MAKE… FABRIC PAGES WITH EYELETS

Create a shell-covered mini holiday photo album.

Step1

MAKE two holes in the scallop shell. Trace around the shell to make a template. Reduce this size by 1-2cm, checking it fits within the shell interior. Cut out your front and backing fabrics. Place right sides together, machine stitch, and turn right-side out. Mark the eyelet position with a pencil, as shown.

Step3

USE fabric punch pliers, or carefully snip a few threads, to punch a hole inside your backstitch circle. With a fresh thread, bring your needle up on the outside of the backstitch line and take your needle down through the hole. Repeat this by bringing your needle back up next to your first stitch, and down through the hole and so on.

Step 2

ATTACH any printed photos or shells at this point, by machine or by hand. Next, make the eyelets for binding the book. Thread a sharp needle and a single strand of stranded cotton, and work a neat backstitch circle – with a diameter of about 1cm – around your pencil mark. Keep your stitches the same length.

Step 4

NOTICE these stitches will cover the raw, punched edge, and should sit neatly side by side to cover the fabric completely. Repeat the steps to create the second eyelet. Finally, thread your pages with baker’s twine with your scallop shells, making the book cover, and knot to hold in place.