linens. All you need to know is the simple hemstitch, and I'll provide some pictures that will show you what child's play this is. For this tutorial, I've used ready-made banding with hem stitching on the ends.

Select a pattern, or portion of a larger pattern, that fits on the fabric you'll be using. If you need it, a handy stitches-to-inches converter can be found here. Stitch your design, exercising some care to center it on the long sides (where the band is closed) and to leave enough room to work comfortably on the short sides. Once you've stitched your pattern, it's time to secure the fabric so the bookmark can be used without it unraveling. I'll show you how to do this using a hemstitch. Some people prefer to sew a backing to their bookmark or iron on interfacing, which secures the fabric and also hides the backside of your stitching, but I think this is unnecessary and can make the bookmark too thick. Just keep the back of your stitching neat. ;)

the hemstitch, demystified

I have hemstitched two-over-two. I've railroaded my stitching to keep it tidy. To begin, bring your needle up two holes further away from where you want the solid line of the hemstitch to be, as shown int the first photo. (Note that the 'teeth' of the hemstitch point outwards from the stitched design, as shown in the seventh photo.) For example, if you've decided to leave five stitches empty between your design and the hemstitch, you'd count out ten holes plus an additional two. On the front side of the fabric, bring your needle down two holes, slip it under the fabric and slip it back out to the front side two holes further along, as shown in the second photo. Insert your needle where it is two holes under the spot you first came up through the fabric, slip the needle under the fabric and re-emerge two holes to the side of where you initially came up through the fabric, as shown in the third photo. And from here on, you simply repeat the same motions until you reach the end. Watch your thread tail on the back side, adjusting it as necessary so it is held down by your stitches. When you reach the end of your row, finish with the thread on the back side and weave it under and over the stitches to secure it before cutting it, as shown in the eighth photo. You can now cut your fabric, either cutting it at the ends of the hemstitch 'teeth' or leaving a few rows to unravel for a fringe.

the cushion bookmark with tassel

For this design, you'll need a small-ish, squarish design. I've used Hedwig's Four Patch, a freebie from The Sampler Girl, which is 40 stitches square. I'm machine stitching mine, but you can obviously hand stitch instead. To keep everything straight, I've counted out and removed a thread along the stitch line (a handy tip I got from Isabelle) and counted out and removed another thread for where I needed to cut the fabric.

I have a backing fabric of a similar size. Because pins make the fabric lumpy for such a small project, I've basted the backing fabric and the cross stitched fabric together using a bright purple thread along the pulled thread. This basting thread can easily be pulled or cut out after the machine stitching.

After the machine stitching, clip the corners before you turn the fabric right side out. This will prevent excessive bulkiness. After the cushion is turned right side out, lightly stuff it. A chop stick is great for getting stuffing into the corners. ;)

Before you can close your bookmark, you need to make a tassel and attach that to a ribbon. I've used a large bead to disguise the join between ribbon and tassel. Making a tassel is easy, you just need a form to wind the floss around. For my tassel, I've cut a piece of cardboard about two inches wide (along the winding edge). I'm using two different flosses in my tassel - get creative and try different colors, different textures, etc.! Before you begin winding, make sure you have a loose piece of floss in place. This will be used to tie the top of the tassel and eventually to form the 'neck' and 'head' of your tassel. Begin winding with the tail of your floss at the edge of the form opposite from this loose thread.

When you're finished winding floss over your form, end on the edge that's opposite the loose thread and cut this tail even with the form. Use the loose thread to tie the top of the tassel tight. Cut the bottom edge loose from the form. You will have something that resembles the final photo.

Now bring that loose thread down over the top of the tassel and begin winding it in a sort of band to create the neck of the tassel. When your neck is tight and you like how it looks, tie this loose end securely and clip it. Now you have a tassel - congratulations!

Next, you need to attach the tassel to the ribbon. The ribbon will be the part of the bookmark inside the book, so choose a length that will fit comfortably inside the average size book you read. Paperbacks will only require a fairly short length, whereas special editions, coffee table books, etc. will require a longer piece. If you are using a bead, string the ribbon through the bead before you attach it to the tassel. Run a loose thread through the head of the tassel, run a separate piece of loose thread through the ribbon, and use these loose threads to sew the ribbon and tassel together. Slide the bead over the join to disguise it.

Now you can slip the other end of the ribbon into the cushion opening and hand stitch everything closed. Voila, a very lovely bookmark that really is a work of art. :)

a magnetic bookmark using cardstock

And finally, a very practical bookmark that will keep your place even if you drop your book or if one of your kids 'helps' you by moving your book around. The magnets in this bookmark are more persistent than clumsy fingers or helpful kids. ;)

Here's what you'll need: two magnets, a length of ribbon, a small stitched design (mine's been hemstitched around the edges and I have ironed interfacing on the backside), two equal-sized pieces of cardstock, and clear-drying craft glue.

Apply glue to the ribbon where you want to mount the cardstock. I suggest making light marks on the ribbon to get the glue in the right places. ;) After the cardstock is glued to the ribbon, apply a generous layer of glue to the magnets and attach them to the ribbon, as shown. Make sure that you glue the magnets on so that the sides that 'like' each other are facing each other. Otherwise your bookmark will never close. LOL!

After the glue for the ribbon/cardstock/magnet arrangement has dried, apply a generous (though not thick) layer of glue to the backside of the stitched piece. This is why you need interfacing on the back side - otherwise, the glue will go right through to the stitching. I use a brush to keep the layer even and to get it right to the edges. Affix the stitched piece to the right side of the front piece of cardstock and let it dry.

Voila! A lovely, practical bookmark you can enjoy for years to come!

Tutor = BarbaraCL

Book Cover - Class - Materials List

2008-02-22T15:47:00.000+11:00

The class will run on the weekend of March 22nd and March 23rd 2008. Here's the list of items to prepare. You have exactly one month to do so :)

A stitched piece, size ½” to 1” allowance around the front of your book or a part of it if you prefer.
Some coordinating fabric for the side, back and inside flap of the book.
Muslin or calico for the backing
Book to cover ;)
Matching sewing threads
Ribbons to tie (optional)

This tutorial will be done using the sewing machine.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment. Thanks.

Tutor = Barbara J

Bookmarks are not Boring! - Materials List - Class

2008-02-22T15:45:00.000+11:00

Time is flying! The bookmark tutorial is only two weeks away: 8-9 March.

I'll be discussing how to make the standard bookmark using a scrap of linen or piece of banding in addition to more unusual bookmark types. We'll go into depth as to how to execute the perfect hemstitch to hold your single-sided bookmark together for years to come. We'll also cover cording, braided and twisted varieties, and tassles.

For a standard bookmark, you'll need a piece of linen or banding that's approximately 8x2 inches (20x5 cm) and a design that fits the count/measurement of your chosen fabric. One of the joys of making bookmarks is that you can use a small section from a larger design if you so desire. A border design also works beautifully.

For a fancier bookmark, you'll need a piece of fabric approximately 4x4 inches (10x10 cm), a coordinating finishing fabric of the same size, and a design that fits the count/measurement of your chosen linen. You will also need a skein of floss that coordinates with your chosen design; this will be used to create the cording and tassle. If you want to add embellishments, have coordinating beads, baubles or charms on hand as well. I suggest that you also have interfacing available, to lend extra strength to the linen after the design has been stitched.

This will be conducted using my usual seat-of-the pants method ;) so your imagination will be your most useful tool!

The tutorial will only cover hand-finishing methods; no sewing machine is necessary.

Tutor = BarbaraCL

Beaded Scissor Fob - Class

2008-02-15T15:49:00.000+11:00

Welcome to the beaded scissor fob tutorial! I am posting this a bit early, because I know that there are many readers who are in much earlier time zones, and I want to make sure that these instructions are available for the weekend. These fobs are so pretty...and so quick and fun to make. I hope that you find this to be an enjoyable project.

I am right-handed, so I am writing the instructions from that perspective.

Cut a length of beading thread. You will be doubling up the thread, and will want it long enough to be able to run it through the length of your fob several times, especially if you are using heavy beads. Now is not the time to be stingy with thread :)

Fold your beading thread in half, and thread the two loose ends through the needle. You will have a loop at the other end.

Pick up the lobster claw clasp and pass the threaded needle through the loop in the clasp. Now pass the needle through the looped end of the beading thread, and pull tight. This knot is called a lark's head knot, and a good picture of it can be found here.

Now, you need to make a couple more knots to make sure your beading thread is secure. Don't worry...it's not hard. Relax and take a couple of deep breaths :)

Refer to the series of pictures below for clarification of the procedure.

Hold the lobster claw clasp in your left hand. I hold it between my thumb and ring / pinky finger. Create a loop by loosely wrapping the thread around your index finger on your left hand. Pass the needle through the loop in the lobster claw clasp, and then through the loop in the thread. Pull tight. Repeat this a couple more times.

Knotting procedure pictures:

You will be repeating the steps above a bit later on. The good news is that this is as complicated as it gets!

Thread your selected beads and spacers onto the beading thread until you are happy with the length and appearance. There aren't any rules here! If you don't like what you have done, it is easy enough to change the arrangement. I usually like to keep the beaded portion of my fobs around 4 inches, especially if I am using large glass beads. If you are using more delicate beads, you could make it longer. I also like to use the spacers at the beginning and end of the fob, and between the beads as accents. When you are happy with your design, carefully set your fob aside while you do the next step.

Thread the jump ring onto the charm. This is always the hardest part for me...and especially so if you have long fingernails :)

Carefully pick your fob back up and thread on the charm.

If you are using lightweight beads, you could knot the charm on at this point, following the same knotting procedure shown in the pictures above. You also would probably not need to run the thread back and forth through the fob several times as I describe below. I have found that the knotting the charm on and maintaining the proper slack is very difficult to do at this point if you are using heavier glass beads like I have chosen. I also feel safer about the durability of the fob if I run the thread through the length of it several times. You can decide if it is necessary or not, depending upon the materials that you have selected. If you choose to skip all of this, feel free to jump on down to the ending off portion of the instructions :)

Run the needle and thread all of the way back through your beads until you get back to the lobster claw clasp. It works best to run your needle through a couple of beads at a time while you are doing this. Once you are back up to the lobster claw clasp, make sure that you have the desired amount of slack between all of the beads and charm. You don't want it to be too tight, since it won't be flexible. Too loose isn't good, either. I have found that it is easier to achieve the appropriate slack if you do this rather than trying to knot the charm on directly.

