Today I’m thrilled to welcome Mandy Koeppen to the blog to share five beautiful ideas for sewing on your scrapbook pages. I love the looks Mandy has created to share with us, and hope you find some inspiration for a project of your own! -Shimelle
I love to stitch on my projects either hand stitching or machine stitching(I still haven’t mastered this one) it gives that added personal touch that hopefully one day years from now when my great grandchildren rub their hands over the page they’ll feel the love and time that went into documenting our memories. I have decided to make this guest post all about hand stitching. I know it’s time consuming and it might be easier for you to run your project thru the sewing machine but after you see what I’m going to share with you I think you might change your mind and give the old needle and thread another look next time. I’m going to share 5 different ways to get beautiful hand stitched details on your projects along with some tip. Let’s get started.
Making Your Title Pop
If you know my style you know that I am into enlarged photos and long titles. I think they make a big statement and are eye catching in galleries. Sometimes the color of the letters used on my projects look like they need a little something more so one day while creating it hit me stitch around the Thickers in another color to make them pop and that’s just what I did. For those who don’t have patients this might not be a good one for you to try unless you are a one word title kind of person because this takes a longtime but it’s truly beautiful when you’re finished.
Borders
This is an easy and fun way to mix your stitching up. Yes it’s faster through the sewing machine but I love that chunkier look the hand stitching gives and the different stitches you can use without changing settings because your using your hands. For example this card has a straight stitch that you only see every other stitch but I could have added the x stitch, swirly stitches, and more to the border. You could mix colors and stitches for another look too.
Holding Those Pesky Letters Down
I know we have all had this problem you open up a package of letter stickers or Thickers and they don’t stick or you have moved them around on your page so much they loose their stick well guess what I do when that happens? You got it I stitch down the centers or across the letters to keep them in place on my projects. This doesn’t have to be just for stickers either the LOVE on this layout was cut from pattern paper so to hold it down and give it a pop of color I stitched the letters to the page.
Shapes
With hand stitching the sky’s the limit to the shapes you can stitch. You can make your own templates or Miss Amy Tan has released a fab new set of templates for those of us who like to hand stitch(I saw these at CHA 2013 and they are way cool). Stitching around cut shapes gives your project added dimension as seen in the clouds in the photo below.
TIP using your own template: before you start putting holes in you project print/draw/cutout your shape on cardstock, then punch your stitch holes with a paper piercer into the cardstock, once you have the look you want place your template on your project and re-pierce the holes thru the template onto your project.
Stitch Anywhere on Your Projects
Hand stitching gives the option to stitch and create anywhere on your projects unlike your traditional sewing machine that you have a set amount of space you can get to with the needle. On this layout I was able to hand stitch the flight pattern on the map with my sewing machine I wouldn’t have been able to do this (remember some of you can I just haven’t mastered the machine so this is easier for me). It only takes a few minutes and it adds that added little detail to the page for me.
I love that with hand stitching you have loads of options: colors of threads, thickness, patterns, tools, where you want to create on your project and you can do a little or a lot it shows the love and hard work that went into creating the layout/card/minibook etc.
A few tips before I say goodbye.
*Paper Piercer is a must have but you can substitute if needed
*Pushpads are awesome and make piercing your holes much easier especially on lots of layers. A mouse pad will work too.
*Needles there are so many sizes try different ones and see which you like best.
*threads oh my goodness there are so many varieties and colors that again you will try different ones and find you faves. I have a enamel pan that my grandma gave me from her punch needle & crocheting days.
*Templates are so easy you don’t have to by them make your own of just freehand on your project. It’s easy and most of all fun!
Last but not least try it, have fun with it, and if it’s not for you that’s ok too!
Mandy Koeppen is a 30 something mom of 3 who juggles many job titles in her everyday life from chauffeuring family accountant, to zoo keeping therapist. She lives a small town country girl life. Mandy and her Mr.K have been married for 12 years together they are raising their 3 children Teagan, Mavrick, and Avery in Michigan. When she has time Mandy loves to get creative with paper, browse her local antique shops, raise Autism Awareness for sweet Mav, and having fun with family & friends. Mandy’s work has been published in Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbook Trends, Scrapbooks Etc, and Somerset Memories. Mandy’s currently designs for Cocoa Daisy Kits. To see more of Mandy’s work or to get to know her better you can visit her blog http://mandykoeppen.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter & Instagram: MandyKoeppen