Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper
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Welcome to the first day of the “Where Flowers Bloom” blog hop hosted by the lovely Carla from Creatin’ in the Sticks!
Today is my day, and I’ve got a quick, cute project tutorial to share with you!
Since I tried my hand at needle turn applique last month, I decided it was a great project to take with me while I am travelling… I am still making hearts and wanted to have something to put them in so that my blocks didn’t get all wrinkled in my handbag or suitcase.
A block keeper or holder would be perfect… so I thought about it for a bit and came up with this:
It rolls up nicely to fit in my handbag:
Yes, I picked some lovely floral fabric… and no the flowers next to the roll up are not essential for it’s use, but are very pretty 🙂
After I made this roll up block keeper, I thought it’d be the perfect thing to share on this blog hop! And it took me less than half an hour to make!! So I made another one and took photos of the process…
More pretty flowers 🙂
Do you want to make one?
Here’s how:
How to Make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper
Before I start – why did I call it a Needle Turn Applique roll-up block keeper?
Because it hold spools of thread 🙂
So while you can of course put other things in this block keeper, it is specifically made to hold more than one spool of thread to match your needle turned applique blocks. The spools of thread are also what gives the block keeper the stability to roll up….
Ok, on with the show!
What you need to make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper:
2 pieces of fabric 11″ x 18″ (one for the outside of the block keeper and one for the inside)
1 piece of batting 11″ x 18″
1 piece of ribbon 50″ long
2 pieces of ribbon 21″ long
How to Make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper Step 1
Place your outside fabric on top of the batting fabric, right side of fabric facing up like in the photo below. You can quilt these two layers together if you want, but I didn’t.
Take your ribbons and pin them to the fabric as pictured below. Make sure the bulk of the ribbon is facing in and sitting on top of the fabric!
The long ribbon (50″) is folded in half and pinned about half way down the right side of the fabric and batting:
The two short pieces of ribbon (21″) are pinned to the top and bottom of the left side of the fabric, about 1.5″ in from the left edge:
You can see again that the end of the ribbon is at the edge (I usually let a little bit stick out) and the rest of the ribbon is sitting on top of the fabric.
How to Make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper Step 2
Place the second piece of fabric, which will be the inside of the block keeper, right side down on top of the ribbons and outside fabric: (The two pieces of fabric will have their right sides facing each other)
Make sure none of the ribbons are too close to the edge where you are going to stitch – except of course the part of the ribbons that you want to stitch into the seam allowance!!
Pin the layers together:
Yes, it is going to look lumpy because the ribbons are between the layers of fabric.
How to Make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper Step 3
Sew around the whole sandwich leaving a gap for turning it inside out later on.
I used my Bernina #1 foot instead of the quarter inch foot for this… just to give it a bit more seam allowance…
Handy Tip for Sewing Openings in Anything that Needs to be Turned Inside Out:
When you are leaving an opening in a sewing project that needs to be turned inside out, for example a cushion, bag, or in this case a block keeper, start and finish your sewing from the edge of the fabric like this:
You are basically starting at the edge, then swiveling to line up and stitch along the edge… and when you get to the end of your sewing, swivel and run off the edge of the fabric.
Hope this makes some sense!! It’s hard to explain, but hopefully you can see what I mean in the picture above. If you do this, when you turn it inside out, the fabric will naturally fall into a shape that is in line with the rest of the sewn seams, like this:
It makes it much easier to press because the fabric is already trying to fold in….
How to Make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper Step 4
After you have sewn around your sandwich, turn it inside out and press it.
Then top stitch around the whole block keeper:
I swapped back to my 1/4″ foot (Bernina #37) with this, and sewed about an 1/8″ of an inch, using one of the inside edges of the foot as a guide.
All top stitched and the ribbons all going in the right direction!
How to Make a Needle Turn Applique Roll-up Block Keeper Step 5
Time now to pop your spools of thread in!
I made it to fit three of my Italian cotton spools comfortably… but any brand will do. Just thread one ribbon through two of the spools, and the other through the third spool:
And make a bow:
Pop your applique blocks next to them..
And start rolling it up…
As I said before, the spools of thread give it the stability to roll up and keep its shape…
A bow in your long ribbon holds it nicely together…. and ready to take with you where ever you go!
I took both of these with me this week to Holland… but would you believe, it has been so hot that I haven’t done any stitching!!!!
Needle turn applique and sweaty hands do not go together very well!!
Never mind, I will take it with me next week when I go “home” to Australia for the winter 🙂
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and all the flowers on the fabric and in the pictures! Make sure you go and visit the rest of the people on the blog hop list today for more floral inspiration:
Monday, June 11th
MooseStash Quilting
In The Boon Docks
Seams To Be Sew
Lily Patch Quilts
Days Filled With Joy – ME!!
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Seacoast Quilter
You can see the full list of days and participants at Creatin’ in the Sticks.
Thanks so much for dropping by! If you are new here, you can read more about me and also check out some more tutorials I have made in the past – most of them featuring very quick and easy projects!
Oh and I also have a monthly newsletter where I share new things I am designing and other odds and ends 🙂 You can sign up below or read more about it.
Hi Joy,, That is so pretty! Adding the tutorial to my saved list of things I would like to do! Thank you. Nancy
I love a good tutorial, thank you for sharing this. It is something I would never have thought up on my own. x
Love your needle-turn block keepers. Fabulous tutorial. Hugs, xx
Great idea Joy, love it with the thread holder….