Make another knot or two on the lobster claw clasp end, using the same process that you used in the beginning (refer back to the series of knotting procedure pictures above).

Now you are going to run the beading thread back to the charm end, using the same process that you used to get to the lobster claw clasp end. When you reach the charm, make a couple of knots to secure the charm. Again, you will use the same process shown in the series of hand pictures above).

If you have chosen to jump ahead, here is where you will pick up the instructions again...

Run the beading thread partially back up the the length of the fob. Make a couple more knots to secure, and then run the thread back up a couple of beads or so before cutting it off.

If desired, you can reinforce your knots on the lobster claw clasp end and charm end with a dab of clear nail polish.

That's it! Stand back and admire your beautiful creation. I'm sure that you will now want to make several more of these :)

If you have any questions or need clarification on anything, please do not hesitate to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

Tutor = Cindy

Beaded Scissor Fob - Class - Materials List

2008-02-10T15:51:00.000+11:00

The beaded scissor fob class will be held on the weekend of February 16-17. These are so pretty...and so quick and fun to make.

Here are some examples of fobs that I have made in the past:

Supplies that you will need:

Beading thread
Pretty beads (the ones that come strung on cards often have smaller coordinating beads along with the larger ones.)
Spacers (the metal decorative beads shown above...you don't need to use these, but they are a nice touch and good to at least use at the top and bottom of the fob.)
Charm
Jump ring
Lobster claw clasp (large enough to hook onto a pair of scissors)
Needle (any size will work, as long as it will pass through the holes in the beads that you have selected)
Scissors
Clear nail polish (optional)

Edited to add: I have found all of my beads & beading supplies at either Hobby Lobby, Michael's or Walmart. The charms that I used were from Walmart, and the glass beads were from Hobby Lobby. Any of the places mentioned carry spacers, jump rings, and beading thread. I am pretty sure that the large lobster claw clasps were found at Hobby Lobby. They have their stock organized more by brand then category, so you may have to check in a couple of different spots in the beading aisle. The ones that I used measure about 1 inch from end to end, and about 1/2 inch wide.

So, gather your supplies and get ready for a fun class! Please let me know if you have any questions about the supply list :)

Tutor = Cindy

Needlerolls - Class

2008-01-24T15:56:00.000+11:00

Welcome to the first class for 2008 – I hope you enjoy making your own needleroll as much as I did writing this tutorial. For personal reasons I've decided to post early, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have from now as well.

If you have any questions just leave a comment in this post and I’ll answer as soon as I can – I look forward to seeing some finished needlerolls at the end of it, and it would be great if you could post your photos so we can all share in your beautiful finishes. If you don’t want to open a WordPress account to post, I’m happy for you to send me the link to your own blog and I can copy across into WordPress, or you can email me the details and I can upload the post for you.

Now, on to the fun part … the class is ready to commence!

The written instructions for each part come first, followed by a step-by-step series of photos to help illustrate that step.

Step 1 - Count about 24 threads up from the top of your stitching, and remove the next thread. Continue to remove 4-6 threads in total (depending on the width of your chosen ribbon - obviously you'll want to remove more threads if you have a wider ribbon). Then do the same thing at the bottom of your stitching by counting the same number of threads down, and removing an equal number of linen threads. The easiest way to remove threads is to use a needle to pick up your first linen thread, then pulling gently – it will help to run your thumb and finger across the linen thread you’re pulling, as it moves through the fabric, this will help to flatten out any wrinkles and separate the thread from the fabric (some linens are quite difficult to pull through and the odd thread may snap in the process - this is quite normal, so don't panic - just continue to pick up the thread from where it snapped and continue again).

Step 2 - Count another 24 threads above where you removed your last threads in step 1, then remove 2-4 threads. This will be for your row of hemstitching. If you want your hemstitching band to be quite small, just remove 2 linen threads. If you want your hemstitching to be more obvious remove 4 threads. In my case I've removed 4 threads. Do the same at both the top and bottom of your stitching.

Step 3 - Make sure the fabric above the last line of removed threads is equal to that on the bottom (mine is cut quite wonky/uneven, plus my overlocked edge needs to be cut off along with the excess fabric). Trim both ends so that you have approx 1 to 1-1/2" of fabric at the top and bottom. Next turn your stitched piece over so you have the wrong side of the stitching facing upwards. Fold over the top of the fabric towards you, so the edge of the fabric is approx halfway towards the line of removed threads. You can either fingerpress or iron your fabric crease at this point - although it's not necessary it makes it easier to stitch the hem stitching when you have a nice crisp edge.

Then fold over one more time, so the crease is now at the edge of the line of removed threads, and use pins to hold in place. Repeat so both edges of the needleroll are finished this way.

Step 4 - Hemstitch your fabric - there are some links here to diagrams online, as my photos aren't very clear to follow:

I usually prefer my hemstitching to be relatively invisible, so I use a DMC or silk thread to match my fabric. In this case I've partly completed the hemstitching in my fabric-coloured thread, then started doing a stitch in blue thread so it will show up for tutorial purposes only. You may, however, prefer to use a colour to match your needleroll and have your hemstitching a feature of your needleroll - the choice is over to you :D

Note that with my version of the hemstitching, the stitching is done with the wrong side facing you, so the hemstitching is almost invisible from the 'right' side. If you prefer to see your hemstitching you would start stitching with your fabric the other way round - that way you will be able to see the 'tail' on the right side. I find holding the fabric this way helps me to get a good stitching rhythm going - feel free to hold it any way that's easiest for you :D

Start by stitching a couple of tiny stitches at the edge of the fabric to anchor your thread, then start with your needle at the top of the fabric, through both the ground fabric and the ‘hem’. Pass your needle under 3-4 threads (I usually prefer 3, depending on the fabric), and pull your needle and thread through.

Hold this thread out of the way, while you pass the needle back down into the ‘gap’, and back up through both the ground fabric and hem – pull the stitch firmly, which will group the threads together … and that’s one stitch completed – easy huh?! (That was the part that always daunted me when I first started making needlerolls, but once you get a rhythm going, it’s really quick and easy.)

Keep stitching until the entire row is finished, then repeat at the other end of the needleroll.

If you don't want to use hemstitching you don't have to - The Sweetheart Tree needlerolls, for example, have you stitch a line of half-cross-stitches, ie / / / / / / / ... then when you fold the fabric over at the top (the same as if you are hemstitching), you just use a short catching stitch to slip under the half-cross-stitch and catch onto the folded hem. In this case, however, they stitch a normal side seam first so that the stitching is in a tube shape, then flatting the seam down, before turning the top hem over and stitching their ‘hem’ to the tent stitches. Here's an example of a Sweetheart Tree needleroll, with a plain tent stitch (similar to a half-XS) edging (ie no hemstitching):

Step 5 - Next fold your needleroll in half lengthwise, with the right side of the stitching facing you. Stitch a 1/4" seam down the full length, then trim it slightly (I cut it a bit close in this photo, so don't follow my example!). You don’t have to have a zig-zagged edge on the fabric, mine just happened to be there while I was stitching it to stop it fraying. The reason I trim it slightly is because we are going to turn the fabric inside-out again, and do another 1/4” seam – that way you shouldn’t catch the fabric again in the new seam.

Remember, you shouldn't trim it as close to the seam as I did this time!

Step 6 - Turn your needleroll tube inside out so the wrong side is now facing you.

Repeat step 5 again, by stitching a 1/4" seam down the full length of the needleroll ... but this time do NOT trim the seam allowance. You've now completed a French seam so all your raw edges are enclosed and won't fray :)

Step 7 - Turn your needleroll tube inside out again - now the right side of the stitching will be on the outside, and it's starting to look like a real needleroll! :)

(If you think you're going crazy and wondering why the needleroll is now different - I realised I didn't have the right colour ribbon for my original needleroll, so I switched to another one I was finishing at the same time!)

Step 8 - Time to add the ribbon (or other closure, such as thin cording – about 18” is a good length of ribbon to use for each end) - I fold my needleroll in half using the seam as my guide, and start threading my ribbon about two threads away from the front centre - I pick up about 4 threads at a time, weaving under and over until I reach the front again. I use a large tapestry needle (such as a #22) which has an eye large enough to take the ribbon, and that way there is no point on the needle that will catch on the threads). Pull the ribbon up tight so the end is sealed, then tie a bow. I also trim my ribbon ends at this point once the bow is at my preferred size.

Step 9 - Now it’s time to fill your needleroll with stuffing - I tend to use polyfil as I never intend sticking needles into my needleroll. If you want to use it as an actual needleroll or pincushion you'd be best to fill with a wool filling rather than polyfil so the needles won't rust. Keep stuffing until you have a firm filling right up to the end of where the last row of ribbon closure will go (I use a chopstick to help push the polyfil down).

Step 10 - Repeat step 8 with your second and last piece of ribbon - you may need to poke the stuffing down a bit as you try to pull your ribbon closed. Once again, finish the ribbon off with a bow ... and there you have it ... your very own needleroll :D

* * * * *

Alternative finishing method - Mayte put together a fantastic needleroll tutorial a while ago on her blog, which shows an alternative method of finishing the hemstitching and the seams. Instead of doing the hemstitching and then stitching a 'french seam' you stitch a flat seam first, and then complete the hemstitching – and Mayte does her seams by hand, instead of by machine. You can see Mayte's wonderful instructions here in Part 1 and here in Part 2.

