During the summer wonderful mum and I took a class at the Bead Shop Nottingham to make a needle case. I've often admired beaded needle cases but I've never made one and I didn't understand how they work.
It turns out they have a little wooden needle case inside them, like the one in the picture below. This picture shows how far I got by the end of the class.
It was peyote stitched, so the technique wasn't difficult, but it was difficult following the pattern and remembering when to use the correct beads! The pattern I followed was one made by Steph as I loved the design and colours.
A few weeks after the class I finally sat down to finish it - it only took about 20 minutes, more senseless procrastinating! All I need to do now is glue the beadwork to the tube. I have a stack of almost done projects waiting for some glue before I show you!
I've just realised I don't know how big this is. About the length of a long beading needle? Probably about 6cm/2 and a bit inches long.
This was a nice, simple, enjoyable project.
It's finally done. Remember I've been going on about a needle case I was making? #32 Lynette Anderson needle case on the humungous list? It's done. All finished.
I abandoned the rubbish making up instructions that came with the pattern and winged it. Or wung it.
My first mistake (yep, it's going to be one of those posts...) was embroidering the two panels next to each other the wrong way round. The tree was supposed to be the page cover but ended up being the front inside cover.
Mistake number two was that spine, I really messed that up. Actually, the spine is mistake 3, cutting the stitching too close to the edge was mistake 2!
Mistake 4 would be cutting the pages from felt before pressing them, meaning they are a bit misshapen and all different sizes. Oh no, hang on, that bit was a design decision!
Lots and lots of pages for different kinds of needles. My general embroidery needles will stay in the case that Katherine made for me and that I treasure.
The inside back cover is a piece of Ruby (I think) from my precious Bonnie and Camilla stash.
See how rubbish that spine is? That should count as two mistakes, mistake 1 for being rubbish and mistake 2 for being even rubbisher.
It's the wrong size! See?
BUT, it is done. Finished. Loaded with needles and sitting by my chair.
Related posts
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Second
Third
I've finally finished the embroidery on this project. I don't think I've mentioned before, but each panel is 3.5" x 4.5".
This panel is the inner back cover. I did the border in chain stitch and the rest is all back stitch.
I'm not going to follow the making up instructions - except for the scissor pocket. This is partly because they are incomprehensible, but also because I want to have plenty of pages for different kinds of needles. I used the lovely needlecase Katherine made me for my sharps, but I need somewhere to store my other kinds of needles. A piece of ribbon, some fabric ink and alphabet stamps and I had all my page labels done... now to assemble it.
You are going to get SO bored of this needle case. I seem to be working on it very slowly. I know I said I'm not sure I like the design, but I do enjoy embroidery so I'm not abandoning it - Sandra!
I finished the inside cover...
I added my name and the year, but I've put a little spool on my surname as I don't know that I want it made public. You're probably thinking "but I know your name, you've emailed me, it's your email address". It's not! That's not actually my name as those of you who've sent me parcels know...
Hee hee, that makes me sound like a spy! I'm not a spy (was that an obvious statement?). Wish I was, I think it'd be exciting... wonder if spies get time to sew on their missions...
Remember I keep saying I'll write progress posts? I am so crap at that. BUT, I do have a progress post for you today... cue the excited cheers. Oh come on, at least pretend you care!
More progress has been made on the Lynette Anderson needle case that I'm not sure I like. This is the front cover, all finished. The house was supposed to be a button but they are hideously expensive so I embroidered it instead and added in a rabbit sent to me by the lovely Sandra. OK, so the rabbit is clearly a giant rabbit, but I love all rabbits equally, giant rabbits included.
If you're thinking this is finished, you'd be wrong. I still have the two inside covers to do, then the whole thing to assemble if I can decipher the atrocious instructions.
I thought I'd show you an update on the crochet rug too. Turns out I couldn't be bothered to get it out of the bag! Soon...
