Quick Stitch: Sewing Staples Kit

Good morning, Friends! Today, I have the great pleasure of getting to introduce the Quick Stitch: Sewing Staples Kit, designed by Erin Lincoln for Papertrey Ink. You can find more details about the kit on Nichole's Blog, but here are the basics:

The first Quick Stitch Kit will be released on March 9th and it is entitled "Sewing Staples". Erin has really outdone herself with this one! The stitching dies included help you to make a few different sewing accessories that are not only beautiful, but also super functional. You will have all of your sewing supplies in order just in time for the new stitching products coming out over the next year! Not only will this kit help YOU to get organized, but also make wonderful handmade gifts for friends and family. The team even has a few unconventional uses for these stitching dies that will allow you to take everything in a completely different direction and get more value for your investment in these tools!

I am absolutely smitten with Erin's new Quick Stitch: Sewing Staples Kit! These adorable projects are a breeze thanks to the thoughtfully designed dies and embellishments Erin has included. And I can't even tell you how much fun it's been to create color coordinated bobbins for all of my felt and floss. You're sure to fall in love with this kit from the moment you thread your first needle! How about we get to the fun now, eh?

So the first thing I wanted to do with this kit was make myself a coordinated needle book and scissor keeper. Every crafty girl needs her accessories, am I right? 

I began with the needle book.

I die cut a front cover from Ocean Tides felt, an inside scalloped cover from Vintage Cream felt, and an inside page (the same shape as the front cover) also from Vintage Cream felt. I used the binding die to add holes down the center of each page for effortless assembly. I also die cut my monogram from Pure Poppy felt, using the Sew Stylish Alphabet 1 die, and assortment of flowers and leaves from Vintage Cream, Harvest Gold, Ocean Tides, Simply Chartreuse, and Pure Poppy.

I also die cut an open pocket, two needle pockets, and a pin holder from Ocean Tides and Pure Poppy. I used the "holes-only" dies to make the floral embellishment on the pocket totally easy. I just lined up the holes and stitched away. The little flower on the needle pocket was freehanded after the needle pocket was stitched into place.

Then, I used the "holes-only" dies for the open pocket and the needle pocket on the inside cover and inside pages. These dies take all the guesswork out of putting this little book together. You can even decide which pockets and features will work best for you for a totally custom arrangement. I used an open pocket on the inside cover to hold my threader and a couple of bar pins. I love having these on hand for brooches and other wearables.

The back pages feature plentiful needle storage and a pin corral, too. I love having an assortment of needles close at hand and my husband loves that I'm not storing them in the arm of my favorite armchair anymore. Heh, heh...ouch.

I added a few more tiny flowers to these pages to dress them up a little. I wanted some embellishment, but I didn't want the flowers to get in the way of the pins and needles, so I kept it fairly minimal. It's just enough, I think.

After all of the pages had been embellished, I sandwiched my ribbon in between my front and inside covers and stitched down the center binding. Erin has included a ribbon slot die, but I liked the idea of just stitching between the layers for simplicity. I then stitched the center pocket together and the inside and outside pages to each other.

I'm in love with how this turned out. It's just plain adorable!

I, of course, needed a scissor keeper to coordinate, so that's what I worked on next.

I die cut two of the top layer from Ocean Tides and two of the scalloped layer from Vintage Cream. Then, I die cut the "holes-only" floral cluster from one of the Ocean Tides pieces. Next, I die cut an assortment of flowers and leaves using Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream, Harvest Gold, Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse, and Spring Moss. Following the pattern, I stitched on the flowers and leaves and followed up with the seed beads in the remaining open spaces.

I used contrasting thread to highlight the beautiful details Erin included in these dies. Some of the flowers even have a central hole that is perfect for adding a French knot or additional bead for an extra delicate touch. I finished the scissor keeper by stitching all the layers together according to Erin's fabulous instructions. Her tutorial video is incredibly helpful and super fun to watch.