* * * * *

I hope you've enjoyed the class! :D

Freebies and Links for Needlerolls

2008-01-17T16:04:00.000+11:00

FREEBIES:

A couple of you have requested freebie links to needleroll designs, so here are a few I've managed to come up with for you:

The Victoria Sampler - Love Blooms

Kreinik - Victorian Silk Needleroll

Classic Stitches magazine- Happy Days Needleroll (you'll need to sign up as a member - which is free - then head to "Stitching Zone" - Free Charts - select "Trinkets" as the category, and it's towards the bottom of the list) ... this is a hardanger needleroll, though, so the ends are done differently to how mine will be.

Dragonfly Stitches - Blues Needleroll

Down Sunshine Lane - Mini Valentine Needleroll

IHLE-Design- Various needleroll designs

The Floss Box - Needleroll

Aurelle-over-blog- Aurelle has some great freebies, and her seasonal/monthly charts (such as this example) would be great for needlerolls

* * * * * * * * * *

EYE CANDY:

If you just want to look at some needleroll eye candy, check out this website from a French exchange group ... it shows how versatile the humble needleroll is, in that any small design is suitable for use! :)

Also, check out the Katrina's Webshots album - note that Katrina has stitched many of the Sweetheart Tree needlerolls, which are stunning, and there are no pictures on the Sweetheart Tree website. These designs are just printed on plain cardboard with no piccies and are quite cheap to buy - if they had photos somewhere I'm sure their sales would soar! I've always thought of Katrina as the "Queen of Needlerolls" so her album is well worth a visit :)

* * * * * * * * * *

DESIGNERS:

And if you want to check out some published designs specifically for needlerolls, here are a few starting points (this list is in no way exhaustive, but these designers have been chosen for the variety of needleroll designs they have published):

Shepherd's Bush(scroll down the page to the needlerolls)

The Victoria Sampler(select "VS Site Search" and type in "needleroll" for the quickest way to find all the needleroll designs)

M Designs (the link should take you to the needleroll page)

Heart in Hand Needleart- look for the "fobs" designs, also those designs such as "Acorn Sampler" would be a good size to turn into a needleroll

Sekas & Co(mini sampler-type needlerolls - mainly alphabets)

Jeannette Douglas- Jeannette has some lovely needleroll designs, but the new website design is a pain to navigate - this link takes you to the Mini Topiary series, or the Seasonal series (my personal fave is Summer at the Ocean). Also don't forget she has some beautiful ornament needlerolls in the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issues.

Other designers that have older designs no longer current (you could check out Ebay) is Liz Navickas and Lorri Birmingham (you can see some of Lorri's designs through Hoffman Distributors) - both have some lovely needleroll designs.

* * * * * * * * * *

If that isn't enough for you, here are photos of some of the needlerolls I've personally stitched and finished ... I hope everything today has whetted your appetite for more! I look forward to seeing you at the end of the month for the class :)

Needlerolls - Class - Materials List

2008-01-14T16:09:00.000+11:00

The materials you will need to make a Needleroll are as follows:

Piece of stitching
Sewing pins
Cotton for stitching seams (to match fabric colour - if you're using a sewing machine, this should be sewing machine thread)
Cotton floss for hem-stitching (either same colour as fabric, or as a contrast)
Ribbon (I prefer 1/4" ribbon, but any width is suitable)
Stuffing (eg Polyfil)

Your fabric and stitching can be a variety of sizes, but preferably fabric should be approx 20-21cm (8-9") x 25-26cm (10-11").

There are many designers who have needleroll designs - The Victoria Sampler, Shepherd's Bush, Jeannette Douglas, Eventide Designs, The Sweetheart Tree, just to name a few. There are also a number of freebie designs available - if you would like some freebie addies, please leave a comment and I'll locate them from my favourites for you :)

The Needleroll class will be held during the weekend 26-27 January 2008. That gives just under two weeks for anyone who would like to join in with the class to get a piece of stitching ready. Don't hesitate to leave a comment with any questions you my have with the materials list. I look forward to holding the class in two weeks time! :D

Please bear with me if I'm a bit slow responding with any queries during this week, as I'm moving house in two days time. I will still be checking emails daily, though, assuming my internet connection will be working in the new flat!

Classes Update

2008-01-07T16:12:00.000+11:00

Thanks ever so much for the support and generous offers to act as tutors for the upcoming classes - it's greatly appreciated, and emails will be sent shortly to formalise the details. I'll keep the list updated as tutors come to hand, and once dates are finalised the information will be added to the Class Schedule page :)

To date I have tutors offered/confirmed as follows:

Lining and Tin / Tin Topper (combining two topics into one tutorial)
Lining a Basket - Vonna
Mattress-style Pincushion - KarenV
Needlebook (with needle pages) - Meari
Emery/Strawberry ornament - CathyMK
Sewing Pouch/Purse - need a volunteer
Flat-fold - Lisa
Scissor Case - To be advised
Tassels - Joanie, and one more tutor has been approached
Cording - AnneS
Ornaments - Pendibulle - AnneS
Ornaments - Humbug - Nicki
Ornaments - Rectangular - need a volunteer
Ornaments - Pillows etc - AnneS
Tote Bag - Renee
Bellpull - with hemstitched edges - Nicki
Bellpull - with seamed edges - Jenna
Biscornu - Jenna
Scissor Fob (stitched) - AnneS
Needleroll - AnneS
Stitcher's Tray - Harmien
Tape Measure Cover - Celeste
Needlecase (for needle packets) - Celeste
Covered Book - BarbaraJ
Pillows - Tuck - Alison
Small Pillow - Cindy
Treat Bag/Sachet - Celeste
Scissor fob (beaded) - Cindy
Quilted Wallhanging - Alison
Bookmarks - Barbara
Cube-It - Joanie

Tutorial Links and Stitchers Books

2008-01-05T16:27:00.002+11:00

Just a quick note to say the following tutorials have all recently been added to the Tutorial Links page:

Kitty Couture - fabric covered buttons (added 30 Dec 07)
The Twisted Stitcher (Vonna) - Altoid Tin tutorial (added 5 Jan 08)
The Twisted Stitcher (Vonna) - pinkeep (added 5 Jan 08)

Also, there a couple of beautiful finished Stitcher's Books here that are worth checking out for some exquisite eye candy! :D

If you still haven't seen enough, check out the Photo Gallery here.

And if you now have the urge to make your own stitcher's book, there is a tutorial here prepared by the talented Leena.

Requests for Tutors & Future Classes

2008-01-05T15:30:00.000+11:00

You may remember we held the poll early last year regarding what finishing classes you would like to see as a tutorial. As a reminder, the following list will show which items were requested. I have split the group into two separate lists - the first list covers those items where we have had tutors recommended and I am contacting already, the second list covers those that I would dearly love to have volunteers to help me out.

Tutors already being approached:

Lining and Tin / Tin Topper (combining two topics into one tutorial)
Lining a Basket
Mattress-style Pincushion
Needlebook (with needle pages)
Emery Strawberry
Sewing Pouch/Purse
Flat-fold
Scissor Case
Tassels
Cording
Ornaments - Pendibulle, Humbug, Rectangular, Pillows etc
Tote Bag
Bellpull
Biscornu
Scissor Fob (stitched)
Needleroll
Stitcher's Tray (new subject being requested)

Classes where I need tutors to volunteer:

Tape Measure Cover
Needlecase (for needle packets)
Covered Book
Pillows - Tuck
Treat Bag/Sachet
Scissor fob (beaded)
Quilted Wallhanging
Bookmarks

Lastly, there is a final question for you:

"What other finishing techniques would you like to see on the blog? This can be an actual product (eg pinkeep, scissor fob etc) or a technique used as part of the finishing process (eg whipstitching, joining sides/seams together, cording etc). Whatever you can think of that you would like to see, I've love to know about it."

Welcome to 2008 - Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-05T14:36:00.000+11:00

First of all let me apoloise for the lack of action on this blog in recent months - unfortunately I've had intermittent access to the internet after moving all my belongings into storage and housesitting around various parts of Melbourne. Then about 7 weeks ago I packed up the car and moved interstate to New South Wales, where I'm now living for the next 12 months on a work secondment. I've been staying with friends who live an awfully long way from my place of work, meaning a 3 1/2 hour commute each day, and leaving absolutely no time for stitching, never mind blogging!

The good news is that in 13 sleeps time, I will be freighting all my furniture and belongings up from Melbourne, and moving into a new flat only 20 minutes drive from work. That means I can finally start getting back into the swing again of stitching, blogging, and life in general ... and it's time to blow the cobwebs off this blog to get it up and active once again! :)

Emails are slowly winging their way across the oceans to various people that have been suggested as possible upcoming tutors. As soon as they're confirmed, I will add dates and details to the calendar of classes. It's hoped to have two tutorials per month this year. As I've been out of action for the last few months, I decided to put together a tutorial myself on Needlerolls - this will be published over the next few weeks.

There are still a number of areas where we don't have recommended tutors for - I will make a separate blog entry in a moment to see if there are any volunteers out there in blogland that would be willing to assist.

Thanks for your patience while I've been struggling with access issues etc - I hope the blog will become more active again as we move into 2008.

Hugs,

Gallery - Cat Pillow

2007-11-09T16:39:00.000+11:00

Stitched on Aida 55 ct with DMC threads by Teresa
From "le Idee di susanna"
finished as a small cushion with cotton fabric

Gallery - Pinkeeps

2007-11-04T16:42:00.001+11:00

Back in August Nicki had a pinkeep class. Its taken me this long to finally get around to making my pinkeeps. The class was a great help in doing it.

The first one I made was Full of Hope, Mary Kathryn's first design.

The next pinkeep completed a set of smalls I made for my mother.

There was another pinkeep, but its for an exchange! Thank you for the wonderful class Nicki.

Posted by "Wyora"

Gallery - Lavender Pillow

2007-10-20T16:45:00.000+10:00

Linen "Shell" Permin of Copenhagen 28 ct
Mouline' DMC, two threads on 2x2
scheme from "Petits Cadeaux Brodès" by Sylvie Castellano
stitched by Teresa

Embellished Bag - Class

2007-10-19T16:47:00.001+10:00

Welcome Everyone to the Embellished bag class weekend. All the pictures are clickable and shall lead you to a larger view.

