About 90% of my sewing time these days is spent on secret things, and most of that has lately been spent on samples for my next book. Each book is its own wonderful journey, but sometimes I need a break from it to refresh my mind and get inspired again. Thankfully, I had signed up months ago to be on the Love Letters fabric tour for my friend Lindsay of The Cottage Mama, and I can't tell you how glad I am that I did!
This fabric is exactly what I needed in my life. I love it so much. How much, you ask? So much that it might just be my favorite Riley Blake collection from all of 2019. The vintage Valentine card illustrations stole my heart immediately, but the supporting prints are just as good. So many cute details are in there like heart stamped envelopes, tic-tac-toe games, and blank postage labels. It makes my vintage loving heart happier than I can say...
My friend Cheri recently released her Tinkandstitch Needlebook pattern which makes the cutest little sewing kit, so I thought I would put the two together to make something adorable that I can use all the time. It's a great pattern for customizing, as Cheri has shown by sharing so many adorable versions of the needlebook on her Instagram account here.
I used a bit of red RBD wool for my needle pennant (decorated with some of Lori Holt's buttons and a few adorable donut pins from my friend Vicki at The Cherry Chick) and added a fabric stamp on one side of the inner pocket with some embroidered postage meter lines on the side. A bit of elastic paired with a vintage white button that belonged to my grandmother makes the perfect closure, and I absolutely love that red, white, and blue stripe for the binding and the faux washi tape on the inside.
This project was so much fun, and I'm thrilled to now have this beautiful little needlebook to use as I go back to the secret sewing on my table. This, I remind myself every time I look at it, is why I love to sew.