Merry Maker Needle Books

Stitch Up Some Holiday Cheer!

Greetings, friends! You are visiting on a great day, as it is new Therm O Web tutorial day—and I'm absolutely delighted to share a festive project that will make your holiday season sparkle with handmade joy. If you’re searching for a thoughtful, creative gift that’s as practical as it is charming, you’re in the right place!

With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to dive into a project that celebrates the magic of giving. These Merry Maker Needle Books are small in size but big on personality—and they’re ideal for the crafters, sewists, and needleworkers on your list. Whether you keep it simple or go all out with embellishments, each needle book is a little treasure waiting to be gifted.

Imagine pairing one of these beauties with a pair of embroidery scissors, a bundle of needles, or even a gift card tucked inside. It’s a heartfelt way to say, “I made this just for you.” Plus, this project is beginner-friendly and perfect for using up those fabric scraps and bits of wool felt you’ve been saving for something special.

Find the Merry Maker Needle Book Tutorial on the Therm O Web Blog: https://blog.thermoweb.com/merry-maker-needle-books/

What You’ll Need (contains affiliate links to help keep this blog ad-free; thank you for shopping from my links):

• HeatnBond Lite EZ-Print Iron-On Adhesive Sheets – 1 sheet
• HeatnBond Medium Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing – 2 pieces (6½” x 4½”)
• HeatnBond Fusible Fleece – 1 piece (6” x 4”)
• HeatnBond Fabric Fuse PeelnStick Fabric Adhesive Tape, 5/8” – 1 piece (3”)
• Cotton Fabric (models use a selection of Poppie’s Basics from Poppie Cotton)
• 2 pieces (6½” x 4½”) for cover and lining
• 1 piece (6½” x 4½”) for inside pocket
• Scraps for appliqué shapes
• Wool Felt – 1 piece (5” x 3”) plus optional scraps for embellishment (models use Wool Blend Felt from Benzie Design)
• Baker’s Twine, Ribbon, or Twill Tape – 2 pieces (9” each)
• Embellishments – buttons, sequins, charms, bells, tiny candy canes
• Basic Tools – small sharp scissors, embroidery needle, marking pencil, coordinating thread, iron, wonder clips or pins
• Appliqué Templates found on the Therm O Web Blog 

Find an Amazon shopping list with items used in this project in my Amazon Shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/brdgirl 

Why You’ll Love This Project

🎄Quick and beginner-friendly 

🐦Perfect for holiday gifting

🎅Endless customization options

🩷Great way to use up scraps and trims

Thank you for joining me for this merry little adventure! I hope these Merry Maker Needle Books inspire you to stitch up some joy this season. They’re quick, delightful, and endlessly customizable—perfect for heartfelt holiday giving.

If you are ready to try your hand at making one (or ten!), you can find the tutorial on the Therm O Web Blog: https://blog.thermoweb.com/merry-maker-needle-books/

Tuck in a pair of scissors, a bundle of needles, or a few festive pins, and you’ll have a gift that’s sure to make spirits bright. If you share your creations, tag me—I’d love to celebrate your makes and cheer you on!

Wishing you a holiday filled with handmade happiness, cozy moments, and plenty of creative cheer.

Unicorn Dreams Fabric Tour

Hello, friends—happy Monday!

I’m so excited to welcome you to my stop on the Poppie Cotton Unicorn Dreams Fabric Tour! Thank you so much for stopping by—it’s always delightful to visit with you.

Today, I’m absolutely thrilled to share three special pieces I created with the brand-new Unicorn Dreams Collection by Ginger Deverell for Poppie Cotton. The moment I saw these whimsical prints, my imagination took off — I couldn’t wait to start designing and playing in my studio. Each fabric in this enchanting collection feels like a storybook come to life, and it inspired me to create projects full of color, texture, and a little bit of magic.

🦄 About the Collection

Shipping to quilt shops this month, the Unicorn Dreams Collection is an enchanting line brimming with charm. Think unicorns, butterflies, bunnies, birds, bugs, and gorgeous florals—all wrapped in a gentle palette of soft greens, pale peaches, and buttery yellows.

It’s the perfect blend of magical and mystical — a true daydream in fabric form — and I had so much fun bringing these prints to life in my studio!

🦄 Project 1: Sweet Sewing Book

First up is my Sweet Sewing Book, one of my original designs — the pattern is available in both paper and digital format in my Etsy shop.

This charming Sewing Portfolio/Needlebook/Stitching Organizer is as practical as it is pretty! The cover is foundation pieced, giving it structure and personality and it measures 8.5" W x 6.5" H when closed (17" W x 6.5" H when open). A button and elastic closure keeps everything neatly contained, while multiple pockets, a twill tape tie for scissors, and wool felt needlebook pages — featuring fussy-cut fabric motifs — make it the perfect companion for hand sewing or travel stitching. I finished it off with binding cut from Country Confetti (a Poppie Cotton Basic), which frames the design and adds a polished touch.

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/4303974342
Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/4303984363

🦄 Project 2: Joyful Journal Jacket

Next is my Joyful Journal Jacket, another of my original designs — the pattern is available in both paper and digital format in my Etsy shop.