You can see the list of materials needed

Step 1: Cut backing fabric slightly larger than stitched piece, For this particular design I have allowed 5cm from the edge of the design to the seam and 1cm for my seam. For the top allow the depth of your lace plus a further 5cm for turning over to make the top neat. - As you can see ffrom my picture I didn't remember to allow extra at the top and so had to make a cuff.

Step 2: Either hand sew or machine stitch the 2 sides and the bottom together

Step 3: Trim the corner so that when you turn it to the right sides and gently push the corners out they won't be bulky

Step 4: Turn the bag right sides out.

APOLOGIES EVERYONE - I cannot seem to get pictures to upload; Wordpress and I don't seem to get along so I will have to continue without pictures.

Step 5: Measure the top of your bag (mine was 15cm) and cut your lace that size. Pin or tack your chosen lace to the top of the front of your back, then handsew into place only going through the lace and the front of the bag.

Step 6: Pin or tack your ribbon or cord for the handle (this should be cut to your chosen size), either to the inside of the bag where you can't see the tails or to the outside of the bag where you will see the tails, then handstitch into place securely.

Step 7: Measure the size of the bottom of your bag and cut the beaded ribbon to size. Pin or tack into place on the back of your bag at the bottom so you can see the beads hanging down. Hand sew into place.

Step 8: I added some tiny glass beads to the ends of my lace for extra adornment. You could do the same.

This type of bag lends itself to all sorts of designs and sizes and trims. Let you imagination run riot instead of beads and lace you could add tassels and pom poms, ribbon and cording etc etc.
I really hope this was clear. If not, please feel free to ask any question by posting in the comments.

Remember too that this is my way of making these bags I'm sure there are other easier ways than this, but this is how I do them.

If you do make a bag please share it with us all so we can see.

Tutor = Su

Gallery - Biscornu

2007-10-10T16:53:00.000+10:00

Here is a small biscornu for a nice exchange!

Aida 55 fabric
freebie from Aurelle blog
stitched by Teresa

Embellished Bag - Class - Materials List

2007-10-06T16:55:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone!

We shall be having an embellished bag class weekend on 20 -21 October. Hope that you'll join us.

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make an embellished bag

Materials:

stitched piece, leaving a generous margin around the design. My design was 9 cm x 16cm (3 1/2" x 6") and I added a 1-cm seam allowances for this project

fabric of the same size - I tend to cut mine slightly larger

ribbon for the hanger

Beaded trim

lace

sewing thread that matches.

Tools:

ruler or measurer’s tape

scissors

(optional) pinking shears

pins

seam ripper or small pointed scissors

chopstick or whatnot to turn your work inside out and make crisp corners

hand-sewing needle

Sewing machine (optional)

This is a very easy project, and while a sewing machine will make your work go quicker, you can do this by hand. Anyone can do this project - it's really easy peasy!

Please feel free to ask if you have any question. We all know there is no such thing as a dumb question

Tutor = Su

Embellished Bag - Class - Materials List

2007-10-06T16:55:00.001+10:00

Hi everyone!

We shall be having an embellished bag class weekend on 20 -21 October. Hope that you'll join us.

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make an embellished bag

Materials:

stitched piece, leaving a generous margin around the design. My design was 9 cm x 16cm (3 1/2" x 6") and I added a 1-cm seam allowances for this project

fabric of the same size - I tend to cut mine slightly larger

ribbon for the hanger

Beaded trim

lace

sewing thread that matches.

Tools:

ruler or measurer’s tape

scissors

(optional) pinking shears

pins

seam ripper or small pointed scissors

chopstick or whatnot to turn your work inside out and make crisp corners

hand-sewing needle

Sewing machine (optional)

Next Year's Classes

2007-10-02T16:57:00.001+10:00

Just a quick post to touch base regarding the planning of next year's classes. Karen and I have been looking at potential tutors for the list of classes we have on request from the survey you completed at the creation of this blog.

What I'd also love to know is whether, since that survey was taken, there are any other topics you'd like to see covered. If there is a specific technique you've seen on someone's blog or website, and you'd love to know how to do it yourself, please leave a comment with the blog details and the project, and I'm more than happy to contact the blog owner to see if they would be willing to run a class for us all.

Likewise, if you are familiar with any of the techniques from our previous survey, and you'd like to offer your services to write up a tutorial, we'd be thrilled to hear from you ... as the time will be arriving very very soon to start coordinating class times for next year (I know, I can't believe it myself!).

Thanks again for your continued support of the blog - we look forward to another great year of learning and sharing :D

Hugs,

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PS: Here are the results of the previous survey for your information (since then the bourse and flanged pillow tutorials have already taken place - and I have a needleroll tutorial sitting in the wings ready for next year).

Lining a tin - 51 votes
Mattress-style pincushion - 41 votes
Stitcher's bourse - 39 votes
Needlebook (with needle pages) - 38 votes
Pillows - flanged - 38 votes
Emery strawberry - 35 votes
Sewing pouch/purse - 34 votes
Lining a basket - 33 votes
Needlecase (for needle packets) - 33 votes
Covered book - 31 votes
Flat-fold - 31 votes
Scissor case - 31 votes
Tassels - 31 votes
Ornaments - pendibulle - 27 votes
Pillows - tuck - 26 votes
Tin topper - 26 votes
Tote bag - 26 votes
Ornaments - humbug - 25 votes
Cording - 24 votes
Tape measure cover - 24 votes
Treat bag/sachet - 23 votes
Bellpull - 20 votes
Scissor fob - stitched - 19 votes
Biscornu - 18 votes
Scissor fob - beaded - 18 votes
Quilted wallhanging - 17 votes
Needleroll - 15 votes
Bookmarks - 9 votes
Other - 1 vote

New Tutorial Links added

2007-09-23T17:11:00.001+10:00

Just a quick post to say I've just added a couple of tutorials found while catching up on some blog reading:

MagicXstitch (Mayte) - Needleroll tutorial in two parts - in Spanish, but with wonderful step-by-step photos. Links are updated on the Tutorial Links page, or you can click here for page 1 and page 2

Popopazia - Looped tassel tutorial (in Italian, with a translation link in the bottom of the sidebar)

Popopazia - Scissor case (in Italian, with a translation link in the bottom of the sidebar)

Violarium (Leena) - Heart-shaped pinkeep tutorial

Have a wonderful week - looking forward to the cube-it tutorial coming once Joanie is feeling better :D

Gallery - Halloween Bourse

2007-09-16T17:14:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Isabelle's fantastic Bourse Tutorial, I was able to make this Halloween bourse.

The inside is a free pattern from My Aunt's Attic of some bats. I substituted the ghosts for the orginal design charted.

Posted by "Wyora"

Gallery - Mill Hill Pin Pillow & Christmas Ornament

2007-08-30T17:18:00.000+10:00

I managed to put a couple more finishes to bed last night, and finished two more pieces out of the finishing pile. First up was a Christmas ornie I finished earlier in the week, and the second is a Mill Hill magnet pillow ... I just love all the beads in the fringe and can't stop playing with it! ;)

Finish-along for Anne S - Aug 07

2007-08-29T17:24:00.000+10:00

I made a real effort today to finish something off for this month's theme of stitching accessories for the Finish-Along. I've been taking photos ready for a needleroll tutorial for later next year, and while I was at it managed to finish another needleroll as well.

Planted Hearts by Lavender Wings
Stitched on 32ct waterlily linen
using recommended threads & beads

As well as the needleroll, I also dragged something else out of the finishing pile that's been there for well over a year now - I finally put together my Thistle Bag.

Thistle Bag by M Designs
stitched using recommended fabric & threads

Gallery - Small House Sampler Pinkeep

2007-08-29T17:22:00.000+10:00

Thank you Nicki for a great class!

Posted by Barbara J

Gallery - Needleworker Pinkeep

2007-08-27T17:27:00.000+10:00

Here is my first pinkeep! Thanks so much for the class Nicki! Have loved seeing other peoples pinkeeps too :)

Posted by "Sweetana3"

Gallery - My first - but not last Pinkeep

2007-08-23T17:29:00.000+10:00

I made this pinkeep for my boyfriends birthday today. Your class was wonderful. It is a very easy way to finish projects and it looks so nice. Thanks a lot.

I´ve forgotten to say who has the copyright: the design is taken from Cross Stitch Crazy Nr. 36!

Greetings Maribel

http://baellchen.ba.funpic.de

Kudos or Complaints?

2007-08-23T16:30:00.001+10:00

It's that time of year when we're starting to put our heads together from the admin side of things for future months of the Focus on Finishing blog. And perhaps it's time we ask for some feedback from you all whether there are parts of the blog you dislike, or don't use much - or if there are parts of the blog you love to death, and would like to see more of ... also if there is anything we haven't thought of, and you'd love to see added. We'd love some feedback, good, bad or indifferent, so we know we're on the right track ... or whether we've gone slightly off the rails ...

Over the next few weeks we'll be looking into possible tutors for upcoming classes - using the results of the survey when we first opened up the blog for business. Some of the classes we plan to teach ourselves, some we'll be asking for volunteers, and some people we think would be just perfect for a particular technique, so we'll be approaching those people directly while keeping our fingers and toes crossed ;)

A HUGE thank you for those of you who have run classes for us already this year, without whom the blog would be a tad boring! And another round of thanks go to those of you who take the time to post your finishes for us all to see - when we see people participating that way it's more motivating for us to continue, as at least we can see the tutorials are being useful.

Don't forget it's a very simple process to sign up for posting - you just need to set up a Google account (no blog at all is needed), then drop me an email (link is in the sidebar) requesting to be added as an contributor, and Bob's your Uncle!

Now, don't forget, put your thinking caps on and give us that feedback - any different classes you want to see? Any tutors you think would be wonderful? Anything you would like to see being done differently? Anything extra you would like to see? Want to know what the winning Lotto numbers are?? OK, so we can't help you with that last one, but we would seriously love the feedback :D

Hugs to you all,

Gallery - A Hug Will Do Pinkeep

2007-08-21T17:33:00.000+10:00

This is my first attempt at a pinkeep finish, and my first time following one of the classes here - it won't be the last time I do either, either :o)

I was very pleased at how the finished article came out - the picture isn't very good because it's a scan (my camera charger is missing!). In "real life" the edges are much more crisp!

