Book of Needles

Of all the things I’ve sewn and embroidered, this utilitarian holder for my needles is probably my favourite. I made it nearly 10 years ago to organise my various sewing needles and it’s held up to constant use (and abuse) and wear-and-tear beautifully. It’s reminiscent of Victorian needle books, but with a heavy dose of Fat Sister attitude and colour!

 [click image to enlarge]

The cover and the pages of the book are made with wool felt and I embroidered the cover girl (a ‘self-portrait’ I might add) on white muslin using 6-ply cotton floss. I cut a square ‘window’ on the front cover and attached the embroidered muslin to the felt using blanket stitch, and also used blanket stitch all around the edges of the cover to prevent it from fraying. The pages were cut with pinking shears, and tacked onto the inside spine of the cover with a neutral darning thread. I finished off the ‘binding’ with a 4mm grey grosgrain ribbon to tie on the side and keep the needles snug and safe.