Manly Linen Bookmarks – A Tutorial, Too

I wanted easy and easy they were. I wanted them to be simple enough that they wouldn’t be too fussy for the men in my life.   Just in case anyone else is looking for some easy peasy bookmarks, here’s directions.

1) First, I searched the internet for vintage images that reflected my guys –  so, vintage race cars, bicycles, owls, hedgehogs, rhinos.  I think the bookmarks would be fun with family photos as well. 

2)  I created a page of images in Word, sized the images at 1 1/2" wide, and printed them off – I used Electric Quilt’s pre-treated printable fabric.

3) I was aiming for speed, so I just took a sheet of Steam-a-Seam 2 Lite and fused it onto linen.  You could cut rectangles of the linen and the fusible separately, but this way was nice and fast.

4) From the fused linen, cut rectangles 2 1/4" by 8".

5) Trim 1/4" around the image and then measure the size of the image itself (not counting the quarter-inch seam allowance).

6) Draw the image size onto the back of a linen rectangle (paper still on).  I finger pressed a fold in it to help me center the rectangle.

7)  Cut out the window.

8) Peel the paper off the linen with the window and a non-window linen rectangle as well.  Lay the uncut (no window) linen rectangle on an ironing surface with the fused side up.  Lay the rectangle with the window on top with the fused side down.  After they are neatly lined up, carefully peel back the window area so that you can line up your image.  Then iron to fuse them together.

 

9)  Stitch around the window.  Then stitch 1/4" in around the outer edges of the bookmark. 

10)  Use a rotary cutter with a wave blade to trim the edges.  Line up the 1/8" inch mark on the ruler with the stitching that is 1/4" in from the outer edges of the bookmark.

11)  Trim around all four edges and you’re done. 

Gosh, I love quick little projects! 

I’m not done with my Christmas sewing yet.  Are you?  I’m still burning up my Bernina finishing up another couple projects.

You might be smarter than that.

I’m considering it part of my yearly  Christmas tradition.

So, whatever your traditions,  I wish the best of  Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Linen Bookmarks – A Tutorial

Two ways, no less.  The slightly more involved and the pleasingly easy.  This:

Or this:

Because either way you have linen, vintage lace, and vintage buttons.  What’s not to love?

Supplies

• linen
• bits of lace and pretty buttons
• fusible interfacing  – I used Décor Bond or Craft Bond or something like that.  You could probably go lighter and that would be fine, too.  With hindsight, if I was making more of these up, I’d go for a lighter interfacing – just enough to add a little body and to curtail linen’s inclination to stretch like mad.
• For the easier version: Steam-a-Seam 2 Lite or other fusible product

Slightly More Involved First

I rooted through my button box and my bits of lace to create a little pile to play with.  You could always use new, of course.  If you want to create a vintage look, you can tea die the lace (buttons, too, for that matter).

1.  Cut your interfacing 2" by 8" – one for each bookmark.

2.  Cut two linen rectangles 2 1/2" by 8 1/2"

3.  Fuse the interfacing onto the back of one of your rectangles, leaving a quarter inch seam allowance on all four sides of the fusible.

4.  Try out a couple bits of lace across the right side of the interfaced rectangle.

5.  Sew the lace down along the top and bottom. 

6.  Add a button to the top.  (oops – forgot to take a picture).

7.  Place the two linen rectangles right sides together and sew along all four edges, leave an opening along the top edge for turning  (the arrows indicate how far in I sewed along the top edge).  Trim the four corners.

7.  Turn inside out.  This can be a bit tricky.  You can push in the top edge and then grap it with forceps.  I used the Dritz Quick Turn tool (because I love my gadgets).

Started.  It’s a little stiff but it’s working.

Still going.

8.  Once it’s all turned right side out, push out the corners, and press, folding in the top edges.

9.  I put the edge foot on my sewing machine and top stitch all around.

10.  And it’s done!  Isn’t that pretty?

The Easy Version

Very pretty, but I’ll grant, the turning inside out business does slow things down.  So if you want to avoid that step, try this instead. 

Cut

• two linen rectangles 2" by 8"
• one fusible interfacing 2" by 8"
• one Steam-a-Seam 2 Lite 2" by 8"

Directions

1.  Fuse the interfacing and the Steam-a-Seam to the linen pieces.

2.  Once again, sew the lace and button onto the linen piece with the fused interfacing.

3.  Place the two linen rectangles with right sides out and fuse them together.

4.  Stitch 1/4" around all four sides.  If you want, you could stop there.  It would look like this.

5.  I trimmed the edges with my wave blade rotary cutter.  I put the 1/8 inch mark of the ruler on the stitching and trimmed the wee excess.

6.  Easy and still very pretty.

A close-up.

Is that not enough?

Well, no.  A while back a quilt buddy of mine gave me a bag of batik scraps, leftovers from a quilt she had made for a grand-daughter.  For an added bonus, some of those leftovers were from border strips that included piecing.  So I took those border strips and using this tutorial, made these guys.   The only difference is that I fused mine together. 

And I’m not quite done.  Because all of these strike me as fairly feminine and I’ve got a husband, two sons, and a brother-in-law to account for as well.  So, just a handful more – and I have to say, I’m getting a little bookmarked out, so I see  sew easy in my future.

Huffin and Puffin and Almost There

Grading, grading, grading . .  .  keep those finals moving . . .  (think theme to Rawhide, for those of you – ahem – vintage enough to remember the theme to Rawhide).  I wound up with finals on Thursday and Friday of finals week, so it’s been a grading weekend.  Still, if I can get my brain (“this is your brain on vacation; this is your brain during finals” – sizzle . .  .) to cohere long enough, I just might finish it all up tomorrow. 

Just in time to make a bunch of bookmarks for Christmas.  I hope.

Meanwhile, Shez has won the GO! ornaments.  Congratulations!

Earlier in the week, as I was waiting for the finals to roll around, I made up a few more Kindle sleeves. I really will put some up on Etsy.  (I’ve been trying to come up with a shop name.  Daisy Fair is my latest thought).  Making them has been kind of addictive – kind of? – and I don’t really need a lifetime supply.  But, really, aren’t they sweet?

Using the leaves from AccuQuilt GO! Rose of Sharon die:

And the leaves and flowers from the Rose of Sharon die:

And while the red, black, and whites are out, another spotted puppy:

With pretty inside fabric, too:

For anyone who missed, I have the tutorial for making up these sleeves here.

I also have an Xmas table runner to finish which really has to be done this week, so I should have pictures soon.