This quilted journal cover is designed to fit a standard composition notebook (9 ¾" x 7 ½"), making it perfect for jotting down project notes, sketches, or creative ideas. The Velcro closure keeps your notebook secure, and I embellished it with flowers and leaves cut from 100% wool felt (Bellwether Felt from Benzie Design) and accented with a button center. I added coordinating ½” hand-dyed rick rack from Lady Dot Creates between the patchwork and focal fabric for an extra pop of texture and charm. This cheerful cover turns an ordinary notebook into something truly special — a joy to make and to use!

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1232489096
Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/928107884

🦄 Project 3: Patchwork Pencil Bag

To complete the set, I created a Patchwork Pencil Bag — a coordinating companion piece to my Joyful Journal Jacket. There’s no pattern for this one; I simply wanted a pencil pouch to match! It features rounded corners for a soft, finished look and a coordinated zipper pull for a touch of extra detail. The bag measures 10" W x 4" H, making it just the right size for storing pens, pencils, small tools, or sewing notions.

💭 Which project is your favorite? I’d love to hear what inspires you most—whether it’s the whimsical prints, the creative details, or the joy of stitching something handmade!

I hope my stop on the Unicorn Dreams Fabric Tour has sparked your creativity. Be sure to visit the Poppie Cotton Blog and follow them on social media for even more inspiration using this gorgeous collection.

Bringing the Unicorn Dreams fabrics to life through these coordinating designs has been an absolute delight. From the Sweet Sewing Book to the Joyful Journal Jacket and Patchwork Pencil Bag, each project highlights the gentle palette and charming motifs of this collection. I love how these three coordinating projects came together, and I hope they inspire you to make something magical of your own. Keep an eye out for Unicorn Dreams arriving soon in your favorite quilt shops, and find the featured patterns (and many more) in my Etsy shop.

Thank you so much for visiting today—I truly appreciate your support and enthusiasm. I can’t wait to share what’s next. Until then, happy sewing & stitching, friends. 🧵💖

Sweet Sewing Book

Greetings friends! It's NEW pattern day...so let's talk about my Sweet Sewing Book. It all started just playing around in my Studio in March...I was working with the Wildwood Dwellings Fabric Collection from Poppie Cotton and I wanted to show off the detailed motifs. I decided to create a log cabin quilt block that would work for a large needlebook cover and show off a fussy cut motif in the center. The project grew from there, adding several pockets and embellishments...and my Sweet Sewing Book was born. I shared photos and a video of it during the Wildwood Dwellings Fabric Tour and the response was so great, I decided to write a pattern.

My Sweet Sewing Book measures 8.5" W x 6.5" H when closed and 17" W x 6.5" H when open. It has a plethora of specially designed pocket to hold all sorts of hand stitching tools. It has wool blend felt needlebook pages for needles, pins, and a needle minder...and a pocket with ties for embroidery scissors. The largest pocket holds a Nurge Extra Small Square Embroidery Hoop. Dividers in the left side pocket are designed to hold embroidery scissors, a pack of needles, a Stitch Starter Ruler, and a pencil or seam ripper...and there is a hidden pocket behind the largest pocket. A triangular pocket holds thread bobbins or spools or any small tool needed close at hand.

A shank button and elastic provide a secure closure for the book and I enjoyed searching through my vintage buttons for the perfect match. For the models, I used a Goody Colored Hair Elastic to coordinate with the fabrics, but a regular piece of elastic would work just fine. I used Wool Blend Felt from Benzie Design for the needlebook pages and Hand-Dyed Twill Tape from Lady Dot Creates for the scissor ties. If you want to add the sweetest pins, as I did, you must check out Puntini Puntini - they are my favorites! I also used fussy cut motifs from my fabric choices to embellish the inside front cover and needlebook pages.

To give my Sweet Sewing Book softness and stability, I used HeatnBond Fusible Fleece, adhesives, and Stabilizers. The Fusible Fleece makes the cover soft and perfect for quilting. HeatnBond Craft Extra Firm Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing gives the lining stability and strength to hold the pockets. All of the pockets are strengthened with HeatnBond Medium Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing. I used HeatnBond Lite Fusible Adhesive to add the fussy cut fabric embellishments, then stitched them in place.

The pattern is extremely detailed with foundation blocks provided for the cover and I even include instructions for foundation piecing. The pattern is 15 pages and full of color images and photos for every step. You can find it in both paper and/or digital format in my Etsy Shop.

Sweet Sewing Book Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/4303984363
Sweet Sewing Book Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/4303974342

Here are photos of the original Sweet Sewing Book, using the Wildwood Dwellings Fabric Collection...and you can visit my YouTube Channel for a video tour: https://youtube.com/shorts/So5FGt-2xfM?si=hpujO6eTllbciGC4

...and here are photos using the House and Home Fabric Collection by Michal Marco for Poppie Cotton...

I hope this new pattern inspires you to create a Sweet Sewing Book of your very own or as a gift for a very special friend...and if you do, I hope you will share a photo or two with me!

