November Across The Pond Project

November's Across The Pond Sew Along Project

Make fun things... sewing along with us!
You can join anytime!  Here are our projects

The season is changing, and the weather is getting colder.  Time to snuggle up with a quilt and a good book!!

And that brings me to the theme of this month's Across The Pond Sew Along project:
Bookmarks

The internet is full of lots of fun ideas for all kinds of bookmarks!   Here are just a few tutorials  to get you started making one of your own!


From The Sewing Loft Blog-       Be Mine Bookmark

Be Mine Bookmark  by Heather at The Sewing Loft Blog

I love the little patches that she made.  These don't have to be just for  Valentine's Day...


I am really excited to share this next pattern with you! 

From The Patchsmith-     Country Heart Bookmark     ... a brand new free pattern!!

Country Heart Bookmark
A free pattern, created for the Across The Pond Sew Along
  by Amanda, The Patchsmith

This book mark is just adorable!!  I love that you can use felt and fabric and ribbon... or all fabric!  And the pattern and directions are impeccably  written, in Amanda's Patchsmith style!    {click here for your free pattern}


And lastly, I 'll share my idea for a fun little bookmark, using scraps and selvedges:

Easy Print pdf file : click PDF


                                  Selvedge and Zipper Bookmark
                                                   by Susie's Sunroom

The Selvedge and Zipper Bookmark      by Susie's Sunroom

Click here to print a pdf file or save easily:    HERE



Materials:  felt 
                 Zipper parts (  these were cut off from other projects)
                 Selvedges     

My bag of selvedges

                 
Felt-   cut   2 pieces-   3 inches x 7 inches high

Zipper scrap -   pick a piece at least 4 inches long  

Selvedges-    pick out some  favorites from your bag of selvedges.  Look for pieces at least 7 inches long, to cover most of the felt
       * My bookmark used about 5 long selvedges per side.  I had to add some short pieces to cover the felt on selvedges that were too short.

1. Lay out your selvedges on top of one piece of felt.
 2.  Pin them in place, so the edges touch-to cover all felt.
3. Sew-  quilt as you go... I used a feather stitch on my machine.

 Now, lay out your selvedges on top of one piece of felt.  Arrange them so they make you smile when you look at them!

Pin them in place, so the edges touch and all felt is covered.

Now you are ready to sew them onto the felt.  You " quilt as you go" ... I used a feather stitch on my machine.  
                

I call the #27 stitch, in the second row, my "Feather Stitch"
- on my Viking Topaz 30

Lay the two felt/fabric pieces, with wrong sides together.

Trim around the edges, making sure that no felt shows.  Trim any stray threads.

Close up of the feather stitching.  You could use a zig zag stitch, as well

Insert the zipper scrap about 1/2 inch, in the bottom of the bookmark.  (Place between the front and back pieces of the felt.)  Check so that the top of the zipper shows on the side you are calling "front."  Pin the zipper piece in place.

Sew around all four sides of the bookmark.  I used my machine blanket stitch.  Reinforce the side with the zipper piece. ( I simply used reverse, and then forward again, when stitching on the zipper area.  Sew slowly over the zipper.)

The back side- the zipper sewed in between the layers;
the blanket stitch on all four sides

Trim away any stray threads and little sections of felt that may show.

Lastly, curl up under your quilt with a favorite book, using your new bookmark!

For easy printing or saving:  click HERE  for the  complete tutorial in a pdf file !



We'd love to see the bookmarks that you make!  Share them with us at our Flickr Group-
Across The Pond Sew Along Flickr Group

And you won't want to miss seeing the bookmarks at Amanda's  The Patchsmith blog   AND
Amy's   Amy Made That! blog!  They are sew creative and I love all of their work!!

I'm off to my sewing room!

I am linked up at:   Can I Get a Whoop! Whoop! @ Confessions of A Fabric Addict  and
                             Sew Cute Tuesday @ Blossom Heart Quilts  and
                              Fabric Frenzy Friday  @ Fort Worth Fabric Studio  and
                             TGIFF @ aylin-nilya blog    and
                             Sew Darn Crafty @ Sew Many Ways