Easy Bookmarks Tutorial

I said I would do up a tutorial for the pieced bookmarks and SewCalGal’s  Christmas Party seemed like the perfect time to get it out.  Be sure to visit and check out all the wonderful Christmas Party Links.

This is a Christmas posting for me since I’ve started a tradition for myself where each year I make bookmarks for friends and family.  (Three years in a row is enough to start a tradition, right?)  We’re all book lovers here, and while I appreciate the convenience of ebooks, a “real” book in the hand can’t be beat.  Real books need real bookmarks!

These bookmarks are easy to make and a great way to use up scraps.  I noted before that my mini-making adventures mean I have a lot of partially used charm packs.  I’ve been running those bits and pieces on the GO! 1 1/2" strip die.

So, first off, all my measurements are 5" wide because that is the width of the charms.  If you are cutting from scratch, you could easily shift all your widths to 4 1/2" and you’d be just fine.

The directions will make up two bookmarks.

Supplies

• one 5" by 7 1/2" foundation fabric (I use a light-weight white cotton)
• one 5" by 7 1/2" craft weight fusible interfacing  (I use Pellon’s Décor Bond)
• two 5 1/2" by 7 1/2" rectangles fusible web (I use Steam-a-Seam 2)
• seven 1 1/2" by 5" fabric strips
• one 5 1/2" by 7 1/2" fabric rectangle for the backing (I pieced left over charm squares to get mine)
• optional: ribbon

Assembly

1.  Iron the fusible interfacing onto the foundation fabric.

2.  Iron one of the fusible web rectangles onto the other side of the foundation fabric.  (I have a photo here – not that it tells you much.  It looks like a white rectangle, but trust me, there’s Décor Bond on one side and Steam-a-Seam on the other.)

3.  Stack up your seven fabric strips in an order that pleases you.  Then, take the bottom one and lay it, right side up, on the fusible web side of the foundation fabric (paper peeled off, of course). 

4.  Take the next strip and place it right side down on top of the bottom strip.  Sew with a quarter inch seam.

5.  Press the strip up – being very careful that your iron is only touching the fabric!  Do not iron onto that exposed fusible web.

6.  Continue adding the strips until the entire foundation is covered.

7.  If there is any raw foundation left uncovered, trim it off.

8.  Take the remaining rectangle of Steam-a-Seam and iron it onto the back of the foundation.  Place the backing fabric right side up.  If you would like to add a ribbon to your bookmark, then take one of the bare sheets of release paper that you peeled off the foundation earlier and lay it so that it covers about an inch in from the top of the bookmark.  It’s hard to see in the photo (white on white), but it’s there. 

After the backing is fused on, you’ll have an edge at the top that is still loose.

9.  (I switched bookmarks mid photo-taking so things look a wee bit different – oops).  Use a pinking rotary cutter to trim the edges of your foundation.  Cut one long side and the top and bottom.

10.  Lay your ruler with the two inch mark at the edge and cut a bookmark.  Then lay it two inches in again and cut the second.

11.  Optional ribbons: Cut the ribbons to the size you prefer.  Open up the back edge that is unfused and tuck the ribbon into place.

Iron closed.

12.  Stitch the book mark about a quarter inch in.  I overlap a few stitches when I’ve come full around and then backstitch a few stitches to lock in place.

13.  Admire your pretty bookmarks! 

I like that the interfacing and fusible web give the bookmarks stiffness without making them too thick.

Bookmarks Are Us

If you are interested, there are tutorials for Christmas’s past, as well.  There’s the lace and linen bookmarks from last year.  (Tutorial here).  The bookmarks in the top photo are a little more involved and the bottom single one the easier method that I did second and wound up preferring. 

And then the linen with picture bookmarks.  I’ve done up a ton more of those this year (which is why there’s a bunch listed in my Etsy shop), but you can find the tutorial here.   I am now sewing the images onto the linen instead of cutting out the window as directed in the tutorial – faster, easier, just as nice.

