FRENCH GENERAL SEWING KIT

Any scrapbookers out there who are also sewers?  I've been sewing since, well I can't even remember when I started.  We had a children's sewing machine that my sisters and I shared, and we would spend hours sewing clothes for our Barbies.  Our grandmother and mother were both avid sewers so we were never short of fabric scraps.  I don't know how, but I even had the courage to apply for a seamstress job at 16 years old in a clothing store, doing alterations.  The manager even hired me!  That was quite the experience, I still cringe at some of the things that I experienced, but it did make me a better sewer.

Sizzix has the most wonderful dies made for us sewers, they are a collection designed for French General.  Here's a little blurb by Sizzix :

"Bringing the classic look of the rural French countryside to the United States, French General is a vintage craft store/workshop located in Los Angeles, California. Specializing in beads, buttons, millinery and textiles, their French-inspired collection is all about crafting with beautiful textiles and a simple vintage color palette. Having personally combed French flea markets for many of her unique treasures, Kaari Meng, the founder and owner of French General, has designed jewelry for Anthropologie, quilt fabrics for Moda, textiles for Fabricut  and has authored several books, including French-Inspired Jewelry, The French Inspired Home, Handmade Soirees, Treasured Notions and more. Now French General teams up with Sizzix for an exciting collection to organize beads, buttons, needles and notions."

I created this little sewing book using their sewing kit die.

It opens up to reveal little cards full of treasures.

I die-cut the main book using my extended cutting pad, paper, and extended cutting pad.  The paper I used for this project is from Blue Fern Studios, their Frolic collection. Fold along the scoring lines and ink the edges.  There are also two rectangle pieces that I also die cut with my patterned paper.  These pieces fit into the little half circles that were die-cut out.

I die-cut the little labels from white Specialty Stamping Paper (Ranger) and using the French General Sewing Words Framelits set/wstamps stamped the rectangle shape in Buttercup Archival Ink with Lindy's embossing powder. 

To embellish my book front, I die-cut scissors, buttons, and a pin cushion from The Sewing Basket Thinlits set out of white cardstock, patterned paper, and inked.

This Floral Wreath Thinlits set from Brenda Walton is perfect for those little extra touches.  There's everything here, flowers, butterfly, leaves, and frames!  These were all cut out using the Sizzix Sandwich, Magnetic Plate, Cutting Pad, Paper, Thinlits die(face down), Cutting Pad.  Ink the edges and assemble your embellishments to the front flap of your book.

I added my little treasures onto my cards and slipped them into the half-circle slots.

Here is my sewing book again!  Perfect little thank you gift for the sewer in your life!  I think I'm going to make another one just for my needles, I can never find any!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jan