embroidery sketch book
May 18th, 2009
I am super excited about this little project: it’s an embroidery sketch book! Now that it’s springtime here in the midwest–and what a lovely spring it is, by the way–we are outside most of the day. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to knit or crochet, so the only portable project I have as a sewer is seam ripping, which is less than pleasurable. After doing a little embroidery for a quilt square I was reminded how much I like to embroider. If I came up with a real project to embroider I wouldn’t want to take it outside because it would inevitably get dropped in the sandbox or hosed down by the sprinkler, so I made a little book out of fabric and cardboard to take with me. I just cut out a piece of lightweight cardboard (from a cereal box) for the cover, making sure it was a little bigger then my smallest embroidery hoop when folded in half, so I could use the hoop for all the pages. Then I traced the cover onto some fabric (adding seam allowances), made a pocket to go across the whole thing, sewed up 3 sides, slipped the cardboard in, and sewed up the opening. Then I cut some gray and white linen for pages and sewed up the middle. Done. When I was thinking about making this sketch book, it was much more elaborate with lots of pockets and pin cushions (more like this) but in the end I wanted something I could make fast, use up, and then make again. Now we’re off to the park.
For more photos look here, and here.
I like this idea, it looks really great
Great idea!
Oh, this is brilliant! I know nothing about embroidery, but still, fun idea :)
So cute and great. I want one! But don’t you want to use/make something with your embroidery once it’s finished?
I love it. Such a gorgeous idea.
I’d not seen the original sewing book…amazing. There’s just a whole lot of loveliness at Elsie Marley.
Meg–how have I not been reading your FANTASTIC blog every day since forever? I am in love and so grateful to have found it. Plus, we are both midwesterners and plushie makers and stuff so I just feel kinship…anyway, cool blog.
I love this! I am always looking for something portable. This is fantastic:)
this is a really clever & very functional idea, i think you’ve come up with a winner!
I’d love to see what you embroider while you’re sitting at the playground! I tend to embroider the same old flowers and things…
that is an awesome idea – drawing with a needle in the park – and much less chance of dropping it. Last year I was carting around a mini penny rug – white with blue and red pennies – and dropped it into an oily puddle in a car park. heart-breaking stuff. I was only thinking the other day, I needed some kind of fabric folder to place books and stitching in – save it from oily puddles, squashed bananas, lipsticky tissues. Well done!
This is a great idea!
brilliant!
What a good idea. I like that fabric you used for the cover. My local fabric store doesn’t ever seem to stock grey.
Hi – came to you via feeling stitchy. The sketchbook looks great. I love to see sketchbooks from all sorts of artists and crafters too. I like the way this is so portable and easy to manage with the hoop and everything. Just the place to keep ideas together.
What a great idea! I like to bring needlework on the plane and though the zip-lock works, it leaves something design-wise. I also get funny looks from my co-passengers.
That’s so cute, can’t wait to see you you “sketch”!
I absolutely adore this idea!
what an absolutely fantastic idea! i always do embroidery “experiments” on extra scraps that i have but then have the hardest time keeping them organized. this is perfect!