Fabric bookmark tutorial

I have been using things like old shopping dockets, or in one instance a toothpick (unused!) for a bookmark. Not ideal really. Especially the toothpick thing, because Iv'e nearly lost an eye a couple of times.
So I figured ... no bookmark and lots of fabric ...

Anyway getting on with it...

Here's what you'll need

Fabric

Iron on fusible interfacing

Ribbon

Buttons or some other embellishment.

Cut your fabric to approximately 42cm x 6cm

(That's about 16" x 2 1/2" in old money!)

Iron on your interfacing, and then turn edges under by about 1/2 cm (1/4").

I find pressing it helps.

and here we are, nice and pressed

Fold your fabric in half longways, trying to match up your sides.

Press. (I'm big on that, because it holds it all together)

Press those two ends in and clip them inwards. So they don't stick out when you sew it up (Sorry about sounding so technical : )

Tuck your ribbon between the two ends, and pin in place.

You could leave strips of ribbon sort of dangling out instead of a little loop if you like. I like the little loop because I can relate to being a bit loopy, and its something to idly twirl around my finger when I'm lost in a darn good chapter.

Here's the famous sewing machine shot. Oh yeah I nearly forgot... sew all around the outside of your now almost completed bookmark. Once you have done that you can sew on some buttons or a bit of a bow or something, and in my book (scuse the pun) it looks like a pretty nice bookmark. I thought perhaps of sewing the buttons on first, because it was tricky trying to not show the thread at the back where the buttons are sewn on, but they would get in the way of the presser foot, depending on where you sew them of course.

I hope you are able to follow my little tutorial. I have a knack of being able to make something really simple sound awfully complicated, so apologies in advance if you think this tutorial is a bit rubbish!!!
Anyhoo, I'm off for a cup of tea and a wee read now ...