Fabric Bookmark from Scraps!

I’m an avid reader and I usually have at least 3 books on the go at one time – yes, I get bored easily! Due to my reading habits, I’m always looking for bookmarks and I’ve found a quick and easy way to make them using scrap fabric and the Janome Continental M7.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own fabric bookmark:

• 2 fabric scrap pieces (one for the front and one for the back).  I found that using leftover jelly roll strips works perfectly and, if you are using these as well, cut your two fabric pieces to 9” long. If you are using other scrap fabrics, I’ve found that 2½” wide by 9” long works well.
• 2 pieces of fusible interfacing 2” x 8½” (cut slightly shorter and narrower than your fabric strips)
• 7” piece of ribbon or cord for the tassel
• Thread for decorative stitching – for top and bobbin
• Single hole punch
• Erasable marker (chalk pen, Frixion pen, etc.)
• Pinking shears (optional)
• Usual stitching supplies (iron, pressing surface, etc.)
• Janome Continental M7 with HP foot and needle plate installed
• Your imagination!

Now that you have all your materials, let’s get to work. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of both of the fabric strips.

Pin the two pieces of fabric wrong sides together and stitch them together with a ¼” seam. This is where the HP foot and needle plate on the Janome Continental M7 work so well as you can stitch a perfect ¼” seam with this combination.

Optional – Get out your pinking shears and trim close to the stitching on all edges of the bookmark, being careful not to cut through the stitching. If you’re using a jelly roll strip remnant, you’ll only need to pink on two sides.

With all the decorative stitches and monograms available on the Janome Continental M7, there’s lots of choice for embellishing your bookmark.

Let’s add a monogram near the top of the bookmark and 3 lines of vertical decorative stitching under that. To give you some guidelines for the stitching, using an erasable marker, mark a line in the centre of the bookmark and then two other lines about ½” out on either side from this line.

Before stitching the monogram and the decorative stitches, you’ll need to change out the HP foot and needle plate on the Janome Continental M7 to the regular/zigzag needle plate and the F or F2 foot. Either of these feet will work; I prefer to use the F2 foot for the visibility.

There are several monogram choices on the Janome Continental M7 and you can choose your favourite. I’ve decided to use the “Block 9mm” one and will stitch this first. I like to place the monogram about 1½” to 2” down from the top edge of the bookmark.

Note that the monogram stitches “sideways” so be sure to place your bookmark under the needle in the appropriate orientation.

Once the monogram has been stitched out, it’s time to play with the decorative stitches.

There are hundreds of decorative stitches on the Janome Continental M7 but really there are even more as you can adjust the width and length of the majority of these stitches. You can even mirror and flip some of them as well. So much freedom and opportunities for creativity with the Janome Continental M7!

To ensure that your stitches don’t meander (it’s not free motion quilting!) as you’re stitching them, align the centre mark on the F or F2 foot with the drawn line on the bookmark.

I decided to stitch D12 (Decorative stitch 12) down the centre of the bookmark using the default settings.

Now it’s time to decide on the stitches to use on either side. I decided to use D88 on one side and L6 on the other, both using the default settings.

Once your stitching is done, remove the lines that you’ve drawn on the bookmark.

Next it’s time to add the ribbon or cord. Using a hole punch, punch a hole through the bookmark in the centre near the top edge. Fold your ribbon or cord in half and insert it through the hole and then take the raw ends, pull them through the loop and pull tightly.

And you’re done!

This project is a good way to test out the decorative stitches and monograms on the Janome Continental M7 while adding some pizzazz to your bookmark. It’s also a quick and easy gift for your favourite bibliophile.

Now it’s time to put this bookmark to use in the book I’m currently reading!

Happy creating from Kim Jamieson-Hirst of Chatterbox Quilts, a Janome Canada Artisan in Calgary, Alberta.

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  https://www.chatterboxquilts.com