Bear Sewing Tools

I've just finished making the sewing tools to match my new Bear Sewing Set and I am keen to share them with you! 

I've made two stitch markers with semi-precious gem beads that pick up the colours in my sewing plus a bear charm which I've painted brown with enamel paint. 

I've also made a matching laying tool and hook tool. The tools are conveniently joined by a chain. The laying tool helps to ensure that the top stitch in each cross lies flat. The hook is something that I use for all sorts of things - catching loose threads, tightening threads, pushing stuffing into awkward shapes and corners etc. 

I've added a long chain, bear charm and a tiny heart clasp to the smallest magnetic needle rest so that it can be attached to my sewing bag or magnetic pattern board. 

I've also added a shorter chain, beads and bear charm to the bigger magnetic needle rest. 

Lastly, I came across this gorgeous carved bear in agate on Ebay and I just had to have him. I've been waiting for him to arrive for a month! I've simply added some semi-precious agate beads and a lobster clasp so this fellow can act as a scissor fob, bag charm or weight for splitting threads or twisting cords! 

Bear Finishes

This is a picture of the full bear set - Sewing Bag, Thimble Purse, Pin Cushion, Case for Sewing Tools (I'll be making these next) and two Magnetic Needle Rests. This is the first time that I've finished each piece as I go instead of leaving all of the finishing to the end. It didn't stop me hating the chore but at least it broke up the chore!

Bear Bag

Regular readers will know that I've been making some stitching accessories substantially based on an LHN pattern called 'Bear Tree Forest.' I loved the bears, birds, squirrels and the forest but I wasn't too keen on the little house and snowman that made up much of the left hand side of the pattern. 

I've got a picture of a bag for bobbins hanging from a work lamp on my Pinterest board called 'Inspiration.' I decided to make something similar and retire my highland cow accessories (now sold for charity). 

I decided to make a shallow embroidered bag to hang from my floor standing embroidery frame. It will hold my magnetic pattern board, bobbins, thimble purse, pin cushion etc. 

For the front of the bag I omitted the house and added a tree lined hillside, snow and more bears. I also made some other tweaks!

For the back I used the same extract from the LHN 'Woodland Sampler' pattern that I stitched on the purse.

I lined the bag with the same sage green linen and added a hand made label as a finishing touch.

Finally, I stitched some little trees to the base of the handles and lined them with the same sage green linen.

Stag Snipper holder and Needle Rest  

This gorgeous fellow is taken from a Textile Heritage kit. He used to hang from my floor standing frame and hold snippers and act as a Needle Rest. It is currently for sale to raise money for my favourite charity. 

Bear Thimble Purse

Those of you who look at my Pinterest board 'Inspiration' will know that I have been inspired by patterns for thimble purses and the purses pictured on Yumikuhiguchi's blog. 

I decided to have a go at making an embroidered purse myself using a metal purse frame. When I'm using my cross stitching in a different way I'm always worried about getting it wrong and not being able to salvage my cross stitching. I looked at various purse making tutorials on line. The scariest thing was not having a pattern to match my frame. Unless you buy a kit you have to make it up as you go along and I've never used a metal purse frame before. I probably should have used fabric first and then my embroidery, but I didn't!

It took me a while to decide whether to use a frame in which you glue your work or a frame to which you stitch your work. In the end I decided to use a 'glue in' frame because I liked the invisible join of fabric and metal.

I bought two new gold coloured 6.5cm purse frames in an ebay auction for less than £2! I already had my favourite UHU fabric glue in my sewing tools. The rest was trial and error and guess work!

I embroidered the front of the purse with a small bear, snow and two different types of tree from LHN 'Bear Tree Forest'. 

For the back I chose part of an LHN design called 'Woodland Sampler.' It fits well with my Trees and Cardinal set and the Bears as it features a fir tree branch a Cardinal, Squirrel and Rabbit with snowflakes.

I 'squared off' the corners and lined the inside with the same sage green linen that I've used before. I added a handmade label as a finishing touch. 

This is a first for me! I've learnt a lot and there are a few things that I would do differently but overall, I am very pleased with the result. It can comfortably fit my thimble, my gold stork scissors, my beeswax, Needle Case, Handmade Needle Threader and Magnetic Needle Rests. 

Bear Pin Cushion

I wanted to make a large pin cushion and so this time I stitched a big bear and two snow laden trees on a ground of snow. 

It is backed with the same sage green linen as the needle case. I was going to leave the sides plain but now I've made it I am thinking about adding some decoration! I'm just not sure yet. 

I'll have a think while I work on the next Bear accessory. 

Bear Case for Sewing Tools

For the front, I stitched a small bear and three trees on a ground full of snow.

The closure is a gem bead and a hand sewn loop.

The back features three trees and more snow.

The inside is made of plain sage green linen without decoration and I put a thin layer of padding inside so that the tools can be inserted directly into the case without having to add another layer.

Now I just have to make the tools!

Trees and Cardinal Magnetic Needle Rests

I've made two magnetic needle rests to add to the set. They are too small to feature Bears so I've used snow laden trees and a Cardinal. 

The smallest magnetic needle rest features a tiny tree. I've pictured it with a 20p coin so that you can get a better idea of the size. It is designed to sit on my magnetic pattern frame without obscuring the pattern. 