I used cream dupion as the backing fabric, foamcore for the stiffening, a pale pink lace for the edging, and cream, pale green, silver and some more of the lace for the extravagant bow! I omitted the pins because I have a small niece who is fascinated by my basket of "smalls" - so maybe in eight or nine years I can finish this as intended!

Nic

http://beebarfsblog.blogspot.com

Gallery - My Pinkeep

2007-08-20T17:34:00.001+10:00

Here is my contribution to the weekend pinkeep class. I finished Joy of My Heart, a design from Lori Birmingham. I'm still not sure if the bow on the corner works but it's only stuck in with a pin so of course I can change it. :-)

Thanks Nicki so much of posting this lesson. Mine turned out great.

-Margie

Gallery - A Pinkeep finish

2007-08-18T17:36:00.001+10:00

Here is my weekend finish. I started it last night and put the finishing touches on this morning. It is a Prairie Schooler design. THanks for the tutorial and inspiration. Of course I will have more later.

Cindy

Pinkeep - Class

2007-08-17T17:37:00.001+10:00

Welcome to our pinkeep class! Almost any small design can be turned into a pinkeep. They are very easy to put together and quite addictive!

For a materials list, please go here.

1. First, decide how big you want your pinkeep to be. Measure your design, allowing a little extra round the edges for a border.
Cut out two pieces of card the size of your measurement. (The card can be any stiff card - I often use cereal packets or wine boxes!)
Cut out two pieces of batting the same size.
Cut out your design, leaving spare fabric for the border plus about 3/4" extra all round.
Cut a piece of coordinating backing fabric the same size as your design piece (not shown here).

2. Place one piece of batting on each piece of card. You can glue the batting lightly in place if you want, but glue isn't essential.

3. Take your backing fabric and glue or lace it to one piece of card/batting so that the batting side is neatly covered. Try to make the corners as neat as you can.

Repeat with your stitched piece and the remaining piece of card/batting.

Both pieces can be either laced or glued. I have shown each method here but if you don't like glue near your stitching then just lace both sides.

4. Optional step. Glue the two pieces together so the fabric sides are outermost. If you don't want to use glue you must sew the pieces together as in step 5.

5. Using a coordinated sewing thread, ladder stitch the front and back pieces together along the edges as shown. A curved needle makes this much easier. Pull the thread gently to secure the pieces together and make the edge neater.

NB. Glue may hold the pinkeep together alone but sewing the pieces together makes it more secure and neatens the edges.

6. Use coordinated pins to pin ribbon or cording around the edges of your pinkeep. You can decorate with a bow at the top if you like.

NB. The pins should hold the ribbon in place without any need for sewing or gluing it on.

And there's your pinkeep finished! Easy to do.

I hope you could follow the tutorial and enjoyed it. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and please do share photos of your finished pinkeeps with us!

Tutor = Nicki

Gallery - Tie on Pillow

2007-08-08T17:42:00.002+10:00

Hello all, I'm a relatively new finisher and I was easily able to complete this tie-on pillow for Karen V using her excellent tutorial (found here). If you haven't tried one of these yet, why not give it a go? Thanks to Karen and Anne for making these resources so accessible.

--Rachel V. (Willing Hands)

Gallery - Tie on Pillow

2007-08-08T17:42:00.001+10:00

Tutorial added - Fabric Basket

2007-08-07T17:39:00.000+10:00

Barbara J has written a great tutorial on how to make a fabric basket - now added to the tutorials page.

Pinkeep - Class - Materials List

2007-08-04T17:41:00.000+10:00

Our pinkeep class will run the weekend of August 18th and 19th. I hope you'll join in as pinkeeps are so easy and fun to make. Once you've tried one you're sure to be hooked!

You will need:

1. Your stitched piece. Pinkeeps can be any size but a design that is about 3-4" square is a good size for a first pinkeep.

2. Backing fabric to coordinate with your stitched design.

3. Matboard or fairly stiff cardboard. Enough to cut out two pieces a bit bigger than your design.

4. Batting. Enough to cut out two pieces a bit bigger than your design.

5. Sewing thread.

6. Glue (optional but helpful).

7. A curved needle (optional but very helpful).

8. Ribbon or cord to put round the edges of your pinkeep.

9. Pins!

Tutor = Nicki

Gallery - A pair of pillows

2007-08-04T17:40:00.000+10:00

This pair of pillows will be a birthday gift. The tutorials were great as I am not accomplished at sewing! The stitched pieces are the beginning JDR Brazillian Elegance series. I don't think I will ever learn to love working with rayon... Ginger

Gallery - Another Bourse

2007-08-01T17:44:00.001+10:00

I made my first bourse following Isabelle's tutorial. The instructions were very easy to follow :)

It was a gift for my mom and the design is Angel with Rosary by Sudberry House

Posted by "carla77"

August FAL Theme

2007-08-01T16:48:00.000+10:00

The first theme for our new FAL themed months is stitching accessories!

This month's class is a pinkeep, so we've decided to tie the theme in with the class, so that people who want to do the class will have a chance to participate. However, we've decided to expand the theme to include all types of stitching accessories, such as scissor fobs, biscornu, needlecases, scissor cases, pincushions, tape measure covers and needlerolls, so there are plenty of finishing choices.

I'll post some tutorial links and pictures of finished accessories to (hopefully) give you some inspiration in separate posts below.

Happy finishing!

August FAL - Stitching Accessories tutorials

2007-08-01T15:49:00.000+10:00

If you've never attempted any of these types of finishes before, here's some tutorial links to get you started. I've pulled out the most basic, straightforward tutorials with beginners in mind but there are many others on the tutorial links page:

Biscornu here - very clear instructions with loads of pictures

Mattress pincushions here - in French but with loads of pictures. I used this one for my first mattress pincushion and found it easy to do from just the pictures.

Needlecases here and a slightly different style here

Needlerolls here - nice, clear tutorial with good explanations and pictures

Scissor fob here

Scissor case here - in French with lots of pictures and scissor pocket here (Becky will be doing a class on this one at a later date too, which will have more step-by-step photos if you want to wait for that)

Tape measure cover here - in Japanese with lots of pictures. I've used this one myself and found it very clear and easy to use

August FAL - Inspiration

2007-08-01T14:50:00.000+10:00

Looking for inspiration for this month's theme?

Try The World's Largest Collection of Smalls blog as a starting point for loads of pictures of stitching accessories, which are all grouped by category. Check out everyone's gorgeous scissor fobs, needlecases, pincushions, needlerolls, pinkeeps, biscornu, scissor pockets, and tape measure covers, along with all the other beautiful finishes

Think outside the box: for example, mini biscornu make wonderful scissor fobs, like this cute patriotic fob by Linda in Iceland:

and these 3 colourful fobs by Melanie in Australia:

Or why not try out a strawberry fob, like this one by Blackbird Designs in last year's JCS ornament issue, beautifully stitched and finished by Cathymk:

More thinking outside the box; needlerolls don't necessarily have to be vertical designs - here's one I made using a horizontal design, which I adapted slightly (Homeward at Last by JBW Designs):

and if you don't fancy the idea of hemstitching the ends, just use banding, like this one stitched by AnneS:

If you've got plenty of time on your hands, why not create a matching set of accessories, like this beautiful set of LHN designs stitched by Becky:

or these fabulous Quaker accessories stitched by Nicki?

I couldn't find a tutorial for a needleminder, but the basic idea is quite straightforward. Michelle has made a couple of beautiful needleminders recently (I'm totally drooling over the Quaker one):

Sarah Moon (top) and Flower of Courage needleminders, stitched by Michelle (Cozyegg)

The instructions she used came with a kit but think metal ornament finishing forms, magnets (inside and out) and any kind of trim for the edging and it's not too hard to work out how to create your own. Or you could try a basic pincushion or fob with magnets inside to hold your needles or pick up dropped pins, like these great examples by Barbara:

and Lelia:

And finally, if you're up for a challenge and want to try something completely different, what about a chatelaine to hold stitching tools? Here's an example of one designed by Guilia Punti Antichi:

and a gorgeous one created to her own design by Helen:

So what are you waiting for? Drag out your stitched pieces and your finishing supplies and get finishing! And don't forget to post your finishes to the blog so we can all admire them. If you've not already signed up to post on here you'll need a WordPress account (free, no need to create a blog) and then you'll need to email me to add you as an author so you can post. It's quick and painless (honest!)

Have fun!

Tutorials and blog links added

2007-07-31T17:53:00.000+10:00

I've added Niky in Italy's blog to the Inspiration page. Niky is a prolific stitcher and accomplished finisher, who does wonderful work. I can't find an online album for her, but there are loads of beautiful pictures of her stitching and finishing on her blog.

I've also added 2 tutorials to the tutorials page showing how to add a zipper to a project. I used both of these tutorials when I made my zippered project bag recently and I thought they might be useful to include here.

U-handblog zippered pouch

Twelve22 zippered pouch

Posted by KarenV

Gallery - My Bourse

2007-07-31T17:51:00.000+10:00

I made this last week using the tutorial on this blog. I have no finishing skills what so ever but this tutorial was so great and easy that even a newbie like me could do it. It's for a friend and it's going to be hard to give it away but I already have other things that I want to "bourse" so I'll have my own soon. Thanks Isabelle for making such a great tutorial!

Posted by "mia61075"

Gallery - Tie-on pillow finish

2007-07-29T17:58:00.000+10:00

Finished an ornament sized tie on pillow and loved the instructions. Used a Homespun Elegance design for the stitched piece. The color of the pillow and ribbon are dark green but because of the background is showing more blue.

Posted by "sweetana3"

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2007-07-29T17:56:00.000+10:00

Anne and I have been putting our heads together (well, as best as we can being several time zones and thousands of miles apart ;) ) and we wanted to share with you what we have planned for the blog over the next few months.