Hugz
Good one Joy & you’ve just jogged my memory! I think I’ve got one somewhere, but not quite as pretty & it was given to me a long time ago by a friend of my Mums & I’ve not used it in ages. See you soon & take care.
great idea and so lovely! Thanks for the tutorial. I might try this out!
What a great project, Joy. Thank you for the tutorial.
Very clever! I like the hint to sew off the edges at the beginning and end of the seaming-great idea that I will use with all things that need to ‘leave an opening’ ! Thanks for sharing!
Not needing more projects at this time, I doubt that I will make one of these cuties, but I’m sure thankful for the “Handy Tip for Sewing Openings in Anything that Needs to be Turned Inside Out:! I will use that often.
Great tutorial Joy and I love your tip for sewing the edges of the openings. What a simple idea I wish I’d known earlier! I often learn the most useful things from your blog. Not long to go until I’ll meet you in person now!!
Oh, Joy, these are great! The pictures you took of your projects are so beautiful too! Love all the flowers. Thank you for joining Where Flowers Bloom. Your tutorial is a great stop in the hop and I will definitely be trying to make one. They are as pretty as they are functional!
This is so pretty! And thanks so much for the fantastic tutorial!
Very pretty and useful. Thank you for the detailed tutorial … 🙂 Pat
Thank you for the tutorial Joy… I was gifted a roll-up block keeper & have always wanted to figure out how to make another… now I can use these images to help me!
x
That’s a really cute block holder and I thank you for the tut. Your tip about the sewing at the beginning and end of the opening is wonderful – I have always just backstitched. – but your idea sounds like a winner. Thank you.
What a beautiful way to hold blocks and thread for travel! Your tutorial makes it look so easy…thanks for sharing.
Perfect for keeping our traveling projects together. Nice tutorial. Have a wonderful trip to Holland…I’m just a bit jealous here! LOL!!!
Love your block holder! The design is wonderful.
This a great project! Thank you so much for the tutorial. This will come in so handy when I want to take my sewing on trips.
Very cool tyty for showing us your talents ….Love seeing great ideas… happyness04431@yahoo.com
Such a great project, I loved the tip about taking your thread spools thru the ribbon. I can so remember also in Home Ec how my sewing teacher told us to do those openings. She told us to start like most would start inside at where the seam starts, then backstitch, go forward, back stitch again, and then continue around. I tried this several times in those days and always found that as your turning the project inside out, the fabric would tear where the backstitch was, so I realized that her teaching of this technique was totally wrong. When I was older I took a sewing class for a zippered bag with a lining, which of course taught the technique you showed also and the teacher did her openings like yours, so when I made my bag I tried this and have never looked back, such a great tip for those openings and it works a treat, no having to deal with ripping of fabric, and no having to match a point because of the stitching being on the inside of the seam like that.
That’s just as cute as can be! Great tutorial!
Very easy to follow tutorial for the roll up. I like your idea of stitching to the edge of an opening. I will give it a try. Thanks.
Hi, this is such a great Idea! I pinned it for others to find. Love it
I have a similar block holder a friend made for me. So handy!
great block holder. you did a wonderful job on this tutorial and the tip about the edge of the opening is priceless. I probably do that type of opening at least once a week. Can’t wait to give it a try.
That is fabulous, Joy! What an easy gift to make, too. I really like your idea. Thanks for the tip on sewing off the edge. It’s one of those things that seems so logical, now that you say it. LOL
Love the flowers and the pretty flower fabric. The tutorial for the roll up is great and appreciated. That is a perfect project for me, it would be great to carry my needlework around this way and I am sure it would stay much cleaner and organized.
Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I love your project, lovely fabrics and I must try to make one soon.
Love this! Simple and practical–and I can use up some of my stash. This will make great gifts for my quilting friends. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this lovely tutorial. The trick of sewing to the edge on opening is great.
Very clever feeding the ribbon through the spools of thread, and then using them to form the basis of the roll. Handy, and looks pretty, too. Love you to add this tutorial to the Sewing Accessories linky at TMW.
Great idea! Love it! Thank you!
So pretty, and such a smart way to carry your handwork when you’re on the go! Thanks for sharing. :o)
This was a great idea!!!! Thanks for sharing. and Thanks for the tip of sewing off the edge. I’ve always had trouble with that. Now just to remember to use it the next time I need it.
Hi Joy, Kaye from Kitten Stitching here. I am finally home for a few days after several weeks travelling for work and I am finally getting my self organised to contact all of my Winners from my Girl’s Nest Giveaway #6. As I have been frantically busy, I am not sure if I have contacted you before or if you have emailed me already with your snail mail address (if so, I can’t find it in my mailbox anywhere). So, could you please email me your address at kayedep@gmail.com so that I can send you your prize. Just to refresh your memory – please check out this blog post here: https://kittenstitching.blogspot.com/2018/06/so-many-winners.html
hugs, Kaye
Great idea and tutorial Joy :-)…I’ve always made these around a tube but great that the spools give it the shape!! You could also attach a small square of woolen felt to the inside for stowing needles (although of course spare needles could just go into the lining fabric!).Thanks for the inspiring post!