Needle Books & Cases: {Free Patterns & Tutorials}

Here’s a collection of patterns and tutorials for sewing / embroidery needle books & cases. Materials vary, there are felt, fabric & cross stitch covers. Some are simple with sleeves of felt or wool to hold needles, others quite elaborate with pouches and pockets to hold supplies. I separated projects into sections to help keep them sorted. Enjoy! Update: I added to charming vintage patterns at the bottom of the page (a sunbonnet and a flower bouquet).

This first section lists tutorials for books that hold needles only, many are quick & easy projects.

Simple Case: Fabric case lined with wool felt.

Toadstool: Made with assorted pieces of felt, snaps closed and has a few inner pages to hold needles.

Strawberry Delight: Free pdf pattern and tutorial download.

Hexagon: Lovely design that features a d-ring hanging loop.

Mini Label Book: Cute little book with a pull-tab closure (under label).

Grandma’s: Cover old greeting cards with fusible webbing and fabric.

Felt: Cutie with button and embroidery floss closure.

Padded Geisha: Includes link to free geisha pattern (pdf download).

Sweet & Spotty Wallet: (pdf) Free pattern download.

Woven: They only require about 2 1/2 yards of yarn, and whip up in no time.

Housewife Needlecase: Based on a vintage design.

Felt Sewing Book: Sweet design with a tab and button closure.

Fabric Case: Padded with batting, button & fabric loop closure.

Folded Hexagon: A great way to use up assorted fabric scraps, two pieces of felt are sewn inside to hold needles.

Notebook: Fabric cover embellished with a strip of fabric and rick rack, button & loop closure and inner felt pages.

Pretty Felt: Four circle of felt are stitched together with design worked on cover.

Patchwork Cover With Felt Pages: Cute project with a patchwork back cover and decorated fabric front, felt pages are inside and have a decorative edge cut with scallop scissors.

Felt Ladybug: Unfolds revealing six sections that will hold pins, needles and buttons, has a velcro tab closure.

With Pockets & Features

These tutorials are for cases that hold needles as well as other things like scissors, thimbles, buttons, threads, etc.

Needlecase Tutorial: Folds up with a tab and button closure.

Springberries: (pdf) Includes lovely embroidery design.

Patchwork: Crazy patchwork design, includes directions for adding a scissor pouch.

6 Pocket: These instructions will help you create a needle book with six pockets for packages of needles and room to add felt pages if you so desire.

Hussif Tutorial: A nice practical size, simple, but elegant, with pockets to hold all the essential things.

Travel Sewing Kit: Quilted book that features pockets to hold thread and supplies, a scissor pocket, felt pieces for needles and fabric ties for closure.

Sewing Case: Tutorial for a case that organizes different sets of needles and holds scissors.

Embroidered Pin Case: Fold out pockets that hold all kinds of goodies.

Wee Felt: Simple project for beginners.

Felt Travel Sewing Kitty: Great gift for cat & craft lovers, decorative cover in kitten design. Lovely organization features inside.

Ready Threader: This is neat, holds a spool of thread and has a felt insert to hold needles.

Heart: A patchwork of charms is first sewn then made into a heart-shaped case that features an inner scissor pouch. Free pdf pattern and tutorial downloads.

Quilted: Very nice! Features inner pockets large enough to hold embroidery floss & scissors.

Travel Case: Lined with plastic canvas to stiffen and shape, this holds a spool of thread, buttons, pins, needles and tiny foldable scissors.

Cross Stitch Covers

Pretty Pinkeep (chart available for English, Latin & French) You’ll find the instructions and chart here (pdf).

Tutorial with Charts: Shows how to line a cross stitched piece with felt to make a needlebook. Cross stitch patterns included (pdf download).

More Projects:

• Made With A Cigarette Case
• 4″ x 4″ Fabric Pieced
• Victorian Thimble Pouch: Crochet pattern. Add this to your hussif.
• Needle Pad Tutorial

Sunbonnet – Vintage Pattern

*First published on Tipnut October 15, 2008 and moved to this page for better organization

This pattern is quite the charmer, it’s a unique Sunbonnet Sewing Case which has the brim of the bonnet holding needles while the bonnet itself is a small drawstring pouch to hold sewing supplies (like threads, a thimble, small pair of scissors, etc.). This pattern is from 1936.

Fabric: Use gingham, cotton print, silk or velvet.

Cutting Instructions:

• Cut section (1) on fold of material.
• From section (2) cut 1 pair for outside and another pair for inside facing.
• From section (2) also cut 2 cardboard pieces for stiffening and 2 white flannel pieces (for inside needle section) omitting the 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Directions:

• Join each section (2) to facing leaving long straight side free, insert cardboard. Repeat for other side.
• Sew tape to form casing on underside of section (1) finish lower edge with narrow hem and draw gathers at other edge into 6-1/2 inches. Join the gathered edge to one edge of section (2).
• Buttonhole the curved and short side of each white flannel section (detail 2) using 2 threads six strand cotton. Turn in seam allowance of facing and slipstitch to position over the raw edge of each flannelette section.
• Slip ribbon through casing, draw together and tie a bow.

Pattern Download
Both the image file and a pdf are available below

JPG Pattern Download (First save to your desktop before printing; Don’t check “Fit To Page” and it should print out true to size.)

Sunbonnet Sewing Case PDF Pattern Download. The pattern won’t print off true to size so you’ll need to enlarge it (measurement details are included in the pdf).

Flower Bouquet

*First published here on Tipnut September 24, 2008 and moved to this page for better organization

This pattern is from 1936 and is a Flower Bouquet design.

There are three pieces: the inside section, outer section and stem. The outer section and stem are transfer patterns, if you need help transferring them, see this page: Pattern Transfer Tips.

Instructions from the pattern are below.

Needlecase (Bouquet Design):

Consists of 3 pieces. The outer case and stem section are transfer patterns, the inside section is a printed pattern. Stamp the transfer patterns on felt, flannel or broadcloth.

Cut out material, cutting along the inner edge of the stamped line. Pin the printed pattern for inside section on contrasting felt, flannel, or broadcloth and cut out.

To Embroider

Use embroidery wool split to half the thickness and embroider in green, rose, violet, blue, yellow and white (to match material). Work in lazy daisy stitch, buttonhole stitch, French knots and straight stitches.

Lap the stem over the back of case matching the broken line and fasten to position with lazy daisy stitches over the “V” shaped marks. Place the inside section over the wrong side of material for outer section (about 1/16 inch below the top edge of case) and slip stitch from circle to circle and along the center fold line (leaving side and lower edges free). Fold on line indicated and fasten edges together at circle beneath an embroidered leaf. Tie a ribbon bow around stem and fasten to position at cross.

Pattern Download: You have two options, download the image file or the pdf (or both if you like).

The image file is here: Vintage Pattern. Don’t check “Fit To Page” and it should print out true to size.

The pdf file is here: (pdf). The pattern’s details are included in the file. The pattern won’t print off true to size so you’ll need to enlarge it.