Farmers Wife in Your Life: Needlebook Tutorial

When Sunni asked me to join in her blog hop of the Farmer's Wife in Your Life, I was super flattered.

There have been so many great projects included in her hop, all focused around using the Farmer's Wife blocks in an every day item instead of a quilt.

I have long admired the little friendship star block and knew right off the bat what I wanted to do with mine: a tiny star was born and a little needlebook came to be.

This needlebook uses the fun, bright, whimsical Flock fabric by Thomas Knauer. It's small, but useful and easy to fit into a sewing bag or your purse.


Needlebook finished size: approximately 12" x 5"

Materials Needed:
small cuts of fabric for book
fabric for binding: 1/4 yard/ (2) 2.5" strips = 44 inches
friendship star template (optional)
interfacing
felt (6" x 4")
ribbon (19")

To make the 3" friendship star on the front, you have two options. You can foundation paper piece the star as I have (pattern here) or you can piece your star  using the following measurements:
(2) 1 7/8" squares cut into 4 triangles (colored fabric for the star)
(1) 1.5" square (colored for the middle of the star)
(4) 1.5" squares (white- for the corners)
(2) 1 7/8" squares cut into 4 triangles (white)

My needlebook is constructed of 3 panels for a trifold.

For the outside of the needlebook, make your friendship star and add 1" strips for the border (pink dots.) Then add 1" strips to the top and bottom to bring the block up to 4.5" x 5.5" size.

Cut the other two panel pieces 4.5" x 5.5." Sew all three panels together. Cut a piece of interfacing/stabilizer and iron it on the back side of your panel. *If you plan to add decorative hand stitching around your friendship star as I did, do this before you add the stabilizer. 

For the inside of the needlebook, you will also make three panels. The first panel is 4.5" x 5.5" and has a 3.75" pocket. You can add a band to the top of the pocket by making a binding strip and sewing it on to the pocket before you add it to the panel.

The middle panel is 5.5" x 5.5" and the third panel is 3.5" x 5.5" has a 3.75" pocket as well. Sew your panels together and then add your felt piece.  Fold your felt in half, open it up, position it in your needlebook and stitch down the middle, backstitching at the beginning and the end.

Now you are ready to put your two panels together to make your needlebook.  Place your panels wrong sides together, pin and add your binding as you would on a quilt. Once complete, place your ribbon in the middle of your needlebook, pin and sew in place on the back, backstitching at the beginning and end. Be sure not to sew your ribbon to the felt inside!

Now you have a tri-fold needlebook, perfect for holding, thread, scissors, needles and pins for your hand-stitching projects.



I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you make on of these, please add it to the Inspired By Ellison Lane Quilts Flickr group. I would love to see it!

Thanks again Sunni for including me in the Farmers Wife in Your Life blog hop! Check out all the details of the competition and blog hop over at Love Affair With My Brother.

Have a great day!
xo,
Jennifer