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How to Finishings (instructions)

Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 7:23 pm
by Rose
We always seem to need help with ideas about how to finish off thinks like cards, bookmarks, ATC cards and things like that. I thought it would be nice to have a thread were all of the ideas are in one place so easy to access.

A small explaination and a picture of how it looks would be great.


Please add your ideas all are welcome!!!!!

Re: Finishings

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:35 am
by kell
ATC on perforated paper:
Stitched on 2 pieces perforated paper cut to ATC size. The front is stithced with the design, the reverse is stitched with the details. The front and back are whip-stitched or blanket-stitched together, back to back.
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Card stitched entirely on perforated paper:
Designs and greeting both stitched on perforated paper. Front and back are both backed with matching paper or card, leaving one column of holes free on the left-side to whip-stich or blanket-stitch the pieces together.
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Bookmark backed with self-adhesive felt:
Bookmark stitched on fabric, edges frayed and tassle added, then backed with a piece of self-adhesive felt cut to size of where the fraying starts.
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Re: Finishings

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:53 pm
by Rose
Here is a tutorial for the blanket stitch. I was going to do this for a card and then changed my mind but I kept the tutorial in case I needed it for something else.

http://primrosedesign.blogspot.com/2006 ... titch.html" target="_blank

Re: Finishings

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:48 am
by Kute Kitty
I've just finished a mobile phone pouch, the idea could easily be adapted for an MP3 player or anything along those lines - I've posted up a full tutorial with pictures documenting how I did it here.

Re: Finishings

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:41 pm
by mags
Just posted this elsewhere but thought it would also fit nicely here.
Great list of tutorials:
http://focusonfinishing.wordpress.com/tutorial-links/" target="_blank

Re: Finishings

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 11:32 am
by agi
A site I have just found with a lot of tutorials and finishing ideas, some totally new to me.

Re: Finishings

Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 3:51 am
by Zeb
Two types of finishing that I've tried...

Needlebook with felt and blanket stitch:

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Flat fold ornament with whip stitched edging and clustered beaded corners and around ribbon:

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Book cover

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:00 pm
by Mabel Figworthy
Rose aske me to move this here from its own thread

When I wanted to turn my two Lvivs into a Bible cover, I couldn't find a template or instructions, so I got to work myself. I'll post a few pictures here in case anyone else would like to try.

Step 1:
Measure the front, back and spine of your book and draw a rectangle on some paper (this is just as a diagram) with the measurements. Then add (depending on the size of the book) 1-1/2 to 3" to the right-hand and left-hand side as "flaps".
Now work out the overall size of the rectangle including flaps, and work out how many threads this is on your fabric.
For example, if the book is 8" x 5" and the spine is 2" wide, the "book-rectangle" would be 8" x 12"; then add 2" either side for the flap, and your final rectangle is 8" x 16".

Work out where on the cover your stitching has to end up, and then backstitch a rectangle of the size you have calculated around your stitching. (Because I used two pieces of stitching I had to do two "half" rectangles and whipstitch the two together so they made one big rectangle; that's what you see in the picture)

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Now trim the fabric to about 1/2" from the backstitch:

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Here's the back, to show you how the two bits of fabric were connected (using whipstitch) -- if you are better organised than me :-) and work with one piece of fabric, you can ignore this pic.

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Fold over the edges and press with an iron. Reinforce the spine and the flaps with iron-on interfacing. Stitck the top and bottom hems down with fusible hem stuff (double-sided interfacing, basically).

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Fold over the front flap and whipstitch first the top and then the bottom: using the same sort of thread you used for the backstitch, bring your needle up between the two backstitches on either side of the fold, then take your needle underneath the first stitch on the "flap side" and the first stitch on the "book side". You only go underneath the stitches, you don't take the needle through the fabric. Go on taking your needle underneath the next backstitch on the flap side and its opposite number on the book side until the flap is fully connected.
Do the back flap in the same way.

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Now insert the book.

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Not easy to explain -- do ask if anything (or the whole thing :-)) is unclear!

Re: Finishings

Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 11:44 am
by Mabel Figworthy
Angela Richardson who taught the Japanese Folded pouch workshop at Ally Pally said I could share the technique with you as long as I didn't use her notes and illustrations, and acknowledged her as the designer. So I wrote instructions and made illustrations, and you can download them here.