I’m loving that bit of steampunk.  I’ve got another sheet of images ready to go.

Along with some more charms to attach for a bit of extra.  Fun stuff.

Meanwhile, if you go back a ways on my blog, you can find the snippet bookmarks I did a few years ago.  You can find that tutorial here.  In retrospect, I think the Fast2Fuse is too thick so I use Décor Bond when making snippet “stuff” these days.

As far as traditions go, making bookmarks makes me happy.

* * * * *

And since this Christmas Party is a donation drive for Operation Homefront, SewCalGal asked if we had any military stories to share.  Well, during World War II, my dad was stationed in England and my father-in-law in the South Pacific.  Neither my husband or I ever heard either of our parents talk much about the war, but here’s one story.  Right before my father was going to ship out, my brother was born, my father’s first born child.  After my father got the news, his commanding officer told him he wasn’t going to notice if my father wasn’t around for roll call the next few days.  “Just don’t miss the boat!”  And he didn’t, of course.

A funny story, true.  But also, how brave and dedicated they were.  What was it like, I wonder, for my Mom,  a newborn in her arms, knowing my father would cross the seas to where war raged?  What was it like for my father, holding his son in his arms, wondering if he’d be back to hold him again? 

And, of course, what is it like for so many of our soldiers who make the same sacrifices today?  We always owe so much to those who give so much. 

It’s a good time, in this season of giving and thanksgiving, to remember our soldiers and their families.  Here’s hoping for a majorly successful donation drive.

And thanks to SewCalGal for putting this together.

Bookmarks Giveaway

Another day, another set of bookmarks.  Who knew when I won the MyMemories software that I’d become obsessed?  (SewCalGal, I blame you!)
I made up this latest set of bookmarks ( with this incredibly fun kit, The Persnickety Triplets) and decided it was time to share.  Are any of you out there still reading books that come in 3-D?  An actual paper product you hold in your hand?  If so, you’ve come to the right place.
I’m still having trouble taking pictures of laminated bookmarks.  This first picture is a page before laminating: it wound up with printer streaks on it, so sadly, it’s for file 13.  The good news, however, is that there’s no laminate glare.

Here’s the bookmarks laminated and cut up.  The color on these is a little too deep, but you get the idea.

A close up of two of them (the color still a little too intense but it’s ballpark):

I love the figures that Rebecca McMeen creates – just love them!
So, if they appeal to you and you want a chance to win a set, just leave a comment below. Comments will close Thursday night at 10 (my mountain time).   I will use Mr. Random Generator to pick a winner on Friday morning.
As always, make sure that I have an email address to contact you in case you win the drawing.
Cheers!

Bookmarks ‘R Us

Hi Regina,

Here’s some possibilities:

Patriotic

Pastel 1

Pastel 2

Pastel 3

And just cause I was playing, Asian fabric

I have been on a definite book mark binge here lately with the digital scrapbooking.  I picked up two new sets from Digizine, Cream n Sugar and Legacy of Love.  And made some pretty feminine bookmarks:

And I also picked up a little more steampunk fun, London Adventure and from Hidden Vintage Studios, Ladies and Men.   So, using those and my previous steampunk kit and some a little from the Graphics Fairy as well, I made up a bunch of steampunk bookmarks.  Here’s just a few of my favorites.

I’ve just been having fun making them up, so I’ve been giving them away to students.  A male student complained about the butterflies and flowers.  Jeez.  I’m on a quest now – to make manly bookmarks, which, of course, cannot contain any of the questionable material I found when I went on line looking for masculine bookmarks!

Fun and Easy Bookmarks – Tutorial

I always have books piled everywhere and, well, you can never have too many bookmarks!  I made these up using scraps and I see a lot more in my future: they’ll make great stocking stuffers.