First off, we're changing the idea and format of the FAL weekends, since they haven't taken off that well. From August, there won't be a specified FAL weekend; instead, each month will have a different finishing theme, either a specific finish or a seasonal theme (or both!). Everyone is invited to join in at any point during the month, finish something along the lines of the theme and post their finishes on here. To give you some inspiration, we plan on highlighting relevant tutorials and including links to and photos of stitchers' work to get you started. The themes won't be too rigid so hopefully as many of you as possible will be able to finish something appropriate and join in. Also, every other month starting from December, just to make it a bit more fun, we'll be having a prize draw for anyone who posts a themed finish during that particular month! :)

Secondly, Anne has collated all the results from the polls that we took earlier this year and we're in the process of working out a new schedule of classes for next year. The plan is to run two classes per month, so that you don't have to wait so long for a class that you really want to do, plus it will hopefully create more participation and activity on the blog, which we're also trying to encourage ;) More details will follow very shortly.

On the subject of classes, it's been lovely to see people using the class tutorials that have been offered so far this year and the results have been wonderful! We'd like to encourage anyone who has finished something using one of the class tutorials to post their finish here so that we can all admire them :) I know I've been asking individual people to do this if I see a finish on their blog, but I don't visit every single blog so please feel free to post your finishes here as we love to see what people have done with the classes we've been offering. Also, if you create a tutorial and post it up online somewhere, please add a comment to the tutorials page or email either of us so that we can add it to the list!

Now it's your turn. Is there anything you'd like to see covered in the blog that isn't here already? Any gaps, anything we could do to encourage more participation? All suggestions welcome :)

Posted by KarenV

Gallery - Tie-on pillow

2007-07-27T18:00:00.000+10:00

This is Little House Needleworks Where There is Life finished off as a tie-on pillow using KarenV's fantastic tutorial. Thanks Karen:)

Posted by "stitchyangel"

Gallery - Another Tie-on Pillow

2007-07-27T06:53:00.000+10:00

Many thanks to Karen for her tie-on pillow class. I used it to make a gift for an exchange and it worked really well. I'll be making more of these!

Posted by Nicki

New page - list of online suppliers

2007-07-27T06:51:00.000+10:00

As this blog is all about providing a comprehensive information resource to do with all aspects of finishing, I've set up a page with links to online shops selling finishing supplies. This can be anything to do with finishing, including patchwork fabric, ribbons, pins, finishing tools and gadgets, bellpull hardware, etc. etc.

The list that I've started is obviously not exhaustive, it's just that - a starting point. We would obviously like you to post your favourite online shops as well so that we can have as complete a list as possible, especially for items that are hard to get hold of locally.

If you have a favourite shop that isn't already listed, please leave a comment here or on the online suppliers page with the following information:

Name of shop
Country that shop is based in
Finishing supplies that they sell
Payment method (e.g. PayPal, credit card)
Anything else you want to say about the shop

Please DO NOT post links to your favourite stitching shops unless they sell items that can be used for finishing. This is purely a listing of suppliers that sell items to help us to finish our stitching into a displayable form, rather than a list of stitching shops in general.

Also, please don't include shops unless they have a website and they will ship internationally, as I want this list to be as widely accessible as possible.

Thanks and I hope you find the new page useful!

Christmas ornament FAL draw result!

2007-07-25T06:55:00.000+10:00

The winner of the FAL goodies after our Christmas ornament FAL weekend is sweetana3! Congratulations Ana!

If you email me (luluminstrel@hotmail.co.uk) with your address I'll get your prize sent out to you as soon as possible.

New tutorial links added

2007-07-25T06:54:00.000+10:00

Leena has created a tutorial on her website for a fabulous stitched book.

There are also 2 new flatfold tutorials; one from Vonna and one from Lisa. Thanks ladies! :)

Links have also been added to the tutorials page

Flange pillow

2007-07-22T06:56:00.000+10:00

I had fun making this pillow. Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial Katrina! :D

Posted by "stitchanne"

Flange Pillow Tutorial

2007-07-21T06:59:00.001+10:00

Hello everyone, this weekend its time for our Flange Pillow class.

For the list of materials see here.

Anyone can do this project, its very easy and feel free to ask any questions if you are unsure of something :)

There are two parts to making a flange pillow, firstly, finishing the stitched piece and then making the pillow. Lets begin by getting the stitched piece ready.

(Please note: for my pillow I used 1/4 inch seam allowance)

Press your stitched piece from the back.

Measure out 1 inch from the stitched edge and trim. Cut some light coloured backing fabric (I used calico fabric) to match the same size as the stitched piece.

Place atop of stitched piece, right sides together. Sew together using a 1/4 inch seam, leaving a small opening for turning. Trim if you need to and turn right side out.

Press and blind stitch the opening closed.

------------------------------------------------------------

Now for the Pillow: these next instructions are based on finishing a 9 1/2 inch square pillow, with the flange measuring 1 inch.

Cut two 9 3/4 inch squares from your coloured fabric. Now pin the two pieces right side together. Sew all around using 1/4" seam, leaving a small opening for turning.

Turn in right way and press.

Mark 1" from the edge all around the square on wrong side of pillow -this is where you will sew to make the flange. I use a water soluble pen to do this.

Start your sewing parrallel to the outside opening and sew around the square, finishing parrallel to the other end of outside opening.

Now you are ready to fill your pillow with stuffing.

Fill to desired "puffiness" and then you can either handsew the two openings closed or use your sewing machine. I sew the inside opening closed and then use a blind seam on outside edge.

Now its time to join on the stitched piece. Place stitched piece onto pillow and pin into place.

You can use buttons that have been covered in matching fabric, like I did, or other suitable buttons. Sew buttons onto four corners, sewing through the stitched piece to the pillow to secure.

That's all there is to it - admire your pillow!!

I hope these instructions make sense -like I said earlier, please feel free to ask any questions if you have any. I know that some people will use a different sized stitched piece so the measurements will need to be adjusted to allow for that. If you need some help with working out what size your pillow will be, please let me know.

Also, please post a photo to the blog of your finished pillow as everyone would enjoy seeing them.

Have fun and happy sewing,

Katrina

Flanged Pillow Ornament

2007-07-21T06:58:00.001+10:00

You can't realy tell where the puffy areas end and the flange begin because of the dark coloured fabric. I cheated a little as I used Katrina's tutorial but appliqued a tatted motif instead :)

Thanks to you Katrina, I am quite confident now with this kind of finish and will definitely try more!

This is going out to a stitcher friend...I don't think she reads this blog...at least I hope not ;)

Posted by Barbara J

Flange Pillow Tutorial Reminder

2007-07-19T07:02:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone, just a reminder that this coming weekend, 21st and 22nd July, its time for our flange pillow tutorial.

For a list of materials, please see here

Hope you can join us :)

bye for now, Katrina

Gallery - July ornies

2007-07-09T07:02:00.000+10:00

Here's two ornies I stitched and finished over the weekend, Holiday Holly by Mill Hill and the Tree Keeper, a freebie from the Drawn Thread.

Posted by Katrina

Happy finishes

2007-07-08T07:07:00.000+10:00

Just want to add these have been sitting around unfinished for a long time. Thanks for the blog which inspired me to finish them. Now about 100 to go. The round ornament uses the metal finishing forms, but I only used one half and felt on the back.

Posted by "sweetana3"

Gallery - My guestbook

2007-07-08T07:05:00.000+10:00

Those of you who read my blog know that I will marry the 1st of September...

Here are our initials...

A little heart from Bleu de Chine...

The kit I used...

And finally our guestbook...

Posted by "lucialoo"

More finishes for this weekend

2007-07-08T07:04:00.000+10:00

Maybe third time will be the charm. Some more finishes this weekend. Ana

Mid-year Christmas

2007-07-07T07:09:00.001+10:00

For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere fighting the winter chills, it feels quite appropriate to drag those unfinished Christmas ornies and snowmen out of the closet to bring them into a life of their own this weekend!

I hope a few of you will join us and the Christmas Ornie SAL blog and post your ornie finishes here over the weekend. Don't forget there is a prize up for grabs - Karen, Nicki and myself have put a wee parcel of goodies together ... everyone that posts a piccie of a completed ornie (ie finish-finished) on this blog will have their names go into the draw for some Christmassy finishing supplies.

Looking forward to seeing those piccies arrive - if you need help don't hesitate to scream out to Karen or myself (links are in the sidebars) ... or you can leave a comment here, of course. You'll need to have a WordPress account to post to the blog, but you don't need to have an actual WP blog to be a member :)

Rightio, who's got the eggnog?? ... Let the fun begin! :D

Gallery - Starting the ball rolling...

2007-07-07T07:08:00.000+10:00

OK, here's my contribution to this special ornament FAL weekend :) I finished up the 4th, 5th and 6th blocks of my PS 12 Days of Christmas wreath - halfway there now!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's ornament finishes this month and don't forget - if you post a photo of your finishes on this blog, your name will go into the draw to win some great finishing supplies - bonus! :D

Posted by KarenV

Flange Pillow Materials List

2007-07-03T12:07:00.000+10:00

Flange pillows are great fun and are used alot by many of our favourite designers. So what is a flange pillow? Its a pillow that has a border of flat fabric that goes around the outer edge of the pillow. This border is not sewn on; it is an effect created by sewing and stuffing the actual pillow a few inches away from the edge of the material.

Later in the month I'm going to be showing a tutorial on how to make one, just like the photo above. To make the pillow just like mine, 9 1/2" square, you will need the following supplies:

1. Your stitched piece. (My stitched piece was 5" by 5" square).

2. Some plain backing fabric (calico fabric is good for this).

3. Sewing thread and fabric to match your design.

4. Stuffing for the cushion.

5. Four buttons.

6. Pins, sewing scissors, a needle, and your sewing machine.

The class is going to be the weekend of the 21st & 22nd July so I hope you can join me then. In the meantime, happy stitching and feel free to leave me any comments if you have any questions.

Tutor = Katrina

Next FAL weekend 6-8 July

2007-07-03T12:03:00.000+10:00

Just a reminder to get those items out of the finishing pile ready for our Finish-A-Long happening this weekend.

