Needle books for Christmas Presents
September 17, 2009 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under crafts, handmade, notions and accessories
Have you started working on making your Christmas presents yet?
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I have 
A few weeks ago,
I posted about
finding a delightful
Sunbonnet Sue
Needle book in
a thrift store
while we were on holidays.
That’s her on the far left
in the photo.
I posted the link for the pattern for my version of an updated Sunbonnet Sue Needle book (the one in the center) at:
Why would you want to use a needle book instead of a pin cushion? Needles don’t have the head on them that pins do, so when they are
stuck into pincushions, then can work themselves right into the pin cushion and get lost forever.
(And can be found unexpectedly – ouch!)
But- insert them into one of the inner pages of a needle book, and they are safely and securely stored.
A much more satisfactory arrangement all round!
photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I am making Sunbonnet Sue needle books for a couple of my near-and-dears
for Christmas.
I am tatting the lace for the embellishments and trims.
Why? Because I absolutely LOVE tatting, and because I’d rather tat the lace to scale than try and find the correct size of lace in a store. I’d rather tat than shop!
And, besides, it’s just one more way of making a special little gift even more precious!
I absolutely love these little Sunbonnet Sue needle cases. I hope that they will bring delight on Christmas morning!
Hello Noreen, Sun Bonnet Sue is so charming!! I think they would make a super gift for any type of stitcher, crafter, tatter, or quilter. Fabulous idea!! I think I will try to make some as gifts also. Thank you for the idea. I tried the link and it didn’t work. I’ll check back later. Have a great day!!
Very cute. I saw a pattern for a very similar little needlecase in one of the tatting books I had from the library earlier this year. I think it was New Twist on Tatting, but I won’t swear to it. They were made in cotton prints.
Hi Carol
Noreen
Thanks so much! I just love her, and hope that the people who will be receiving her for Christmas will enjoy her, too!
Hopefully the link will work now… b5 was having server problems that they had to jump through hoops to fix, so hopefully all will get well and be well!
Hi Katherine
I love how these treasures last for decades!
Oh how neat! I wonder when that book was published…. the vintage Sunbonnet Sue needle case that I found in the thrift store doesn’t have any tatting on it, just some purchased trims that are in very rough shape. I suspect that because Sunbonnet Sue is such a classic motif, that she’s been used many times, in many ways. But, how very neat to have seen her with tatting on her!
I love it!
Because the one I found was made in felt, it kind of imprinted itself on me as being a felt project- LOL- but…. given that SunBonnet Sue has been quilted for so many generations, making it in cotton print makes sense. Hmmm… I wonder how they dealt with fraying edges for the cloth needlebooks? hmmmmmm….. interesting thought…..
Noreen