What I've been up to lately

One of the mini-goals I set for myself was to have items ready to sell so that I can get my Etsy shop back up and running. I have made a few needle books as seen in the Summer issue of Sew Somerset. So far I've made three, as I made books for my sisters and Cheri I made an extra one to sell. The ones I have made are not personalized, but just as cute! The three covers are all different and designed by me (as is the entire book!). The books are made from primarily upholstery fabric so that they are durable. I have free motion embroidered, hand embroidered, sewed and bound each. Two are bound with sticks from my property and the third, which is Japanese themed, is bound with a chopstick. The cover for the butterfly book made in deep reds and tans is shown below. I have also made a nurse themed book in blues and the oriental is in reds and blacks.

I have also been experimenting with paper towel fabric (yes, you read that correctly; the fabric is made with paper towels) as a cover for small journal/books. the cover you see below is my first embroidered cover which also has Moda fabric and a button from my HUGE stash. I am currently playing with different paint and ink techniques for the pages that will be housed in the covers. I enjoy taking a break and just sitting by the window and embroidering!

Stay tuned for my grand re-opening of my Etsy shop where these (and more) will be for sale! Let me know what you think and if you would like to see any other items featured in my shop. Thanks!