We're also joining forces with the Christmas SAL blog for an ornamentifying weekend, so we'd love to see all the ornaments that get finished over the weekend as well :D

And, as an extra little incentive, this month everyone who finishes something and posts it to the blog will be entered into a draw to win some lovely finishing stash! So dig out your stitched pieces and your finishing supplies and get ready to join in.

Gallery - My 2 old bourses

2007-07-03T07:10:00.000+10:00

These are 2 bourses I made last year and the year before that are done like in Isabelle's tutorial... As Karen said in her previous post, I just share pics with you ;-)

Posted by "lucialoo"

Gallery - A red bourse

2007-06-28T12:08:00.000+10:00

I thought I'd share the bourse I made following Isabelle's lovely instructions. Although it was easy I don't know if I'd have tried it without them - so thank you Isabelle!

I filled it with Quaker needlework smalls as a gift for a friend. I was sad to see it leave home!

Posted by Nicki

Gallery - Finally - my Bourse

2007-06-27T12:10:00.000+10:00

I finally had the time AND the right fabric to finish my Bourse!

The stitched piece is The Sampler Lady by Little House Needlework. It was a joy to stitch.

And once I had the right fabric, finishing the Bourse was a breeze.

Isabelle's instructions and pictures were so clear that I couldn't go wrong, really!! Thank you, Isabelle!! And thank you to Anne and Karen for setting up this wonderful blog, filled with inspiration and encouragement!!

Posted by"xstitchnl"

Gallery - Anne D's no-sew wallhanging

2007-06-26T12:13:00.000+10:00

I'm posting this for Anne as she's had problems with resizing the photo:

Posted by Anne D

Seen around blogland

2007-06-25T12:15:00.000+10:00

I've seen a couple of finishes on blogs where the stitchers have used the class tutorials available here, so I thought I'd share:

Goldie's cute bourse (class instructions here)

Annie's tie-on pillow (class instructions here)

If you've seen any finishes (or done one of your own) using any of the class tutorials on the blog, please feel free to post them here so we can all admire them :)

Posted by KarenV

No Sew Wallhanging Class

2007-06-15T12:17:00.000+10:00

Hello :) thank-you with a very warm welcome to everyone who wants to take part in this class or to bookmark it for future reference :)

I am sure you are going to really enjoy this so very easy but very effective finish. Remember your list of materials/tools was here...just so that you can check you have everything with you ;) Good, now all we need is to have some good fun, a bit of time, lots of patience and an ability to use an iron.

I am posting the step by step instructions below split into the work order sections accompanied by lots of photos to guide you through this simple style of finish please read through before plugging the iron in ;)

NB. I know...caught out, tut tut naughty me ;-) that you can see the thread dragged between the smyrna snowflakes floating in the sky on my reverse, but honestly this linen is as thick as sack cloth, I thought I could cheat and get away with it with this linen... totally forgetting this was going to be seen by the world!! So please excuse and overlook my tardiness on this occasion.. however on the plus side...lol...they will stay put, nice and secure over time and they do look alot worse on these pics!

Without further more ado on we go... just remember have fun and enjoy your creation!!

Section 1

PREPARING THE STITCHED SECTION

Step 1. Press with iron the whole reverse side of stitched piece so it is nice and flat. Now remember our 2 inch/5cm allowance all around the design we are now going to 'finger' press after measuring the top and bottom a 1 inch (2.5cm) turnover to wrong side of stitched piece. It will turn into exactly the outer edge of the outline border crosses, it should look like this below.

Step 2. Do the same for the 2 sides remembering we are working on the reverse side all the time.

Step 3. Now press it into place on the reverse side, remember ;)

Step 4. Cut Iron On Vilene/fusible Interfacing to exact size of the now ironed stitched piece.

Step 5. On REVERSE side shown above now iron vilene/interfacing on as per manufacturers instructions to fuse to the back of stitched piece.

Section 2

PREPARING THE BACKING FABRIC

Step 6. We now start the backing fabric measure and fold sides in like this by 'finger' pressing.

Step 7. Try the stitched design on top for size, like this below, measure distances accurately, remove stitched piece then iron backing fabric into place. (Use steam setting if you have it to get really sharp lines)

Step 8. Making sure after measuring that the stitched piece is correctly centred, hold into place with a couple of pins pushed in vertically. We are now going to turn the top over like this, measuring to use about one third of the fabric for the 1 st turnover then 'finger' press into place like so...

Step 9. We are now going to use another third and turn the top over again making sure it sits over the top of the stitched piece like so

Step 10. Now we know everything is lined up properly, press it into place being careful not to iron over your stitching.

Step 11. We now do exactly the same for the bottom section following steps 8 to 10 above. It will now look like this below.

Step 12. If your prepared stitched piece is quite light you may not need to do this step. Mine was a very thick heavy linen and the backing fabric needed more strength to hold it firm. Judge yourself if there seems a big weight difference in the 2 prepared sections. If yours does need strengthening to keep it firm we are now going to repeat Step 4 for the iron on Vilene/fusible interfacing to be exact size of now ironed backing fabric piece. This time though we will open up the ironed backing fabric , line up the Vilene/Interfacing within the ironed outline and again as per manufacturers instructions iron it into place on WRONG side BEING VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PRESS OUT YOUR CAREFULLY IRONED IN LINES. The backing fabric now looks like this below once you have folded in the top, bottom and sides again.

Section 3

CORDING PREPARATION

Step 13. Take your length of cording and knot a loop in it a little way along. This will form the hanger, centre it in the middle top then take the remaining cording round snugly to fit in under the flap.

Step 14. Do the same with the other side of cording long length. Once in position cut it off from the main long length, leaving it just slightly longer than exact. If you untwist a small bit of the cording you can take a little section to make a small knot to hold it when it hangs with the weight from it. (Only use a little bit of cording from each side to knot, or it will be too bulky). Those of you who can/want to sew, can oversew the pieces of cording together. I tried doing nothing but it just fell out of mine with the weight once I hung it up :/
OR: Maybe a better way?...You can always do it way of the bottom instruction below (Step 15) but leave the ends long enough to knot at the top to form the hanger.

Step 15. We are going to do the bottom now but the other way around by placing the cording under the flap first then bringing it around to the bottom of the fabric.

Step 16. Tie at the bottom in a knot, it will have maybe untwisted a bit itself. No worries, we will come to that later :)

Section 4

FINAL FINISHING

Step 17. We are on the last leg now of fixing it all together, all the careful preparation will pay off :) We are now going to cut the strips of Iron on Wonderweb / Fusible web / Hemming Tape. Very carefully and accurately cut the strips the exact length and width of the sides of the STITCHED piece as shown here. So you end up with 4 pieces clockwise all round the edge...one each side and top & bottom.

Step 18. Very carefully to make sure all the web / tape is accuarately lined up turn it all over and place it on the top of the backing piece. Once correctly centred vertically pin it into place to hold...the big moment is coming up as you will now follow the manufacturers instructions and fuse it into place with your iron :) It will now look like this below.

Step 19. This is the last step and we are going to fuse the overlap flap with the web / tape to form a sealed casing. Again cut the strips exactly the right width, of the flap this time. Make sure the cording is correctly in place top and bottom then push the flap down/up repectively and iron again as per manufacturers instructions. This will attach the top and bottom sections to the stitched piece . Separate to unravel the bottom ends of the twisted cording to form a tassel, trim if necessary to make it look neater.

Those of you who can or like to sew can of course do so invisibly right round the whole edges.

Which ever way you prefer VOILA we have our finished wallhanging :)

I hope you have understood and enjoyed my class for you all, if you take part and finish one please post a picture to the blog as remember this is a communal blog , here for us all to enjoy. You will need to register for a Wordpress account which really only means register a user name and your email, then email Karen for the invite link to join so you can post, it is as easy as that :)

Tutor = Helen

No Sew Wallhanging Class - Materials List

2007-06-08T12:18:00.000+10:00

Hello to Everyone,

This month is the NO SEW Wallhanging class it will run NEXT weekend 16th - 17th June.

This REALLY is just the easiest finish with absolutely no sewing...so anybody afraid of finishing or who can't sew can have a go at this one with no fears at all :)

The Materials List is as follows:

1. Your Stitched piece any small size design will do, I stitched a cross-stitch border around my stitched area for easiness in finishing. With linen trimmed to within 2 inches or 5 cm of stitched area border ( we will leave a generous allowance that can always be reduced if needed)

2. A fabric square 6 inches or 16cm bigger than stitched piece on all sides. I used a cotton fabric for my backing.

3. 1 yard or 1 metre of cording, I used shop bought but you can make your own co-ordinating twisted cording. You can also use ribbon instead, if you prefer to.

4. 4 buttons which are optional for each corner.

5. Fusible Interfacing / Iron on Vilene enough for both stitched piece and your backing fabric.

6. Wonderweb / Fusible Web / Iron on Hemming Tape.

The tools required are:

1. Ironing Board.

2. Iron.

3. Clean towel for pressing on ironing board.

4. Scissors or Shears.

5. Pins.

6. A tapemeasure or a ruler for precise measuring.

This really must be one of the easiest, fun, fast, finishing projects and absolutely anyone will definately be able to do this without any worries. Even without any prior finishing skills, you will be able to do this :) So stitch a wee design at the ready, gather your supplies and come and join in next weekend, you will be glad you did :)

Helen

New tutorial - wallhanging

2007-06-05T12:20:00.000+10:00

Tutorials page has been updated with a link to a patchwork wallhanging tutorial created by Heather Lott. The well-illustrated instructions are very clear and run over 3 separate pages.

Posted by KarenV

Gallery - mischief managed

2007-06-03T12:23:00.000+10:00

Today I managed to finish two projects that have been sitting in my drawer for over a year. Yikes! Where does the time go, anyway? (All images are clickable for greater detail.)

First up is a design by The Sampler Girl. This is part of her former Saturday series and I stitched it for Niek for Valentine's Day (2006!). I've finished it as a bag. Not that I can actually picture Niek using it - LOL! - but because the design lent itself so well to it. (Note that the rather bizarre color scheme is my choice, not what the design calls for.)