Erin also included dies and other supplies that enable you to create your own color coordinated floss bobbins. Oh. My. Word. I love these things.

The bobbins come together quickly and they make it incredibly easy to organize your supplies. There's a small rectangle stamp in the Sewing Staples mini stamp set that you use to stamp onto iron-on transfer paper. Then you use the mirror image numbers to stamp the floss codes. A simple die cut, some ironing onto Fresh Snow ribbon, and BOOM...custom floss bobbins with reference tags. I have about 1/3 of my floss finished and the rest prepped. I can't wait to get them done.

The kit also comes with this charming wooden bobbin box. You can paint it, embellish it, use it for gift wrap...the world is your oyster. I wanted to see what would happen if I tried stamping the Sewing Staples mini images onto the transfer paper and then ironing it onto my box.

Here's the result! It's nice and simple. I thought about painting the box first, but I wasn't sure how the paint would handle the heat of the iron, so I left it au natural. If you choose to try this yourself here's a tip: do not glide your iron over the transfer paper. Straight up and down, People. Straight up and down. Trust.

You can also see here how I store unused lengths of separated floss. I only use three of the threads in a strand of floss when I do my stitching, so I wrap the extra three strands around the bobbin to have easily accessible when I need more of a particular color. It cuts down on waste and it's always easy to find.

I also wanted to try my hand at a slightly simplified version of that ensemble. This set uses many of the same elements, just taken down a notch. It would be a great gift for someone who is just getting started in embroidery or cross stitch.

This time I started with the scissor keeper. I did this one out of Spring Moss and Vintage Cream base piece with flowers in Melon Berry, Harvest Gold, and Vintage Cream. All of the leaves are done in Simply Chartreuse. I used the "holes-only" flowers and leaves on the Spring Moss layer first and then went back and stitched on my felt bits. Then, I stitched the scissor keeper up just like the other one. You could leave out the scalloped layer if you wanted to simplify even further, but I love that sweet edge.

Next, I went about creating a needle booklet. I made this one with a combination of cardstock and felt to make it a little more disposable.

I die cut a front cover from white cardstock and an inside cover from Spring Moss. I scored both down the center. Then, I stamped the sentiment from the Sewing Staples mini onto the white piece and die cut that layer with the "holes-only" flower and leaf dies. I love the holes only dies when working with paper. They make the stitching so much easier! I stitched on the flower and leaves and then set that piece aside.

Next, I used the "holes-only" needle pocket and open pocket dies to create the holes in my inside cover. I stitched on the Melon Berry pockets and then stitched the front and inside covers together using contrasting stitching. I hid the knot in the inside crease so it wouldn't be distracting. Just fill with some simple notions and your gift is complete. I packaged the booklet inside a glassine envelope, but you could also just tuck it into the scissor keeper with some nice snips for a cozy crafty package.

My last ensemble for today is a mini wall art piece. I really enjoy doing these small embroidery hoop pieces and this kit is perfect for putting together a decor piece in no time at all. There's someone in my world going through some really rough stuff, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to whip up something to remind her to smile.

I began by ironing a piece of lightweight Heat N Bond onto the back of a piece of linen. The reason for this is two-fold. Number 1: this will reinforce the holes of the floral cluster so you don't rip through the narrow bits (that said, don't tug the thread too hard). Number 2: the paper backing on the Heat N Bond helps you get a nice, clean cut with the die. I let it cool for a moment or three and then die cut the "holes-only" floral cluster from the center of my linen.

Next, I die cut an assortment of flowers and leaves using Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Lavender Moon, Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse, and Spring Moss. Just as I had with the scissor keeper, I followed the pattern by stitching on the flowers and leaves and following up with the seed beads in the remaining open spaces. I wanted the hanging to give an uplifting message, so I freehanded the "Smile" with some backstitching. If you don't trust yourself to freehand you could always use a disappearing ink pen to draw on your message first. I finished the outer hoop by wrapping it with the Fresh Snow satin to make it look a touch more polished.

