BLOG 207

 

We went to a Christening in Yorkshire yesterday. A lovely little girl has been adopted into the family and, because she is 3, I was finding it difficult to buy the right present. Traditional gifts seem to be geared towards babies so, after much thought, I decided to make a box for her to keep her treasures in. Sometimes I’m sure that people think that homemade stuff is cheap and second rate but the materials and threads alone cost nearly £20 and that’s without the effort and attention to detail that has gone into the making of it. I have already ‘taught’ the memorabilia box as a project in BLOG 100 so refer back to it if you are interested in having a go. It makes a lovely gift, very individual and special.

Be aware that this is just an over-view of the procedure; step-by-step instructions can be located in Blog 100 (May 2012). First, prepare the card.

                            Base 5 shapes

                            Base and lining 10 shapes

                                   Lid 3 shapes

Cut the outer fabric, the lining fabric and batting strips and cover them as per instructions.

                             Covered linings

Sew the box sides around the base and sew up the sides.

                                  Box outside

                                       Box inside

Add the linings on 3 sides and secure with pegs.

                                     Add linings

Prepare and place the hinge and add the fourth lining and leave to dry.

                       Hinge and base complete

Place the lid lining onto the box and fold the hinge onto it and stick it down firmly.

Stick hinge onto top lining.

Make a tassel with embroidery thread and stick it in place centrally on top of the lid lining.

                                Prepare a tassel

                                         Tassel

Prepare a suitable top and stick it onto the inner lid. Stick them onto the lid lining and apply weight to sick them all together thoroughly. And that’s all there is to it apart from adding personal touches to the inside with labels/gifts/novelties etc. Job done!

                                         Lid top

                             Completed box

                                     Inside label

           Special Christening card

                      Tooth fairy cushion 4”

ASIDE: This week saw the finish of our group quilt for the Festival of Quilts. All I am prepared to say at this stage is that you will be queueing to see it!!