How To Create A Blue & Pink Floral & Lace Bookmark

Here’s a sweet beginners’ project courtesy of Kylie McGinnity, of Handmade Kids, and Brother – calico-based bookmarks with floral and lace decorations.

These were originally made as a Mother’s Day idea, but we figure they make a perfect small gift for anyone, anytime. And as Kylie notes, they lend themselves to being customised with cross stitch, hand stitching, felt or screen prints.

HERE’S HOW:

Materials

• Fabric for bookmark such as calico or linen
• Scraps of floral print fabric for appliqué
• Fusible web such as Heat’n Bond
• Fusible interfacing (optional)
• Matching threads
• Embellishments such as lace, buttons, beads, ribbon, pompom trim
• Brother sewing machine
• Erasable fabric-marking pen or pencil
• Scissors/rotary cutter and mat
• Ruler
• General sewing supplies

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Step 1:

Iron the fabric to remove any creases. Measure out two rectangles – 10 x 20cm (4 x 8in) on your fabric (and fusible interfacing if using). These will become the front and back of your bookmark. Cut out the rectangles, iron them flat and put one piece aside.

Step 2:

Using an erasable pencil/pen, draw out another rectangle 6cm x 16cm (21/4 x 61/4in) with rounded corners in the middle of one of the bookmark panels to become the front face and a template area for you to create your bookmark design. Mark an identical rectangle on the wrong side of the same piece to act as a stitching line in Step 4. Fuse the rectangle of interfacing to the wrong side of it (if using).

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Step 3:

Next, create your appliqué shapes. We used three different-sized hearts. Trace or draw your shapes onto the fusible web and cut them out roughly. Iron the shapes onto the back of the appliqué fabric. Cut the shapes out neatly on the lines and arrange them on the front bookmark panel to see how you would like to position them.

Remove the backing paper and iron them in place. Now you can sew around the shapes using either a straight stitch or short narrow zigzag stitch. If you’re planning to add any other embellishments, such as lace or braid, now is the time to do so. Position trim such as pompom braid as shown in the photograph so that the stitching will catch the edge of the braid.

Step 4:

Match the two panels, right sides together, and pin around the edges to hold them in place. Machine stitch around the marked rectangle outline, leaving a 4cm (11/2in) gap on one of the long sides for turning.

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Trim the corners and edges and turn the bookmark right side out through the opening. Carefully push out each corner with a blunt tool such as a wooden chopstick. Now, press the bookmark again, turning in the opening edges and flattening the corners and edges as you go.

Step 5:

Almost finished. Sew another line of straight stitch all the way around the bookmark, close to the edge. This will close the opening at the same time.

Contacts: This project was created by Kylie McGinnity, of Handmade Kids, www.handmadekids.com.au. It is just one of the tutorials provided by Brother sewing machines in its Brother Inspires section of its website. You can link through at brotherinspires.brother.com.au.