How to Make a Needle Book: A Tutorial

To make your very own needle book, you will need the following:

  

• 2 – 4.5” x 5.5” pieces of fabric
• 1 – 4.5” x 5.5” piece of batting
• 2 – 2.5” x 4.5” pieces of fabric
• 2 – 2.5” x 3” pieces of fabric
• 22” of 1.5” wide fabric strip (binding)
• 2 – 1” x 5.5” strips of fabric
• Ponytail holder / covered elastic thingy / hair do-lolly
• Button (one with a shank will work best)
• 12” of narrow ribbon

Fold lining fabric in half and press to crease.  Make a “sandwich” out of the 2 4.5”x5.5” fabric pieces and the batting with the batting in the center.  The crease will be your sewing line.

Sew across the center of the sandwich from one 5.5” side to the other.  (Can you see the crease / sewing line?) This will make the “fold” in the “book” neater.

Right sides together, sew the two 2.5”x3” fabric pieces together on one short end, press, turn, and press again so that the wrong sides are together.  Stitch across the seam end appx ¼” from the edge.    

(Note: I line the little pocket with batik fabric, which is tightly woven, to keep the very sharp, pointed scissors from poking through the looser weave top fabric.)

Trim edges... as you can see, I wasn't careful when cutting out the little squares.

Take one of the 2.5”x4.5” pieces of fabric and lay the smaller sewn block on top, matching edges.  Sew one of the 1”x5” strips to the right edge of the pocket side, press, turn and top stitch.  

Cover the edge the other 2.5” x 4.5” piece of fabric with the remaining 1” x 5” strip, press, turn and top stitch.

With the inside of the needle book up, place the two pockets on  each side, lining up the top and outside edges; pin.

Select the ponytail holder you wish to use and pin it in the middle of one 4.5” side of the needle book.

Using the 22” strip of 1.5” wide fabric, bind the needle book, catching all raw edges and the ponytail holder. 

Reinforce ponytail holder/closure by stitching over it several times, then cut the end of the ponytail holder that will be on the inside.  Turn binding, press, and top stitch down.

Use a pin to mark where to sew the button; sew on the button with the knot on the inside of the inner pocket.

Place scissors in the inside pocket, mark where to sew the ribbon; tack ribbon down, leaving the inner pocket open.

 Et voila!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask...  I took 25-26 photos but didn't post them all.