How I made my book !!!

Hello there, well I am fixin to write how I made the pretty lace book.  Annette style,  the instructions of how I created the book and there are many many ways to put a book together.  This is just how I put this book together.  The ugly puuple book in a couple of posts back?   Well it is getting an overhaul.  I do believe replacing pistons in a 1955 Chevy was easier than making a lacy girlie book look prettier.    I am not kidding.  My hands were smaller than Hubby's hands so they could fit in and around engine parts easier that his would in different areas.  I am sure the manicure was messed up and I am laughing big time here.   I am not a manicure girl.  Oh sometimes I would get a manicure but by the next day my pretty nails looked awful and to this day I can ruin a manicure quicker that a bunny can run out of the yard with two dogs chasing it at full speed.

Whoops I am wandering.

Just a reminder of the back and front of the book.   I did just dig around in my laces and doilies I had purchased at  estate sales and knew the sweet ladies who made these would be proud, I think, that they were re purposed. 

  Now I used some thicker fabric for the inside of the book, the one that holds the weight of the pages and the pretty lace on top.   I stacked the pages that were going inside the book and just guesstimated how thick to make the backing .  I did allow a couple of inches more on the back side for "growth"  of the book.   They always seem to get fatter than you imagine.   I guess it is all the lace and stuff.  

 

I did use some flat lace first on the outside of the cover and wrapped it over the edge to the inside.   I also sewed a little pocket to the inside for any notes of in this case a Round Robin booklet the ladies wrote in.  Some of the lace on the front of the cover I used a sewing machine and some I hand tacked it and with the beads.   Of course they were hand tacked.  Remember don't sew up the inside pocket with your stitches and then you have to go back and cut them loose and resew the lace on the front.  Just saying from experience.

 

I chose some heavy muslin to back the block and used a piece of lace over the muslin.  I then put the overlay of lace on the muslin before making a little sandwich of the layers with the block.  Pinning the wrong  sides together of the lace, muslin and the CQ block.   When finished it looked kind of like a little pillow case.   I made the muslin and lace about 2 1/2 inches longer on the what will be center of the books

 

The birds eye view of the lace and muslin being folded over the block.  I didn't worry to much about the mitering of the corners, not with two layers of lace over it.  

 

I did not put any batting or anything between the layers.  You can of course if you want to.   

 

When I first was going to do this I didn't know about putting more lace on the block but you can never have to much lace in CQ art.   So I have been told.

The lace on the block is sewn on top of the block and on the bottom of the block.   

 

The block will look like this, sort of.  The 2 1/2 inches are to the left . The extra will be folded over and sewn on .   Now this litte book I sewed the pages directly to the back of the cover.   The last piece of lace I sewed on was done by hand so it would cover the spine where I sewed the blocks on.   

 

I pressed the extra fabric  with a little for seam  to fold over onto the block and then where I was going to sew it onto the book cover.   I would give more measurements but everyone's blocks are different sizes and that would lead you astray.     I sewed thru the muslin and the book cover with the ends not folded over.

 

This is sewn on to the book cover.   Now after you place the first one on the cover about every1/4 inch is a good measurement to sew the next block on.  Can be less if you want but just not butt the blocks together or it might make it stiff to open.   Just speaking from experience there.  Or it might look like the spine is jammed up and the open end part of the book just flares out.  It just doesn't lay flat if you jam them in super close.   Now on the purple book I did more than 1/4 inch, still learning here, and I used a purple marker to cover up the lighter fabric.  

 

 Now here is one of the blocks with the extra fabric folded over onto the block and then I use the machine to sew it over the block.  Notice when I sewed the flap over I folded in the ends and then they look nice and neat.  Please also notice at the top of the fold over is the little blank spot I told you about so the book lays nice and flat.  

 

One more page with the flap folded over, not yet sewn down.    I do have to mention, the page on the right has one lace  with the fold over flap and the back on the page before it has a different lace.   Note to self when you are making a book at two different times please save enough lace lace so they all look alike.   Lace this loose ( on the right ) is a bear to sew with for this purpose.   Please notice the tiny little void of anything in the center , that is the little space I was talking about. 

 

                             One more look at a page sewn in looking at how it is at the spine.   

 

See how pretty the pages lay in the book .  It is kind of a Coptic binding  or it may be.   When I make my art journals I use this type but it is done differently but the same results   Pages laying pretty and flat.  My fabric books are not done this way.  I learned those techniques from Pat Winter and Suzy Quaife.  Such talented ladies.  

                             

The spine of the book with the extra piece of lace to hide my seams .
 

 

It sits nice and fluffy now.  Ready to look at and treasure.   They are not sitting in a drawer but I can enjoy them anytime.   

 

Reminds me of an old time pantaloons, nope I didn't wear them and just saw pictures of them.   

There you go I hope this helps some.  I am not an instruction person.  If you have any questions I will try to answer them  either here or on facebook.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

                                                              OXOXXO

                                                               Annette

 

We are going to busy this year for sure

Hello and Happy New Year and wow is it going to be an awesome year.  I can feel it in my bones.    Now the last few days I wanted to finish up a project that has been in the working part for almost 2 years.  Yes, you read right.  Two years, this is not Annette to have projects looming over me but when see it you will understand.   It takes time to create a heirloom.   

I have been in a Round Robin with a wonderful group of artists.  They are great !!!!!!   I make5 or 6 blocks and send to them and they pick one to embellish. They  each do the same and we have blocks floating around in the mail to each other.  Like little elves or faeries carrying around our treasures.   By the time one year was over I thought ok I think I am going to make my second round of blocks kinda sorta the same theme.  So I am finishing them up.  I did actually take working photos and will post a new post with how I did the book for these treasures .   Sooooooooooo here you go.   My blocks of pretties and who did them.  I hope you enjoy the blocks and the little lace book I just finished.  

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  I just feel like great things are going to happen this year for us all. oxox