My itty bitty gift needed an itty bitty card to send a brief note, so I die cut a piece of white cardstock using the scalloped layer from the needle book die collection. I stamped it with the flowers from the Sewing Staples mini set and a sentiment from Words Of Comfort. I added felt buttons cut from Scarlet Jewel and Lavender Moon felt and tied them on with white floss. It's the perfect size to say "I'm thinking of you." The stitching holes are a sweet detail, too.

Alright, Friends. There you have it! Erin's Quick Stitch: Sewing Staples kit will be available on March 9th at 10pm EST in the Papertrey Ink store so make sure to pick up your own copy then. In the meantime, check in with Erin, Hilary, Rebecca, and Tracy for as much inspiration as you can handle! See you again soon!

More Kit Details:

SEWING STAPLES KIT CONTENTS:
Custom Printed Tote Bag
Sewing Staples: Scissor Keeper die collection
Sewing Staples: Needle Book die collection
Sewing Staples: Floral Cluster die collection
Sewing Staples: Stitched Floss Bobbin die collection
Sewing Staples: Flowers die collection
Sewing Staples stamp set + label
(1) Wooden Bobbin Box
(2) Heavy white 8-1/2" x 11" sheets cover board
(2) Iron-on 8-1/2" x 11" Transfer sheets
(1) spool Fresh Snow Satin Ribbon-5 yards
(1) test tube white 8/0 seed beads
(1) pdf download with full instructions

The total retail cost of the "Sewing Staples" Kit is $110. There will be a limited number of these exclusive kits available, so be sure to get yours while you can! Some individual items will be available for sale at a later date. The "Sewing Staples" Kit will be available for sale beginning on March 9th at 10pm EST, only at Papertrey Ink. Read all the details on Nichole's blog or contact Customer Service with any questions.

Recipes:

Monogram Ensemble:

Felt: Ocean Tides, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream, Harvest Gold, Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink

Dies: Needle Book Die Collection, Floral Cluster Die Collection, Scissor Keeper Die Collection, Flowers Die Collection, Sew Stylish Alphabet 1 Die - Papertrey Ink

Other: White Seed Beads, Pure Poppy Saddle Stitched Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Embroidery Floss - DMC; Bar Pins; Threader; Needles

Floss Bobbins & Box:

Stamps: Sewing Staples Mini - Papertrey Ink

Ink: True Black, Pure Poppy, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado, Harvest Gold - Papertrey Ink

Felt: Ocean Tides, Pure Poppy, Vintage Cream, Harvest Gold, Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse, Spring Moss, Limeade Ice - Papertrey Ink

Dies: Stitched Floss Bobbin Die Collection - Papertrey Ink

Other: Iron-on Transfer Paper, Fresh Snow Satin Ribbon, Wooden Bobbin Box - Papertrey Ink; Embroidery Floss - DMC

Beginning Stitcher Ensemble:

Stamps: Sewing Staples Mini - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Simply Chartreuse - Papertrey Ink

Felt: Spring Moss, Harvest Gold, Vintage Cream, Melon Berry, Simply Chartreuse - Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; white
Dies: Needle Book Die Collection, Floral Cluster Die Collection, Scissor Keeper Die Collection, Flowers Die Collection - Papertrey Ink

Other: Embroidery Floss - DMC; Needles; Threader; Glassine Envelope

Smile Wall Art Ensemble:

Stamps: Sewing Staples Mini, Words Of Comfort - Papertrey Ink

Felt: Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Lavender Moon, Vintage Cream, Simply Chartreuse, Spring Moss, Classic Kraft - Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: White

Dies: Needle Book Die Collection, Floral Cluster Die Collection, Flowers Die Collection - Papertrey Ink

Other: White Seed Beads, Fresh Snow Satin Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Embroidery Floss - DMC; Glassine Envelope; Scor Tape; Linen; Heat N Bond - Thermoweb; 4" Embroidery Hoop - Darice