“Decorative Stitch Art Lace” Book Wrap

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Book Wraps are great projects to make either for yourself or to give as gifts. They are easy to make and offer the perfect opportunity to express your creative self through your use of embellishment.

This project demonstrates a technique for making fabric using Decorative Stitch “Art Lace”, and then using the resulting fabric to make a Book Wrap.

Decorative Stitch “Art Lace” is made by sewing overlapping rows of decorative stitches onto a piece of water soluble stabilizer. The soft lace pieces are intended to appear haphazardly sewn with stitches gently falling away to reveal irregular shaped holes and stitch clusters, adding a very contemporary appearance to your projects.

Supplies

• Piece of Decorative Stitch “Art Lace” (see instructions) slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap
• Fusible Peltex slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap
• Black cotton fabric slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap
• Fabric for lining slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap
• Strips of fabric in a contrasting color to your “Art Lace” fabric for border,
  - 2 @ 1½” x finished length of your Book Wrap
  - 2 @ 1½” x finished width of your book Wrap
• Fusible webbing
• Angelina fiber
• Low loft cotton batting or felt slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap
• Machine wrapped cording:
  - for “wrap-around” – 60”
  - for “decorative edging” – the finished length x 2 plus the finished width x 2
• One large decorative button
• Two large beads

Calculating the Finished Size of Your Book Wrap
Finished Height = height of book plus an extra 1”
Finished Width = width of book x 2 plus thickness of book x 2 plus an additional 8”

Step 1—Make the Decorative Stitch “Art Lace”

• Make a piece of Decorative Stitch “Art Lace” slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap.

Instructions for making Decorative Stitch “Art Lace” can be found here.

Step 2—Make a sheet of Angelina Fiber

• Make a sheet of Angelina fiber slightly larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap

Step 3—Make the Machine Wrapped Cording

• Make lengths of machine wrapped cording as per the supply list.

Step 4—Make the Decorative Stitch “Art Lace” Fabric

• Lay out the batting
• Place the black cotton fabric on top of the batting
  Note: The black fabric acts as a background for the Angelina fiber and helps to reflect the color of the fibers.
• Place the sheet of Angelina fiber on top of the fabric
• Place the “Art Lace” on top of the Angelina fiber

• Pin all layers together to hold everything in place.

• Using a free motion stipple stitch, sew all layers together.
  Tip: A metallic thread that blends with the color of your Angelina fiber will be virtually invisible which helps to showcase your lace.
• Press lightly with a warm iron.
• Trim the fabric 1” larger than the finished size of your Book Wrap.

Step 5—Fuse the Fabric to the Peltex

• Place the Decorative Stitch “Art Lace” fabric on top of the Peltex and press with a warm iron to fuse the layers together.
  Tip: Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the “Art Lace” Fabric to protect the lace.
• Place the lining on the under side of the Peltex and press with a warm iron to fuse the layers together.

Step 6—Trim to Size

• Trim all layers to the finished size of your Book Wrap.

Step 7—Prepare the Border Strips

• Iron the fusible webbing to the back of the border fabric.
• Using a rotary cutter or sharp scissors, cut a wavy edge along one side of the border pieces.

Step 8—Attach the Border

• Align the straight edge of the border strips along the edges of the Book Wrap and press with a hot iron.

• Using a decorative stitch, sew around the inner edge of the border.
• Using a satin stitch, sew all the way around the outer edges of the Book Wrap.

Step 9—Add Decorative Cording

• Align the machine wrapped cording “decorative edging” to the inner edge of the border, and using a zigzag stitch sew in place.

Step 10—Make a Side Pocket

• Make a crease 4” from one end and fold towards the inside.
• Pin in place.
• Using a zig-zag stitch, sew along the top and bottom edges to secure in place. Alternatively, hand stitch the edges in place.

Step 11—Attach “Wrap-Around” Cording

• Fold the length of cording in half.
• On the side opposite the side pocket, mark a halfway point down along the edge on the inside of the Book Wrap.
• Hand stitch the cording in place.

Step 12—Attach Button

• Attach the decorative button to the outside of the Book Wrap, in the same position as the “wrap around” cording. Make a thread shank under the button so you have room to wind the “wrap-around” cording around it.

Step 13—Finishing

• Thread the large beads through the bottom of the “wrap-around” cording and secure with a knot at either end.
• Tie some decorative knots in the cording.

• Slide the front cover of your book into the side pocket.

• Close the book and fold the Book Wrap around it.
• To secure, wind the “wrap around” cording around the book and under and around the button.

Enjoy your beautiful Book Wrap !

This technique and many others can be found on my fabulous instructional dvd Titivations. You can find it in the Instructional DVD Section of the store.