Sewing Box Notebooks with Eileen Hull

Hello! This tutorial has been a long time in the works and I've finally gotten it done! When Eileen's new dies were released and we shared the projects we had made for Creativation, many were very curious about how I put a zipper onto one of the notebooks from the sewing kit. So read on to find out!

I used vintage patterns for the covers of the books.

The zippered book holds a needle book and other notions.

The Notebook Die makes books that fit perfectly into the Treasure Box! Check out this post from last month to see how to put the box together. Here is the whole kit and caboodle together with my mom's little Singer sewing machine from when she was a girl. (A gift from her grandmother who was a dressmaker.)

Now for THE TUTORIAL!  Putting the zipper in is challenging in parts and requires patience. Just a heads up. ;-)

Step 1 – I prepared the covers first of course. On the outsides I used vintage pattern packet graphics. One had a horizontal format and fit perfectly right off the bat. For the other I scanned additional patterns and sized them to fit on the cover. On the cover insides, I collaged torn pieces of the sewing pattern tissues (not the vintages ones ;-) ).

Step 2 – I used a die pick and the Tim Holtz ruler that has holes along the edge to punch stitching holes through the edges of the cover. (An old foam mouse pad makes a handy punching surface.)

Step 3 – I glued sections of an old measuring tape to the spines of both notebooks and punched holes for the binding.

Step 4 –  Did you know you can use your dies to make foam stamps? Buy adhesive backed fun foam (or make your own), die cut your shape, and apply it to a piece of scrap plastic packaging. Here I used Eileen's retired Doily Bigz die to make one and stamped the insides of the notebooks with acrylic paint.

Step 5 – The stitching begins! I held the zipper in place as I stitched along the edge with heavy duty thread (buttonhole thread). Having a piece of rubber balloon or a fat rubber band handy is helpful in gripping the needle and pulling it through if it is being a bit stubborn.

Step 6 – Getting around the corner is a bit tricky but I just eased the zipper tape in.

Step 7 – The zipper I had was too long so I had to shorten it. I stitched multiple times with the thread before the point where I wanted to cut it and also added a dab of glossy accents to hold the thread in place. NOTE: by ending the zipper right where the cover meets the spine, how far you can open the book is a bit hampered. (As in, you can't open it very wide.) In hindsight, I think I should have stitched it off another 1/2 - 3/4 inch or so beyond this point and tucked the extra zipper length into the book to lay alongside the spine.

Step 8 – See the trimmed zipper (and see note above in Step 7). I wanted to make sure the stitching was very secure so I stitched back to the beginning to make it stronger.

Step 9 – First half of the zipper is done! This part isn't too hard. It gets trickier sewing the second half because I couldn't open the book up very far. (See Step 7.)

Step 10 – I had to stitch loosely so I had room to maneuver the needle in and out. Once I got a few inches out I tightened the thread. I stitched all the way around and back again to double up the stitches. At the very end I had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to get the needle in and out.

Step 11 – I made a little needle book to fit inside of the notebook. I used the Passport Journal Die to cut the pages. (They fit perfectly in the Notebook die!) One page of felt and a cardstock cover.

Step 12 – I decorated the inside of the cover with stamping and a cut from Eileen's Credit Card Sleeve Die to hold a tag of buttons and needle threader.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out Eileen's blog and if you are not already a member, join the Facebook Eileen Hull Fan Club group. It is a warm, supportive group with lots of inspiration and sharing going on. You'll just have to answer a few simple questions when asking to join (to keep out spammers) and then you'll be added. ;-)

Dies:
Eileen Hull Sizzix
Notebook ( Sizzix / SB )
Treasure Box ( Sizzix / SB )
Journaling Cards - Flowers & Leaves ( Sizzix / SB )
Credit Card Sleeve & Tags ( Sizzix / SB )
Passport Book ( Sizzix / SB )
Doily - retired

Other:

Sizzix mat board
Tim Holtz ruler
Piercing tool
adhesive backed fun foam
elastic
vintage zipper - I shortened a 15 in one
Kunin felt
button hole thread

Sizzix and Scrapbook.com links in this post are affiliate links which do not affect the price you pay but allow me to earn a small percentage of a sale. Thanks! (My husband also thanks you!)

Sewing Box Notebooks
by MonalisaH -Lisa Hoel
Scrapbook.com