Oh, here's a pic of the one I made at the workshop (not quite finished, it needs another rose and buttons/ribbons for fastening). The instructions are for the pouch alone, not the ribbon roses -- you can add whatever decoration you like to it :-)!

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Re: Finishings

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 1:26 pm
by Fizzbw
I've done a couple of projects like this:

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I've put them on mounting board with 4oz wadding and then stitched buttons and/or charms on to the ribbon around the edge, I've actually stitched through the mounting board but maybe it could be done without that! I think it would work just as well with a bit of interfacing on the back instead of board to make more of a hanger.

I've used a selection of buttons, and in the first one I've used buttons with emotional attachments as well to make it even more personal.

Hope you like :D

Niki x

Re: Finishings

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:32 pm
by Mabel Figworthy
Pen Holder (click on pics for bigger versions)

For a project with stitched size approx. 9cm x 9xm

- Cut the cardboard tube from a kitchen roll down to 13.5cm. Cut a circle of cardboard the same diameter as the tube. Measure the circumference of the tube (this will be about 16.5 cm).

- On one end of the tube, make 1.5cm cuts about 1cm apart, and fold them in. Put double sided tape on them, and then stick the cardboard circle to them to make the bottom. The basic pen holder is now done, and stands 12cm high. Depending on the length of your pens and pencils, you may wish to lift the bottom by inserting a 1-2cm thick circle of polystyrene; adding weight to it by means of some coins will help with stability.

- Decide on a colour for the pen holder (this will show through the cut areas of your stitching). Cut a piece of felt 12cm x 16.5cm (adjust if the circumference of your tube is different) and attach to the tube with double-sided tape (or use stitcky-back felt). The circumference is now about .5cm more.

- Cut another piece approx. 2cm x 16cm and stick it to the inside of the tube along the top edge. If you prefer not to use felt, either cover the tube in coloured paper or paint it.

- Hem your stitching with four-sided edging over 4 (on 25ct, which has 10 threads per centimeter, the long side needs to be 43 stitches / 172 threads, and the short side 31 stitches / 124 threads so that the tube will not stick out). You now have a felt-covered tube and a rectangular piece of hemmed stitching.

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- If you've used paper or paint, whipstitch the short sides of the fabric together (whipping twice in each stitch), and then slide it over the tube. if you've used felt, stitch it together directly on the tube. it wil end up looking rather like a laced corset.

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- And here is the finished article:

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Re: Finishings

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:57 pm
by little star stitches
Oh brill, what a great thread. There are some fantastic ideas here.

Mabel, you're Bible cover is beautiful. I need to make a photo album cover out of a birth sampler and wasn't quite sure how to do it, I am feeling confidant now I've seen your piccies.

I've made a cushion. I never thought to take pics in stages, but I'll try to add a little walk-through of how I did it.
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I took a thin peice of paper (so I could see the cross stitch underneath), placed it over my finished cross stitch.

I then drew a heart shape around the finished design, leaving a bit of a border between the outside of the design and the heart I had drawn.

I then cut the heart shape out and used it as a templete to draw a heat on a large peice of paper.

I then drew a much larger heart around the first heart - this was to be the size of the finished cushion + some spare for sewing together.

I cut around this large heart and used it to draw the shape onto my chosen fabric, twice. I cut out both of these hearts. As the fabric was thin, I also cut out 2 whire hearts to attach to the inside of these to make them thicker (if that makes any sense?!).

Using a sweing maching I attached the pretty white edging (I don't know the correct term for it :oops: ).

The first small paper heart templete that I made, was then used to cut a heart shape out of the front heart.

I placed my cross stitch behind the heart apature, once lined up I pinned it in place, also pinning some fabric behind as a backing.

Next step was to sew the cross stitch in place (again, using a sewing machine).
(the cross stitch is 'framed' by the fabric, it's not stuck on the front of it)

I pinned the silver edging in place, then sewed it on by hand.

Next step was to sew the back & front panels together (remember thehy both need to have the fron facing in, as you will turn it inside out later, which will make it the right way), leaving a section un-sewn, in order to add the stuffing.

Now I turned it 'inside-out', stuffed it with some wadding (taken from an old cushion), then sew the final bit up by hand.

I hope that makes sense and I will rememebr to take some step-by-step piccies next time as they are so much easier to follow than my waffle!

Re: Finishings

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:08 pm
by calico
I just found a great site with tons of ornament- making inspiration!

