A new needlebook is needed

Hello my faithful followers & friends ...

I have enrolled on yet another course of things that interest me.

I saw mention of Gentlework through the fabulous Rustic & White shop in Shrewsbury  which I featured on a post last November.

I was curious because I have not done hand sewing  since primary school!! Yes - I was of the generation in South Africa where we did embroidery in Primary school & Singer Hand machine sewing at secondary school. Does anyone else have memories of cranking the Singer sewing machine with the right hand while guiding the work with the left? You will know just what I mean about being quick & focused ...

However, many of my sewing items remained in South Africa. I do some sewing but not terribly organised like I used to be so I thought I better get organised for this course & to make it easier to just quickly do some sewing rather than spend most of the time looking for needles ...

While down in Dorset, I popped into a favourite fabric shop - Livingstone Textiles & found this  lovely selection & I knew straight away that I should do a needle case

However, deciding on the pattern & use of the case took a while.

I got out my late Grandmother's case for inspiration while berating my indecisiveness. My Grandmother was a dab hand at sewing of all sorts. During WWII, she nursed & then still sewed military tents at night as part of the massive South African war effort.

She owned a Singer treadle machine & could whip up anything on it from awnings to curtains; seat covers to tiny things for the home. She just made up the pattern or marked it out with chalk & that was it ...

Her fabulous little needlebook / case still holds some of her needles, threads & thimbles ...

My friend Ellie who is doing the Gentlework day with me, decided that we should make a case for each other so this was my one to her ...

I thought of my own needs - lots of felt pages to keep needles in, a little pocket front & back for bits (like an unpicker or thread) and a little pin cushion to match.

She in turn made me a fabulous needle bag with a padded front & back section for pins & needles

This was my other fabric choice I bought down south so decided to make a 'keep it all together' sewing bag for home with all the various needles I have - again with lots of felt pages, pockets & a pin cushion ...

An interesting time was had making Ellie's case because I had to think about how the needles are stored & what is needed. I also had to work out a simple design that was not too bulky but was still fit for purpose.

Are you a sewer & how do you store your needles?  I would love to see other examples of needle cases so please share ....

Thanks for stopping by, please leave a message so I know you have visited.

Dee ~♥~