Scrap Recycling: Bookmarks

I'm hardly the first person to think of sewing scraps of fabrics onto paper to make cards or crafts, but an idea doesn't need to be original to be good ;)

Side A

I read, a lot. It's one of my favorite hobbies right after quilting. So making scrap bookmarks was a natural choice.  To make these I cut paper to 5"x7.5" and marked a crease line long-ways in the middle (2.5").  Then I sew fabric to both sides (raw-edge applique). You can use any stitch as long as it isn't too short as that would perforate the paper too much and make it tear.

Side B

After sewing I coat the back sides of the stitching with Elmers glue, fold the bookmark in half (glued sides together), and put it under a heavy book for a day to dry.  With time the fabric's raw edges will ravel and become fluffy :)

And now for your Sunday Smile, here's a photo for the girls enjoying some fresh air, safe from dogs, cars, and other cats.

Linking to Oh Scrap!

More String Maddness

 For about the past year I haven't sewn many blocks for each of the CiL block drives.  I always test the blocks and make a demo block or two, and of course if I wind up a couple short of a whole quilt I make up the difference, but beyond that I usually don't make any more.  You fine folks have done such a good job of supplying blocks for the quilts! And knowing that I will soon be sewing so many of them, it keeps me from getting burned out, I think.  However, I do often find myself wanting to sew along a similar tangent. Something inspired by the blocks piling up on my desk.

Just before October, when the CiL string block drive officially began, I trimmed up the strings in my scrap box and set to work on bright and loud string log cabins.  That quilt is about wrapped up now and yet I still have plenty of strings!  Next up? I'm trying something like a string herringbone.  Here are the first dozen blocks on the wall. What do you think?  I'm not sold yet.  With my glasses off the herringbone effect is really prominent and I like it, but in-focus the lines between the blocks catch my eye much more than the herringbone.

Linking to Oh Scrap!, Design Wall Monday, and Moving it Forward Monday.