Studio Snippets

Greetings friends! My studio has been a buzz since we returned from the Dominican Republic and my sewing machine has been humming along. I am back today to show some of my latest needlework finishing projects (the ones I can/have permission to show). I am headed up to northern Illinois to visit my mom and second dad next week and when I return, I am on jury duty...so, I am doing my best to get all the customer orders I have on hand completed. I have some special projects that need my attention upon my return and patterns to write - I'm just trying to find a balance and fill my time with happy, creative work. I'll keep the chatting to a minimum today and let the photos do the talking. These are not my stitching or my designs, just my finishing work - I will post the designer details I have with each image. These projects are from two different stitchers/clients.

Mountain Cabin by Lucy Beam Love in Stitches
Quilted Wall Hanging

Love 2 Stitch (Love Bits) by Hinzeit (Needlebook Outside)

Love 2 Stitch (Love Bits) by Hinzeit (Needlebook Inside)

Serial Bowl Collection - Sampler Lessons - Lesson One
by Plum Street Samplers
Bowl Filler/Pin Pillow

Merry Olde Christmas by Notforgotten Farm
Quilted Finish for an Ackworth Mini Quilt Stand

Autumn Quaker by Primrose Cottage Stitches
Quilted Finish for an Ackworth Mini Quilt Stand

Friendship Quilt by Told in a Garden (Needlebook Outside)

Friendship Quilt by Told in a Garden (Needlebook Inside)

A Christmas Pin Pillow by Kathy Barrick
Bowl Filler/Pin Pillow

Thanks for visiting today - I hope you are inspired to create something special. I am signing off to finish a few more tasks (we are still on the dreaded night schedule, so I am writing this at 1:10 AM) - I still have a pile of Christmas ornaments to finish that are calling my name. I will be working on my June projects for Poppie Cotton and Therm O Web this weekend, before taking time off to visit my family next week. So many projects, not enough time! I look forward to visiting with you again soon...

Stitching, Sewing, Creating!

Greeting friends - happy holiday weekend! The summer has flown by, as the last couple months have been a whirlwind. We are still on a "night schedule" in our household, which continues to make life interesting. I have had a very hard time adjusting, but there are far less interruptions when I am working from 7:00 PM - 5:00 AM. I have been catching up on needlework finishing and custom orders that are long overdue, getting quite a few special project bags sewn for my Etsy Shop, and working on lots of fun projects for Therm O Web and Poppie Cotton. I have a list of new patterns (quilting and cross stitch) that I will be working on in a couple weeks. I am making a trip to Illinois to visit my momma and second dad in a week and I have a very long list to complete beforehand...then some pattern writing upon my return...design work brings me the most joy and is my favorite part of my job, so I am looking forward to taking the time work on some original designs. Today's photos are a look at some of the needlework finishing I have been completing for customers (not my stitching, just my finishing), a custom retreat mat that I created for a client, and project bags I have been sewing for my Etsy Shop (all created from my coveted/vast collection of vintage Blackbird Designs sampler fabrics).

Stoneware Bunny - Priscilla’s Pocket - finished with my signature
pillow finish.

May Peace be your Gift - Needlework Press - finished with my
signature pillow finish

Bluebird Boarding House - Blue Ribbon Designs (that’s me!) - finished
 as a mini quilt to fit a small stand.

Patriot Shield - Notforgotten Farm - finished as a mini quilt to fit a
small stand.

Quirky Quaker Queen Bee - Darling & Whimsy - finished as a quilted
needlebook with pockets.

Autumn Rules - Primrose Cottage Stitches - finished as a quilted wall
hanging.

Bundled Up Birdie - Blue Ribbon Designs (that’s me!) - finished as
a flat-finished ornament with two-tone twisted cord.

Sunshine and Shadow - The Prairie Schooler (Book No. 11) - finished as
 a 16” pillow.

 “Season 2 - A Year of Celebration Continues” - Hands On Design -
finished as ornaments with hangers.

Quilted Retreat Mat

A note about the special sampler fabric project bags shown below:
These are VERY limited BBD sampler fabric project bags - they are made from vintage Blackbird Designs fabric…these extremely limited signature project bags are custom cut to showcase the samplers printed on the fabrics and are only listed in my Etsy Shop…see listings, when available for size and details. These sell very quickly, so if you are looking for one (or more!), keep an eye on my social media and Etsy Shop. I am working through stacks of yardage, one specific print at a time - when the particular bags in each photo are gone, they are gone - I have used every scrap I have before posting. While I adore these fabrics and have saved them for personal sewing, I have realized there is no way I will ever have enough time to sew for myself...so, I decided to share the wealth and create for my shop. I am working from my vast BBD vintage sampler fabric collection and will add special bags each week until it is gone. I do not take advance orders (creating/sewing these bags brings me joy, taking orders steals my joy and adds quite a bit of time/stress to the process).

Thanks for visiting today - I hope you are inspired to create something special. I am signing off to finish a few more tasks, run an errand with my husband...then we have a neighborhood gathering this evening. I will be working on my September projects for Poppie Cotton and Therm O Web this next week, before taking a week off to visit my family. So many projects, not enough time! I look forward to visiting with you again soon...