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By using things that you would usually throw away you can make, very cheaply, a colourful book to store other things you have collected. Start collecting now to make the book by saving foil and Cellophane wrappers and any interesting envelopes, for example those with colourful stamps or your name, or with particularly good handwriting.

Other materials needed

fabrics (all double the size of the largest envelope):

• Calico
• Net
• Lining fabric

and

• Threads for the sewing machine
• Plaited threads for book-ties
• Beads as decoration

Equipment needed

• Glue (Pritt stick is good)
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Paper-clips
• Hole-punch or large needle

How to make the book-cover

Smooth out the foil and then cut or tear it into smaller pieces.

	Arrange the foil pieces onto the calico and glue them down when you like the pattern.
	Lay a piece of net over the whole of your foil design. Sew in place, using the sewing machine stitches to make an interesting pattern. Experiment with straight and zigzag stitches and with changing the colour of the thread. Notice how the net and the stitching change the colour and texture of the foil; it looks more like fabric now.
	Put the wrong side of the lining fabric to the wrong side of the foil fabric. Use a wide satin stitch on the sewing machine to stitch all the way round the edges to fix the lining to the foil fabric. Use the scissors to snip off any thread or fabric that is sticking out.

How to put the book together

Put all the envelopes together and then fold the cover in half with the envelopes inside. Use paper-clips to hold all the layers of paper and the cover. Punch two holes through the cover and envelopes using the hole-punch. Put the plaited threads through the holes and tie in a firm knot. Add beads to decorate the tie. Remove the paper-clips.

Now your collecting book is a safe place to store all kinds of things that you find. Things such as postcards, photographs, fabrics, shells, stamps, and so on, can be collected when you visit places such as museums, art galleries, beaches, the countryside, and even the street where you live. In fact, everywhere we go there are beautiful things that could be collected and used as ideas for embroidery designs.

You can see this cover or the one below in more detail by clicking on the small images.

The bookcovers were designed and made by Claire Buckley.

by Claire Buckley © The Embroiderers' Guild 1998 - 2011. First published in the Young Textile Group Project Book.

if you want to share this project with others, please link to it - don't copy it

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