Then there is this sweet little freebie from The Prairie Schooler that I made for one of my aunts over two years ago. How embarassing is that? She's a serious seamstress, so in addition to this being a pincushion it is also magnetic on the underside to quickly clear up any pin spills. I know whenever I pull my sewing machine out, I have to spill my pins at least once.

Thanks Karen and Anne for setting these FAL weekends up - I still have another half dozen small designs that need to be finish-finished, and maybe now there's hope!

Posted by BarbaraCL

Gallery - Just squeaked one in...

2007-06-03T12:21:00.001+10:00

I stitched up this little freebie by Midsummer Night Designs in the week and decided to finish it as a mattress pincushion:

(pics are clickable)

I totally copied Helen's idea of threading ribbon around the edge rather than using pins - thanks for the inspiration Helen! :)

Posted by KarenV

Gallery - A flower with heart - Lucialoo's June FAL weekend

2007-06-02T12:25:00.000+10:00

Today I finished this little needle holder for a friend's birthday. As I'm quite sure she's not comming here, I can show it to you right now ;-)

I chose to stitch 2 little hearts from Corinne Rigaudeau. It is the same heart, more or less stitched and with my friends initials and my initials.

When you open it, it becomes a lovely flower where you can put your needles.

It was not very easy to sew curved, but I'm really pleased with the result. I hope my friend will like it as well.

Posted by Lucialoo

Next FAL weekend is 1-3 June

2007-05-29T12:26:00.000+10:00

Just a reminder to get those items out of the finishing pile ready for our Finish-A-Long happening this weekend. Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! :D

Gallery - Anne D's completed bourse

2007-05-21T12:27:00.001+10:00

Here is my closed bourse (clickable thumbnail) :D

Inside of bourse

Posted by Anne D

Gallery - My First Bourse

2007-05-20T12:29:00.000+10:00

Thank you Isabelle! Although it turned out to be 'easy' to make - I wouldn't have been able to make it at all if hadn't been for your great instructions which made the process so clear. So if any of you out there are thinking 'I couldn't do that' go ahead and have a go, they are so cute! Photos should be clickable (I think!)

I can see lots of bourse making in my future :) Hope you are having a great weekend?

Posted by "Redwitch379"

Gallery - Finished Bourse

2007-05-19T12:31:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Isabelle, that has shared the bourse tutorial, I made that one this morning. I'm really happy with the result, it will go to my best friend who will have her birthday soon.

Happy stitching and sewing!

Posted by "giusypatch"

Bourse Class

2007-05-18T12:32:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone! It's time for our bourse class weekend :)

All the pictures are clickable and shall lead you to a larger view.
You can see the list of materials needed here. The most important thing is having:

a square design, with plenty of margin around

an outer fabric of the same size (you can take any kind you want - cotton, silk, satin, brocade, whatever)

some ribbon or cording to gather and tie the bourse (I chose narrow lace).

1. I'm going to start with a little tip I came up with to make sure you sew a perfectly, perfectly straight line all around the design. The tip was inspired to me by a technique in garment sewing (namely, pulling a thread near the edge of a fabric to determine the grain). We are going to pull a thread from the linen on each side of the stitched piece, right where the seam shall be.

For the first side, you'll just have to determine the seam allowance. It's your call - I like 1cm (3/8") for those small projects :) Once you have decided this, pick up the thread in the linen right on the line where you want the seam to be. I pick it up with a seam ripper, but small pointed scissor will work, too. Do be careful to pick up just this thread. Cut it and pull it out of the linen. You will end up with a small groove, which shall be your seamline :)

For the other sides, you'll first have to go back to the first side and to count the number of linen threads between the stitched design and the thread you just pulled out. Then, count the same number of threads on each side, and pull a linen thread on each side.
You will end up with this:

(Oops! The linen started fraying - but not enough to get me worried. Just handle it carefully - we'll be trimming it in no time anyway ;) )

Now we can really start sewing :)

2. Assemble the outer fabric and the stitched piece.
Pin them right sides together, with the stitched piece on top (since the groove we created in the linen will serve as a guideline)

Start sewing, starting not quite in the middle of a side. Whether you will be sewing by hand or by machine, all you have to do is sew right in the groove created by the pulled threads. Easy, non? :)

Go around the whole square, and stop 2-3 inches before the beginning of the seam. This will be the opening through which you'll turn the bourse inside out. (Do not start sewing in a corner. It will be much more of a pain to slipstitch a corner than a straight line, when you close the opening!)

3. Trim the seams close to the seamline (I do it with pinking shears so that the fabric and linen won't fray) and clip the corners. This will ensure crisp edges and corners when you turn the work inside out.

4. Turn your work inside out. Press it carefully (press, do not iron. Pressing ensures you do not distort the seamline and fabric).

Slipstitch the opening closed. (Slipstitching is explained and illustrated in the middle of this page.)

5. Creating the casings:
Fold the corners to the outside fabric to form isosceles triangles

Sew the corners down, stitching a line parallel to the folded edge. This creates the casing. Make sure your casing is wide enough to accommodate two widths of your ribbon/cording/narrow lace.

The stitching line is barely visible, which is a good thing :)

6. Insert ribbon into the casings. (I use a large knitter's sewing needle, but anything goes).
Once the first length of ribbon/cording is threaded through the casings, make a knot to close it. To determine the length, just make sure it lies flat around the (still open) bourse.

Starting from the other side, thread the second length of ribbon/cording through the casings.

All you need to do now is to pull the ribbons in order to gather up the edges and close the bourse.

Optional: You may sew a button to each corner of the bourse, if desired.

In my case I only sewed one button on to show you, but removed it afterwards. This particular bourse is small, and I felt the buttons would overload it.

Et voilà !
Now you have a cute little bourse, to give or to keep :)

I hope this was clear. If not, please feel free to ask any question by posting in the comments. Again, there is never anything such as a dumb question. Ask me how I know - I'm a teacher! ;)

Also, if you make a bourse, please post a picture to the blog for everyone to enjoy :)

Have fun everyone! Happy bourse-ing ;)

Tutor = Isabelle

Bourse class - materials list

2007-05-11T12:34:00.000+10:00

Hi everyone!

We shall be having a bourse class weekend on May 19-20.

Here's a list of what you'll need to make a bourse:

Materials:

stitched piece: you need a square design to make a bourse, and you'll (obviously) need to cut the linen into a square, leaving a generous margin around the design. My design was 9.2 cm square (3" 3/4) and I added a 5-cm (2") margin, PLUS a seam allowance. For a larger design, you will probably want a larger margin. To determine the width of your margin, just keep this in mind: the stitched piece shall form the bottom of the bourse, and the margins form the sides of the bourse. Do not forget to add seam allowances! (I use 1-cm allowances for small projects)

fabric square of the same size - I tend to cut mine slightly larger: better be safe than sorry, right? ;)

ribbon, narrow lace or cording (length will depend on your bourses's size)

(optional) four buttons

sewing thread that matches the linen

Tools:

ruler or measurer's tape

scissors

(optional) pinking shears

pins

seam ripper or small pointed scissors

chopstick or whatnot to turn your work inside out and make crisp corners

hand-sewing needle

(only the essentials are featured in the picture)

This is a very easy project, and while a sewing machine will make your work go quicker, you can absolutely do this by hand. Your work will even be more accurate if you sew it by hand - and it won't take that long, I promise. :)

Anyone can do this project - it is ridiculously easy!

Please feel free to ask if you have any question. We all know there is no such thing as a dumb question ;)

Isabelle

Focus on Finishing

Pin Pillow Tutorial #2

Pin Pillow Tutorial #1

Basic Pillow Christmas Ornament Tutorial

Christmas Ornament Tutorial

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT TUTORIAL

Materials needed:

Pillow Finishing Tutorial

Supply List - Pillow Finishing

More finishing links added

Gallery - Needlebook

New tutorial links added

Gallery - Seen on the Blogs

Latest Tutorials added

Blog Awards

Welcome to Focus on Finishing!

A Needle Case for your needle packets

Strawberry Fob Finishing Class

Treat Bag Class

Tuck Pillow - Class

Tuck Pillow - Class - Materials List

Book Cover - Class

Needlebook Class

Bookmarks are not Boring! - Class

the standard band bookmark

the hemstitch, demystified

the cushion bookmark with tassel

a magnetic bookmark using cardstock

Book Cover - Class - Materials List

Bookmarks are not Boring! - Materials List - Class

Beaded Scissor Fob - Class

Beaded Scissor Fob - Class - Materials List

Needlerolls - Class

Freebies and Links for Needlerolls

Needlerolls - Class - Materials List

Classes Update

Tutorial Links and Stitchers Books

Requests for Tutors & Future Classes

Welcome to 2008 - Happy New Year!!!

Gallery - Cat Pillow

Gallery - Pinkeeps

Gallery - Lavender Pillow

Embellished Bag - Class

Gallery - Biscornu

Embellished Bag - Class - Materials List

Embellished Bag - Class - Materials List

Next Year's Classes

New Tutorial Links added

Gallery - Halloween Bourse

Gallery - Mill Hill Pin Pillow & Christmas Ornament

Finish-along for Anne S - Aug 07

Gallery - Small House Sampler Pinkeep

Gallery - Needleworker Pinkeep

Gallery - My first - but not last Pinkeep

Kudos or Complaints?

Gallery - A Hug Will Do Pinkeep

Gallery - My Pinkeep

Gallery - A Pinkeep finish

Pinkeep - Class

Gallery - Tie on Pillow

Gallery - Tie on Pillow

Tutorial added - Fabric Basket

Pinkeep - Class - Materials List

Gallery - A pair of pillows

Gallery - Another Bourse

August FAL Theme

August FAL - Stitching Accessories tutorials

August FAL - Inspiration

Tutorials and blog links added

Gallery - My Bourse

Gallery - Tie-on pillow finish

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Gallery - Tie-on pillow

Gallery - Another Tie-on Pillow

New page - list of online suppliers

Christmas ornament FAL draw result!

New tutorial links added

Flange pillow

Flange Pillow Tutorial

Flanged Pillow Ornament