Button Card Needlebook Tutorial

The only bright side to being stuck indoors during these crazy days of social distancing is that there's a lot more time for everyone to sew. That's why I've decided to take some of the patterns I've written over the last year for Carnival of Patchwork and publish about one a week on the blog as free tutorials over the next month or so. Hopefully this will give you something to look forward to and enjoy!

These Button Card Needlebooks are first on my list of quick, fun projects to share with you. I adore vintage button cards -- not just for the artwork on the cards but for the buttons themselves. They’re like miniature works of art, and I love looking at them. What better way to remember these gorgeous sewing notions from the past than with a cute little patchwork needlebook. Forgive my poorly lit photos today. It's been pouring rain all day, and I probably should have waited for the sun that's coming next week, but I wanted to get this tutorial out to you all as soon as possible!

Because you’re working with such small pieces for the cover art, this is a great place to let your fussy cutting skills shine. Try doing an online search for vintage button cards to get ideas for how you want to design your own. Illustrations are perfect for the feature print at the top, and I like to use narrow stripes on either side of the text scrap at the bottom to draw the eye to the words. You can use any number of buttons you like in any formation as long as they fit inside the solid square. Linen and canvas prints will work just as well as quilting cotton. The cover of the middle book above is made with pieces from my linen and canvas stash, and I love the added texture those substrates bring to the piece.

I used wool for the pages inside my books, but felt will work just as well if that's what you have on hand. These strawberry pins, by the way, are from my friend Vickie who sells the cutest notions in her Etsy shop. It's funny to me how these are called needlebooks, but I always want to fill them full of cute pins instead...

Alright, let's get to sewing!

Button Card Needlebook Tutorial

Finished Size: 3" x 5 1/4"

From scrap of feature print, cut: 

- (1) rectangle, 3’’ x 2’’ for front cover (A)

From scrap of coordinating solid, cut: 

- (1) rectangle, 3’’ x 3’’ for front cover (B)

From scrap of text print, cut: 

- (1) rectangle, 2’’ x 1’’ for front cover (C)

From scrap of striped print, cut:

- (2) squares, 1’’ x 1’’ for front cover (D)

From 5’’ square of white solid, cut:

- 2 rectangles, 3/4’’ x 5’’ for front cover border (E)

- 2 rectangles, 3 1/2’’ x 3/4’’ for front cover border (F)

From 10’’ square of geometric print, cut:

- (1) rectangle, 3 1/2’’ x 6’’ for back cover (G)

From 1/4 yard of batting, cut:

- (1) rectangle, 4 1/2’’ x 12’’ for interfacing (H)

From 10’’ square of floral print, cut:

- (2) rectangles, 3 1/2’’ x 5 3/4’’ for lining (I)

From 5’’ square of wool, cut:

- (2) rectangles, 2 1/2’’ x 5’’ for pages (J)

Additional Supplies: matching thread, binding clips, chopstick or turning tool, adhesive basting spray, buttons

1. Arrange pieces A-F as shown. 

2. Sew a D square to the right and left edges of the C rectangle. Sew this unit to the lower edge of the B square and then sew that unit to the lower edge of the A rectangle. 

3. Sew the E rectangles to the right and left edges of the unit from step 2, and then sew the F rectangles to the upper and lower edges. 

4. Sew a short end of the G rectangle to the upper edge of the unit from step 3. Use adhesive basting spray to fuse the wrong side of the cover to the center of the H rectangle. Quilt as desired and trim off excess batting to make a 3 1/2’’ x 11’’ rectangle.

5. Arrange buttons as desired on the solid square on the cover. Use needle and thread to sew the buttons on by hand or wait until after step 10. (The timing of when to sew the buttons onto the front is up to you. If you don’t want your stitches to show on the inside of the book, then add them as your last step when you finish sewing the cover. If you’re more concerned about having an easier time turning the book right side out and pressing it, then save the buttons to the very end. You can always cover the stitches over with something fun like this iron-on fabric stamp that my friend Cheri made for me!)

6. Stack the two J rectangles on top of each other and baste them together at one short end.

7. Stack in this order from bottom to top: I rectangle (right side up), J rectangles, I rectangle (right side down). Align all pieces at the upper edge where the J rectangles are basted together and sew them together along that edge. 

8. Open up the lining so that it lies flat and place it RST with the cover, holding them together with binding clips. Sew all the way around the outside edge, leaving a 3’’ gap in the side on what will be the back cover. Backstitch at the start and finish. Trim the corners.

9. Carefully turn the needlebook right side out through the gap, gently pushing out the corners with a chopstick. Tuck the raw edges of the gap into the opening and press the book while open and flat. 

10. Topstitch around the outside of the book 1/16’’ from the edge. Close the book and press one more time. If you waited to add the buttons, sew them on now to finish.

If you sew one of these, be sure to share photos with the hashtag #buttoncardneedlebook and tag me @fabricmutt. These look so adorable in a sewing space, and I think they make a pretty sweet gift for a friend too!

Incidentally, I posted a video on Instagram giving a few tips on surviving the quarantine with your kids at home. If you're not on IG, you can see it here. You'll get a tour of our homeschool setup, a few ideas for maintaining your sanity in a packed house, and a peek at my overflowing bookshelves in the upstairs hall. Let me know if you have any questions about anything I talked about. I'm always here and happy to help!

Cross Stitch Quilt Block & Pillow Tutorials

I have a million memories from my childhood of watching my mother with a piece of cross stitch in her hands. Her handmade pictures were all over our house, and I remember sitting at the breakfast table when I was a little girl, studying them thoughtfully while I ate my cereal in the mornings. Those same pictures are now hanging in our breakfast nook where my daughters start the day, such a wonderful way to carry on that legacy.

