Nostalgic Notions

From the nimble fingers of Julie Loeschke

 

For your consideration: a set of Victorian-inspired sewing notions: Pinkeep, Thread Winder and Needle Book. Perhaps you could picture them being used by the lovely ladies of Downtown Abbey (as I’m sure they did as they sat by the fireside working on their embroideries.  Well, at least the Dowager Countess would have!)

 

These dear, ‘made with love’, notions would make a wonderful gift (birthday, Mother’s Day, any day) or if you’re ‘quick like a bunny’, they would also make a sweet treat tucked inside an Easter Basket!

 

And the best part? You don’t need a sewing machine or have to be a nimble-fingered seamstress to put these together. You can hand stitch and assemble these beauties while watching your favorite period drama… as I did.

 

Pinkeep:

1. Print your chosen image onto inkjet fabric using the ‘best’ setting. I like sheet #184 because it has just the right images in a circle format.

2. Cut two slightly less than 2″ circles from both cardboard and thin batting.

3. Draw around your fabric images leaving a 3/8″ seam allowance and cut out. Remove the backing paper from the fabric image (inkjet fabric has a backing paper to ensure that it feeds through your printer). Cut a second circle of the same size as the fabric image circle (including the 3/8″ seam allowance) from a coordinating fabric.

4. Lightly tack the batting to the cardboard circles using a glue stick.

5. Using sturdy thread, run a simple gathering stitch around the fabric circle, about 1/4″ from the edge. Do this to both the fabric backing circle and the fabric image circle. Do not tie off the thread.

6. Place each fabric circle face down and lay the batting/cardboard circles (batting side down) on top. Separately, pull the thread on each fabric gathering tightly around the cardboard/batting circles and tie off. Adjust gathers.

7. Holding the two fabric circles with gathered sides together, use a sturdy thread to blind stitch them together using tiny stitches. Don’t be tempted to glue these together otherwise you won’t be able to slide the pins in.

8. If you wish to add ribbons, fold one yard of ribbon in half and tie a knot about 1″ from the fold. Sandwich ribbon between the circles (refer to image for placement) before stitching the circles together. Tie the streamers in a bow adding a contrasting or coordinating colored ribbon if desired. Tack charm to knot and add others to the streamers to really deck it out.

Insert pins around the pinkeep and et voila! A unique and beautiful pinkeep in the truest Victorian fashion!

 

 

Thread Winders:

1. Download, print and cut out the thread winder patterns

2. Trace patterns onto cardboard and cut out.

3. Using a glue stick completely cover the cardboard thread winder going over the edges so you get complete coverage.  Lay the thread winder, glue side down, on the back of your decorative paper, brayer it, let dry, then trim away the excess of your decorative paper.

4. Repeat step 3 for back (here is where you can use the ‘Youth’s Companion’ download).

5. Cut circles from Digisheet 152, and glue to front.

6. Wind with embroidery threads as shown in photo, above.

(The Thread Winders would also make terrific embellishments for your collages!)

 

 

Needle Books:

1. Print out desired images onto inkjet fabric using ‘best’ setting.

2. Cut out image and remove backing paper.

3. Using fusible web, fuse the image to the wrong side of  backing card stock and cut out.

4. Fold in half.  (My finished books, opened, were 5″ x 3.5″ and 5″ x 3.75″.  You can select any size that works for you)

5. Cut a piece of thin craft batting or wool felt about 3/8″ smaller all around than the cover.

6. Using a pamphlet stitch, stitch the batting into the center fold of the cover with heavy thread (button thread would work well).

7. Fold a 24″ piece of ribbon in half and stitch to front cover through a button (see photo, above, for placement).

8. Add charms if desired, insert needles into the batting/wool felt, and tie in a bow to fasten the Needle Book closed.

Any questions about the construction of your Nostalgic Notions?  Please post to this topic and I’ll answer!  I hope you enjoy and if you gift these to a loved one, I am sure they will treasure them for many years to come!

Free Youth’s Companion PDF download (please be patient, it’s a large file)

xo Jules

 

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