The second is larger and features a cardinal on a fir tree branch. 

Trees and Cardinals

Before starting to stitch 'Bear Tree Forest' I decided to make two small accessories, just to see how the snow looked on the newly dyed linen. I think the dye job was successful as the snow is clearly visible.

The sweet little Cardinals and Tree are taken from a Christmas ornament called 'Christmas Cottage' designed by Belinda Karls-Nace of Blue Ribbon Designs.  

Both items are stitched in DMC threads on 30 count linen. The lining is sage green linen. The tassel and the cord is handmade.

The bigger piece is a Needle Case and the smaller piece is a handmade Needle Threader. I chose Cardinals and Trees as they fit well with 'Bear Tree Forest.'

This is a first for me -  A Handmade Needle Threader.

Needle Case - Front

Needle Case Inside 

I used thin padding so that the case has a nice feel but is not too bulky to close. It also means the needles can be inserted into the case directly.

Needle Case - Back

Berry Stitch Markers ~ Count Twice, Stitch Once

Unpicking stitches is no fun. 

I am a firm believer in counting twice and stitching once. To make the chore more fun I've made some pretty Berry Position Markers. This way, I count, I pin, I check, I stitch.

They are made from silver plated Stick Pin Brooches with caps, silver plated findings and glass beads including a glass berry bead.

Arrgh, I've just noticed that one of the clear glass beads has slipped. I'll have to get the my jeweller's cement out!

Berry Stitcher's Purse, Magnetic Needle Rest and Needle Threader Holder

I added some hanging beads to the ensemble for no other reason than to make it pretty.

Berry Needle Threader

I find that I need more help threading my needle as I get older. 

Some time ago I bought a little red needle threader that also cuts thread. It is a great tool but there is no way to attach it to a bag. It is very small and it has a tendency to slip to the bottom and to get lost! 

I decided to solve the problem by making a tiny little purse to hold the needle threader which would hang from the loop inside the Berry Stitcher's Purse. 

I embroidered a little white flower and leaf on a tiny rectangle of linen. I used the same green thread for the outline and another pearl and handmade loop as a fastener. It is not much bigger than the Berry Magnetic Needle Rest that I showed you yesterday and so it is light enough to hang from the same gold plated loop. 

Berry Magnetic Needle Rest

I made a tiny magnetic needle rest by stitching a single berry in the centre of a small square of linen. I stitched a square around the berry in the same green as the squares on my needle organiser. 

I wanted something small enough to sit on my magnetic pattern holder without obscuring the pattern to hold the needle whilst I change threads. 

I added a gold plated loop and attached a piece of gold plated chain with a lobster clasp. This then attaches to the loop inside the Berry Stitcher's Purse when not in use. 

Berry Needle Organiser

I wanted something large enough to hold a set of gold needles in different sizes and other useful items such as safety pins and large eye needles out of sight.

I started with a large rectangle and folded it into quarters, lengthwise.   

In the first quarter I stitched the same berry sprigs facing each other to form the front and the back of the case. For the fold line I used the same four stitch finishing technique that I used on the purse and added another handmade fastener with a pearl and a handmade loop. 

For the inside I stitched a rectangle, a square and then another rectangle in rows of three.  On the fold line between the lines of squares I used the same four stitch. 

I decorated the first three squares with excerpts from the pattern. These are visible as soon as the needle organiser is opened. I stitched them for my precious gold needles. 

I left the remaining squares plain for my larger ordinary needles and safety pins. 

Berry Pin Cushion

I made this matching pin cushion from the same linen using an extract from the pattern and some simple pulled thread work. 

I decorated the pins with semi-precious gem beads and pearlised seed beads. 

Inside my Berry Stitcher's Purse

This time I stitched the straight design. If you look carefully you'll see that the little flowers face in different directions.  

The bottom fold of the purse features a long stitch over four squares, then a gap of four squares. I picked up this little trick from a Jane Greenoff book on antique samplers. Thank you, I love this little finishing tip. 

I added a little hand stitched label inside and a gold plated loop. I've made some accessories to hang from this. I'll show you them later in the week.  

Berry Stitcher's Purse

I found this cute little berry pattern from Rico in my pattern stash. It has a circular centre piece and straight sprigs for the sides of a tablecloth. 

I decided to make a little sewing purse and to put the circular design on the front. 

This project is made from 30ct cream linen and the recommended DMC threads. I didn't change a thing!

I added a handmade loop and a pearl bead to keep the little purse closed. Four stitch along the fold lines provides the finishing touch that I like.

Garden Bird Pin Cushion

I stitched this sweet little pin cushion to go with my project bag.

Garden Bird Project Bag

This is a side view of my Garden Bird Project Bag when open. 

I included a tall pocket on each side especially for my cross stitch rulers and pattern markers.

One side also has a handmade label. 

Garden Bird Project Bag: A place for everything 

The bag has two parts. A main section with plenty of room for my magnetic pattern holder and work-in-progress and an organiser section pictured below.

This is the pull-out organiser section of the bag. 

The cross stitch picture is an extract from the same pattern that I've used for the front of the bag. 

The organiser section contains a cord loop to which sewing accessories can be attached. There are some pockets for smaller items and an area for needles. It also doubles as a thread catcher. 

When I am not stitching the organiser section is hidden and it just looks like a little embroidered bag.