For a long time now, I've been wanting to do a cross stitch quilt block, and when I was working on my book proposal last year, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it. The quilt blocks in this pillow look like a row of patchwork cross stitches to me, and I love that they remind me of my mother every time I see them. 

Incidentally, I've decided that all the projects and information that I share with you here on the blog that would have gone into that next book are going to be tagged under the label "Carnival of Patchwork." Hopefully that will help you find it in the search box on the left if you're looking for anything from this series!

This little block is so much fun to sew, and I love that it looks great in every project where I've used it. My first pattern was the patchwork pillow at the top of this post which I hand quilted. I love this one so much that it sits in a place of honor on my bed where I can look at it every day.

My next attempt was a zipper pouch that I made in shades of pink, yellow, aqua, and white. It's interesting to me how the look of the block changes without the sashing strips in between. I honestly can't decide which style I like better at this point.

And just to show that I could make something using only one block, I turned this one into a little pincushion. I didn't actually plan for the H to land at the top, but I think it was meant to be!

Those numbers running along the lower edge are so much fun. I added 1" borders to the block and then finished it using the directions for my Tagalong Pincushion pattern in Patchwork USA. Feel free to do the same!

I wanted to share the tutorial with you so that you can play with this block in any number of projects that you can dream up. Here's how you make one...

Cross-Stitch Quilt Block

Finished size: 2" x 2"

From a 5" square of a colored print, cut:

(1) rectangle, 1 1/4" x 3 3/4" (A)

(2) rectangles, 1 1/4" x 1 3/4" (B)

From a 5" square of low volume print, cut:

(4) squares, 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" (C)

1. Arrange the pieces for a single block as shown. Sew the C squares to either side of the B rectangles (the B rectangle will extend slightly beyond the C squares). Press seams open.

2. Center a B/C unit on one long side of the A rectangle and sew in place (the A rectangle will extend slightly beyond the B/C unit). Repeat on the other side of the A rectangle with the other B/C unit. Press seams open.

3. Using a ruler and rotary cutter, rotate the block so that it forms an X shape. Centering the block, carefully trim to a 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” square.

I know that some of you can take those directions and run with them all over the place, but if you're looking for set of directions for a finished project, here are the instructions for the Cross Stitch Patchwork Pillow.

Cross-Stitch Patchwork Pillow

Finished size: 12" x 16"

From (24) 5’’ squares of colored prints, cut from each print:

- (1) rectangle, 1 1/4” x 3 3/4’’ (A) 

- (2) rectangles, 1 1/4” x 1 3/4’’ (B)

From (24) 5’’ squares of low volume prints, cut from each print:

- (4) squares, 1 1/2’’ x 1 1/2’’ (C)

From 1/3 yard white solid, cut…

- (16) rectangles, 1’’ x 2 1/2’’ (D)

- (3) rectangles, 12 1/2’’ x 1’’ (E)

- (2) rectangles, 2 1/2’’ x 10’’ (F)

- (2) rectangles, 16 1/2’’ x 1 3/4’’ (G)

From 1/2 yard batting, cut:

- (1) rectangle, 18’’ x 15’’ (H)

From 1/2 yard muslin, cut:

- (1) rectangle, 18’’ x 15’’ (I)

From 1/2 yard red gingham, cut 2 rectangles, 13’’ x 12 1/2’’ (J)

Additional Supplies: matching thread, binding clips, chopstick/turning tool

1. Sort the pieces for each block into 24 stacks. Each stack should include 1 A rectangle and 2 B rectangles from a single colored print and 4 C squares from a single low volume print.

2. Arrange the pieces for a single block as shown in the quilt block diagram above. Sew the C squares to either side of the B rectangles (the B rectangle will extend slightly beyond the C squares). Press seams open.

3. Center a B/C unit on one long side of the A rectangle and sew in place (the A rectangle will extend slightly beyond the B/C unit). Repeat on the other side of the A rectangle with the other B/C unit. Press seams open.

4. Using a ruler and rotary cutter, rotate the block so that it forms an X shape. Centering the block, carefully trim to a 2 1/2” x 2 1/2” square.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 with the pieces for the remaining 23 blocks. 

6. Arrange the quilt blocks, D rectangles, and E rectangles as shown above. Sew the blocks and D pieces together in rows. Then sew the rows and E pieces together to form the pillow top.

7. Sew the F rectangles to the right and left edges of the pillow top. Sew the G rectangles to the upper and lower edges. 

8. Stack in this order from bottom to top: I rectangle, H rectangle, pillow top (right side up). Use adhesive basting spray to fuse them together and quilt as desired.

9. Fold a 12 1/2’’ end of an J piece under (toward the wrong side) approximately 3/8’’ twice. Topstitch 1/4’’ from the fold. Repeat with the other J piece.

10. Finish the pillow by placing the each of the backing pieces from step 9 right sides together with the pillow top. The hemmed edges should point toward the center, overlapping each other, and the opposite raw edges should line up with the shorter right and left sides of the pillow top. (See the directions for the Road Trip Pillow on page 44 in my book Patchwork USA if you need to see diagrams that explain this more thoroughly.) Hold them together with binding clips, and then sew all around the outside edge. Trim the corners, turn the pillow cover right side out, gently push out the corners with a chopstick, and press.

If you make one of these, be sure to tag it #fabricmuttcrossstitchblock or #crossstitchpatchworkpillow and tag me @fabricmutt. I'm hoping at some point to start on a quilt with this pattern -- maybe making the blocks twice as big so it won't take me quite as long to finish. We'll see...

Have fun!