Sometimes I don’t get to my RSS feed in time and miss a giveaway or some other timed event, which almost happened with Leigh-Ann’s Pin Cushion DIY and Swap. Luckily I got there just in time and now I get to be part of this super cool little craft making and gift giving extravaganza!

Today I had a few minutes, that’s really all it takes, to whip up a pin cushion using her tutorial. The awesome thing about it is you need very little fabric and it’s a great way to use up some scraps if you so choose.

I pulled together some squares of fabric I liked and started sewing.   It was super easy and ironing between each step really helped flatten it out and make it look professional (sometimes I get lazy with that step).

It didn’t take long to have it big enough for the square, I put a black piece of fabric on the back and choose a but pink button for the front and a cute blue one for the back.  I had to get a little creative with sewing the hole closed, I wasn’t happy with my first attempt.  I think I’m going to go make another one and then decide which one I mail off to my partner!

I picked the red and green design just to make it look a little boyish. i didn’t have a star button for the top, and I was eager to finish it so it’s a circle, I’m sure he’ll cope. I cut the ribbons and planned them out based on the sayings. Then I stuck them to my new friend, Steam-A-Seam and ironed away. Once again, I am impressed.

I came across the idea online in the last few days but can’t find exactly where. Today when I searched in google I found some other tutorials on it as well. So while I can’t claim I invented this craft I also can’t really know who did. But I do know it’s neat, easy and I like it!

1. Plan – First, because I was lounging at the TV when I was struck with this idea, I sketched out my plan for each page. Knowing what materials I had on hand helped me decide on the page designs.   I made the pages like this:  1 sun, 2 cherries, 3 blind mice, 4 triangles on a kite, 5 fingers on a hand,  6 flowers, 7 colours in a rainbow, 8 fall shapes, 9 buttons and 10 bows.

2.  Cut – I cut 10 pieces of fabric, 6 1/2 by 6 1/2 square. I was going to make the cover out of some other material but I decided in the end to use the same fabric and cut 2 more pieces. So you’ll need 12 altogether, split if you want to vary your prints.

3.  Create (I know it’s a vague step) – Based on your ideas for each page just go to work creating them on each of the 10 squares. I used a variety of methods to put my pages together.  Here’s a layout of all the pages before some finished touches and before they were assembled.

I used Steam-A-Seam, applique, yarn, rick rack, buttons, embrodery, ribbon, rubber stamps and paint to complete all 10 pages.  See my previous post for close up shots of each page.

4.  Page assembly – Pin pages 2 and 3, right sides together, here’s where it takes some thinking, leave the side that will go in the ‘binding’ of the book open for turning.  It’s going to covered by the printed fabric so it doesn’t matter about finishing that edge.   Since I placed all my numbers in the top left corner it was a bit easier to remember what side to leave open.  Turn and Press.  Repeat for pages 4 and 5, 6 and 7, then 8 and 9.  Sew, turn, press.

5.  Cover creation – Since I decided not to use my original cover pieces I went back and cut some from my linen.  But my supply was running low and I had to cut 6 1/2 by about 6, leaving me a bit short.  So I cut a piece of printed fabric to use as a ‘spine’ for the book.  I accidentally put my fabric where my cold drink of water had been and it got a bit wet, ignore the spots.  I zigzagged stitched the spine to the front cover and back cover of the book.

6.  Personalize – Attach any sort of label/saying you want on the back page of the book.  Fabric stores have those cute, ‘Made by Mommy’ or ‘For Someone Special’ labels that would work well here.

7.  More Personalizing – Decorate the front cover, I personalized mine and embroidered it.  You could appliqué it, or sew some 3D embellishments on.  Then when finished, sew page 1 to the spine, leaving the binding side open for turning.  (Name blocked out for gift surprise protection)

8.   Cover assembly – Sew page 10 to the back cover, right sides together, sew on the top, right and bottom leaving the left side open for turning.  Then sew page 1 to the front cover , sew on the top, left and bottom, leaving the right side open for turning.

9.  Loop – I also attached a little loop piece of fabric, it was about 2 1/2 by 3 and I just folded it right sides together, sewed along the long side, turned it and pinned it to the top of the binding.  Sorry for the busy pattern of my ironing board.

10.  Top stitching – Top stitch around the edges of all the pages, as close as possible.  I used a brown thread so it showed on all my pages.  You could get fancy and change threads but at this point I was excited to get finished, hence the lack of photos.  Lay the book cover/page 1 and page 10/back cover page flat.   Fold over and press the book spine part to make a little hem.  Top stitch all around that piece.

11.  Inserting the pages – Once I finished all my top stitching I carefully set the pages inside the book making sure to line all the edges up along the inside at page 1 and 10.  Then I realized just how thick my book was and wondered how on earth I was going to get it under the sewing machine foot!!  I’m relatively new to sewing, and mostly I learn just by trying stuff out so here’s what I did in this situation.  I put the pages in, secured with some pins, folded the cover over the book and then slid it under the machine foot in the middle of the spine where it was thinest.  Then I sewed down to the bottom of the book and backstitched.  Turned the book over, inserted it where my stitching started and went in the other direction to the top of the book.

Embroidered cover.

This was my first attempt so there’s some things to iron out but I’m totally impressed with how it turned out!! Plus, in my opinion, the little things that make it imperfect are just fun details that come from a totally handmade gift crafted with love!  I added a loop to attach some links for the stroller etc.

Here’s a glimpse at what I put on each page.

Page 1 and 2.

I only bought one thing and that was yellow thread so I could machine sew the sun.  Other than that, I made the entire project out of things I already had on hand, which I thought was pretty frugal and resourceful, but my husband said it means I have way to much stuff.

Pages 3 and 4.

I started with 3 little mice and then realised how cute it would be to tie in some fairy tale reference, so there it is.  Their tails are yarn and freely flop around.  the tail on the kite is thick pink rick rack.  The mice and the number 4 are made out of super soft minky fabric.

Pages 5 and 6.

I used Steam a Seam and fused the handprint on, cut from pink flannel. The flowers are from my scrapbooking supplies, with button centres and embroidered stems.

Pages 7 and 8.

This page was a bit finicky.  I used ribbon, again what I had on hand, for the rainbow.  For my next book I think I’ll purchase thick ribbon for this page, it was a bit tricky to work with the thin ribbons.  However, the lumps and bumps here and there in the rainbow give it character!  I was a but stumped for page 8 and was going to use butterflies when I thought of stamping instead.  I was trying to vary the textures and colours in the book so this was a good opportunity to use something different.

Pages 9 and 10.

This is the super 3D double spread!  The buttons were a piece of cake.  The bows were a little more involved, tying them was one adventure and then sewing them on to make sure they weren’t going to undo was another!  I wish I had made the number 10 a little bit bigger but oh well.

Backcover with my label.

My labels, which I finally got around to making, which I suppose is another post.  This book was great fun to make and I made it in a about 3 sessions at the machine, started Friday night done Sunday noonish.  Working on a tutorial to post soon.

Found at Happy Together,  we have a store bought set but I’d really like to make my own. I’ve been keeping some special clothes I remember Wesley wearing, that Nate has now worn, perhaps that would be a good use for them. I was going to quilt them, but it might work for both projects!

I really like that I can use up scraps of material to make them, and that they are soft. After falling while putting Wesley to bed in September, landing on a wooden toy, splitting my knee open and getting 7 stitches I’m in the market for soft toys!!