My first textile book

Friday, September 14, 2007




Today I found this picture in my patchwrok folder. This was my first textile book. I made it more than 3 years ago, when I was a very beginner quilter. My week part was sewing by mashine. As I told you I didn't use it for a long time, so this was a really big project for me.
I started with the designing on paper, of course. The whole thing seemed easy and fun, but then I started to sew... I was asked to make a textile book for a little one (less than 1 year old). I wanted to use bright colours because children like them and I tried to design something interactive.... or at least interesting.... I hope I did a good job, but can't be sure.
It is not a difficult technique, only simple machine applique. I think it was problematic only for me.
So first I washed, dried and cut the fabric. I pinned them onto the basic yellow fabric, and zigzagged them on. I used small stiches and matching threads. After this I added the batting. I cut small squares (the same size as the pages of the book) and put them to their places. Between two pages there is no batting, only a sewed line. This makes the book easier to fold because the book is thinner there. The tricky point was the sewing of the other side. I didn't really know how to put the wrong edges inside the book. The wadding was quite thick and after I force the edges inside my machine didn't want to sew everything together. I had to pressure it.... but finally I could manage :D
There is a Sunbonnet Sue and Bill inside as I didn't know if the owner was a boy or a girl. I sewed an umbrella from the striped fabric because I thought it looked great. The ball is filled with extra batting, so it is a 3 dimensional picture. The door of the house can be opened and the sun is under the cloud which can be folded up. You can have nice weather that way! :D The worm can come out of the apple, but he is sewed inside the apple, so he can go back easily. The door of the car is a pocket, so you can put small things in it.
This book is somewhere in Portugal, and its owner is too old for it now, I think. I hope he/she has it as a nice memory of his/her childhood or someone else inherited it....


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once I wanted to make a book like this (without any interactive things, only pictures in it). I strated it with big enthusiasm, but finally I couldn't finish it. It's good to see, that it's not impossible. Maybe once I can try again. :)

patchwitch said...

Of course, you can try :D and make it :D