Okay, Let's Sew!

I've been really interested in making some needle cases lately, mainly because I'm beginning to get overwhelmed with pin cushions! So I've been scanning through Pinterest for ideas and this is what I've come up with so far.

Needle Case Buttoned Up...

I borrowed a bee image off Pinterest and then made it up the way I wanted it in felt and sewed it on a large circle of felt. I think it looks really good and I like the neat running stitches and backstitches I used to put it together instead of blanket stitch, which is more usual. It never seems as neat as I'd like it. I sewed together the body of the needle case (I had to get out my sewing machine which I hadn't wanted to do but there really wasn't any other choice!) attaching the elastic loop at the same time and then inserted the padding to give the strip some body.

...And Unbuttoned!

I used the machine to sew in the felt sheets inside and then sewed around the edges...badly to be honest. I've not used my sewing machine for a while and I couldn't get the tension right and I lost patience. Anyway, it's all together. I hand-sewed on the felt patch with the bee on it and sewed a nice vintage button I had on. 

Ribbon to attach Scissors and Fine Needles.

 After all that, I sat back and admired it (while dishes remained undone and clothes piled up unfolded!) and realized I needed a couple more features. I added a strip of ribbon on the inside of the front cover to tie a small pair of folding scissors...

Back Pocket for Needle Packets.

 I also added a felt pocket at the back to hold the few packets of needles I have as well as a knitting needle size gauge that I also always carry around. I felt it was a very complete little unit now. Just what I wanted.

Felt Inner Sheets for Needles

And of course, a sheet of felt to hold loose needles. 

I like this but I wanted to make something a bit smaller that I could give away as gifts. Something that allowed a bit of creativity but didn't take quite as long as the Bee patch on the first case.

This is what I came up with.

Little Needle Case Shut

 It's a little folded needle case. Really sweet and cute! The fabric part was cut out in one piece with interfacing ironed to it to stiffen it a little.

Little Needle Case Open

On the inside I used two pieces of felt because I wanted to match some of the colours of the outer fabric and I didn't have a piece big enough. I hand sewed everything with fine white crochet cotton so the felt and the fabric are kind of quilted to each other. I sewed two pieces of felt in the centre for needles. I also covered the press-studs with scraps of fabric to make them look neater.

Little Needle Case Face

I sewed the felt flower on the fabric before I sewed anything else to it so the stitching wouldn't show on the inside. And to join the two fabrics I sewed bias binding around the edges. It was really a very neat little design! If I did it again I think I'd copy out the main template on cardboard and use that to trace the pattern onto the fabric required. There are things I'd change and elements that need a bit of fine tuning but over all I really like it! I might even get out the sewing machine and try and work out the tension problem...bit of a task since I think I've lost the manual...of course!

Okay, I think that's it so far. See you all later :)

Dx