Supplies:

• 16 different fabrics: 3" by 4 1/2"
• Backing fabric: 9" by 11"
• Light weight fabric cut 9" by 11" (I used batiste, but a lightweight muslin would also work)
• Steam-a-Seam Lite 2: 16 pieces cut 3" by 4 1/2"
• Fast2Fuse (a stiff double-sided fusible interfacing): 8 3/4" by 10 3/4"
• Ribbon
• Dritz Fray Check
• Decorative thread

1. Lightly press to fuse the Steam-a-Seam onto the backs of the sixteen fabric rectangles

2. Peel off the paper and slice the rectangle into little pieces. (Tip: I used my rotary cutter and sliced them one by one with the fusible side up). 

3. When you have a pile of little pieces, begin to randomly position them, fusible side facing down, on the lightweight 9" by 11" fabric.

4. Keep going until the entire underlying fabric is covered. (Tip: Hold it up in front of a light source to find "holes" you may have missed).

5. Press to set all the little pieces in place.

6. Using a decorative thread, stitch the fused pieces down using random swirling stitch lines.

7. Iron both the fused section and the backing fabric onto the Fast2Fuse. (The front and back fabrics will slightly overlap the interfacing).

8. Trim to 8" by 10".

9. Cut to create 5 bookmarks, each 2" by 8".

10. Create ribbon holders for the bookmarks. I cut my ribbons between 17 and 20 inches each. Slice the ends on the diagonal and apply a little Fray Check to keep the ribbon ends from unraveling.

11. Peel a little of the backing fabric away from the Fast2Fuse. Fold the ribbon in half and place inside the opening. Press to close again. (Tip: If the fabric resists peeling away, you can also open up the Fast2Fuse itself).

12. Satin stitch the edges. You can leave the edges squared off or, what I prefer, slightly round them since that makes it easier to turn the corners. (Tip: Using an Overlock foot – a  #2 on my 1530 Bernina – helps create a smooth edge).

And that’s it!  Time to make up a cup of tea and settle in for a good read . . .

We’re Off to See the Wizard

And All Kinds of Other Stuff, Too

First, there’s the MiniQT swap.  Last day of January was the day to mail out and I just squeaked it in there.  But, hey, I love how it came out.  I mean, LOVE.  (I know, I know.  I say I love a lot of what I do.  But, seriously, why else would I do it? . . .  except grading.  I don’t mention loving that.  Since I don’t.  But I do get paid for it, so . . .   Crafts, I love).

Anyhoo. . .The theme for the swap was, “What’s on your bookshelf?”   My partner loves Oz.  I found copies of first edition covers and printed them off onto fabric and this just came together.  (One of those rare times where it all just went like I imagined!)

This may be one of those times where I really do need to make up another copy for myself.  I really did love how this came out, and book lover that I am, it made me remember just how much love a tangible book can hold.  I love my ebooks, of course (cheap!  convenient! space-saving!) but there is nothing like an actual book with printed pages in hand.  I remember a sleepover at my best friend’s house when we were little – she had all these OZ books.  I hadn’t even known there were so many.  After she went to sleep, I spent the rest of the night reading book after book in delight and wonder. 

And, because of the MyMemories software, I also made up some OZ themed bookmarks to send with.  The picture is blurry but there they are.

And speaking of bookmarks, I also made up some sewing themed bookmarks for the quilt group members who were at my house earlier this week.  I used a combination of a design kit and images from The Graphics Fairy. (It’s hard to get good photos because the light reflects off the laminate.  Not sure what to do about that.)

Next, I had a lot of fun with another design kit I bought that allowed me to dress my own dolls.  More bookmarks!  The picture doesn’t do these justice.  The design elements are just so cool.

And while I am clearly a woman bookmark obsessed, there’s been some sewing as well.  I finished up the miniature hearts quilt in time for Valentine’s.  The squares finish at one-half inch.

And I’ve pulled out another miniature top that just needs borders and quilting, yet another one that’s been sitting around for far too long.  But, hey, I’m making progress! Pictures coming soon.