It's called Pinwheel Ponders
http://pinwheelponders.blogspot.com/

Re: Finishings

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:36 am
by Rose
I have found a different way to finish a project on to a 3 ring binder. In the US we have these binder that have a pocket on the front so that you can place a paper in to give your presentation a pretty cover. If you buy one of those binder the front pocket is big enough to slip a stitched project into. I know this is a very simple idea but it may give some of you an idea to use some of your projectsas gifts it would make a very sweet gift for a student going off to school or a business person who needs binders for office work.

The one I did was a 7X9 binder but you can use the 8X12 or whatever size your local office supply store would stock.

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Re: How to Finishings (instructions)

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:51 pm
by Rose
I did this a few years ago but I thought I would add this to the tutorial section.
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Materials needed
1)Finished Stitched Project
2)Complimenting Fabric & ribbon or lace for edging
3)Candy/Candle Jar....jar can be square or round

Begin by measuring the outside dimensions of the jar to be covered. Decide how much of the finished designs fabric you want to use. On my design since I had a square container I decided I wanted only the one side to be coverd by the aida. the other 3 sides I wanted coverd with the cotton I used as a complimenting fabric. remember to add in the size of the seam to calculate how much fabric you will need. (ie...if you are going to us a 1/4 inch seam then you need to add 1/4 inch to both sides of the stitched fabric and 1/4 inch to both sides of the complimenting fabric)
With right sides together sew one side of the fabrics together. Lay flat and iron the seam. Fold the top and bottom edges of the fabrics down and iron for a hemmed seam, carefully sew the seam. If you are going to add ribbon or lace you need to sew those on at this time as well. Again with right sides of fabric together sew the second seam, iron the seam flat. Turn the tube that you have made right side out. Carefully slip the tube over the outside edged of the container to be covered, and slowly slide the fabric down to the bottom edge of the container.

Sorry I did not take more pictures during this assembly but hopefully I have explained it well enough to follow.

Re: How to Finishings (instructions)

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:40 pm
by Rose
So I just finished the bag that I made for the little girls and I tried to remember to take pictures as I went along. I did ok but not got as many as I probably should have.

Any way here goes

Once your stitching is finished wash and iron you stitched fabric. Pick a complimentary fabric for the lining. You should was and iron this material as well.
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Gather together your stitching, the lining material, a ruller, rotar cutter or scissors, bindding for the edge. I use the 3 fold binding as it is the best for me and I used the 1/2 inch finished width. But you may find the 1 inch easier to work with. I just used what I had on hand. Lace and thread. Also a cutting mat
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Oh I forgot the most important accessory......
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Now that you have the proper supervision.... Lay out your material and cut the lining to the same size as the stitched fabric.
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*If you are gong to hide the handles inside the seam then you will need to sew them at this time and get them read to place between the fabrics.
If you choose to leave then on the outside as I did you can proceed with my instruction as follows. Place the 2 fabrics right sides together(*place the handles on the inside of the fabric and pin in place) Sew the ends of the bags together.
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Turn the fabric right side out and iron the sewn edges
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* Cut the fabric for the handles. On the other bags I did I had enough fabric leftover to sew the fabric in half and use those for handles but this pattern was larger and so the handles will be 2 part one of aida from the stitched side and one of cotton fabric from the lining.
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Sew along the long edge of the 2 fabrics.
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You will then need to turn the fabric right side out and iron flat. I use a wooden dowel to turn my handles
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I then placed the handes on the edge of the bab on the outside edge fron and back. I tack the handles in place with the sewing machine and I then placed the cute ribbon over the top to hide the edges of the tacked handle. (sorry I forgot to take pictures of this process until I was at this point)
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Now you need to fold the bag in half with the lining on the inside. Using the binding material. Tack it to the outside edges with pins to hold the binding in place to sew. (again I forgot to take pictures as I was going :x ) Be sure that you leave at least 1 1/2 inch of binding on each side of the starting and ending edges so you have a piece to fold over the top of the seam.

Very carefully and slowly sew the binding to the outside edge, being sure that you are catching both the front and back of the binding material.
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Finish off by folding the binding over the top seam edge and tuck inside the bag and tack down with stitches or glue. I have not found a good way to finish this part of the bag I am still experimenting.

I hope you can follow these directions and get a good result.

Re: How to Finishings (instructions)

Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 4:58 pm
by Mabel Figworthy
A student asked about storing needles so I wrote a blog post with links and pictures for the needle matchbook and a felt needle roll:

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