This elephant pattern was somewhat of a challenge to draw, but even worse for creating the holes. Unless you are very, very careful, this pattern probably can’t get much smaller than what it is here, 1.25″/3.1cm from the spine edge. Those holes around the tusks are *very* close together. It also requires 96 holes, just for three elephants! I’d definitely call it an advanced pattern, if only for the setup. Pretty adorable, right?
I’ve started a series of animal stab binds, just to see how many I can create and how recognizable they are. Next up, elephants and a lion!
This giraffe bind has 55 holes and is only complicated in the middle, as the holes look random when unsewn and knowing which is which is a bit tricky. Otherwise it’s pretty straightforward! It would make a cute baby book/picture album.
I took a poll to name this design, and ‘lunaria‘ was decided on, because it (sort of) looks like the seed pods from that particular plant.
This bind is probably an advanced intermediate, not because the sewing itself is difficult but because it requires drilling 80 holes!
I was proud that as I tested this pattern, I was also able to practice my French numbers, ha!
(I recited each step aloud as my husband typed it up for a future tutorial…)
The lotus blossom! This is probably an advanced bind, just because it’s tricky to make sure you haven’t missed any of the steps. 36 holes.
Second place in the tutorial poll. A very simple bind, no twists or complicated V shapes. 58 total holes. If you’d rather have cinnamon rolls instead of sushi, ignore the steps marked with an asterisk “*”.
**click any image to enlarge**
hole pattern
sewing pattern
EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====
enter 1, leave a tail but don’t knot it, wrap around right edge, enter 1 again
exit 2, wrap around spine, exit 2 again
enter 3
exit 4
enter 5
exit 6
enter 5
exit 4
enter 3
exit 2
enter 1
exit 7
enter 8
exit 9
enter 10
exit 11
enter 12
exit 13
enter 14
exit 15
enter 16
exit 17
enter 18
exit 19
enter 20
*exit 16
*enter 20
exit 19
enter 18
exit 17
enter 16
exit 15
enter 14
exit 13
enter 12
exit 11
enter 10
exit 9
enter 8
exit 7
enter 6
exit 21
enter 5, wrap around spine, enter 5 again
exit 22
enter 23
exit 24
enter 25
exit 24
enter 23
exit 22
enter 5
exit 21
enter 26
exit 27
enter 28
exit 29
enter 30
exit 31
enter 32
exit 33
enter 34
exit 35
enter 36
exit 37
enter 38
exit 39
*enter 35
*exit 39
enter 38
exit 37
enter 36
exit 35
enter 34
exit 33
enter 32
exit 31
enter 30
exit 29
enter 28
exit 27
enter 26
exit 25
enter 40
exit 24, wrap around spine, exit 24 again
enter 41
exit 42
enter 43, wrap around spine, enter 43 again
exit 44, wrap around left edge, exit 44 again
enter 43
exit 42
enter 41
exit 24
enter 40
exit 45
enter 46
exit 47
enter 48
exit 49
enter 50
exit 51
enter 52
exit 53
enter 54
exit 55
enter 56
exit 57
enter 58
*exit 54
*enter 58
exit 57
enter 56
exit 55
enter 54
exit 53
enter 52
exit 51
enter 50
exit 49
enter 48
exit 47
enter 46
exit 45
enter 44
exit 45
enter 40
exit 25
enter 26
exit 21
enter 6
exit 7, tie off
The maple leaf pattern tutorial, as requested in the poll! I’d say this one is pretty simple. The instructions for the ‘V’s at the edges are written differently than usual, but I hope it make it a bit easier.
*Tip: make holes 1, 14, and 26 a bit larger than the others, as the needle will have to go through them eight times.*
**click on an image to enlarge**
hole pattern
sewing pattern
EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====
enter 1, leave a tail but don’t knot it
exit 2, wrap around right edge, exit 2 again
enter 1
exit 3
enter 1
exit 4
enter 1
exit 6
enter 1
exit 7
enter 1
exit 9
enter 1
exit 11
enter 1
exit 12
enter 11
exit 10
enter 9
exit 8, wrap around spine, exit 8 again
enter 7, wrap around spine
enter 6
exit 5, wrap around right edge, exit 5 again
wrap around spine, exit 5 again
enter 4, wrap around right edge
enter 3
exit 2
enter 3, wrap around right edge, thread needle through loop at edge, point up
enter 4
exit 5
enter 6, wrap around spine, thread needle through loop at edge, point right
enter 7
exit 8
enter 9
exit 10
enter 11
exit 12
enter 13
exit 14
enter 15
exit 14
enter 16
exit 14
enter 18
exit 14
enter 19
exit 14
enter 21
exit 14
enter 23
exit 14
enter 24
exit 23
enter 22
exit 21
enter 20, wrap around spine, enter 20 again
exit 19, wrap around spine
exit 18
enter 17, wrap around spine, enter 17 again
exit 16
enter 10
exit 15
enter 13
exit 15
enter 10
exit 16
enter 17
exit 18, wrap around spine, thread needle through loop at edge, point right
exit 19
enter 20
exit 21
enter 22
exit 23
enter 24
exit 25
enter 26
exit 27
enter 26
exit 28
enter 26
exit 30
enter 26
exit 31
enter 26
exit 33
enter 26
exit 34
enter 26
exit 35, wrap around left edge, exit 35 again
enter 34, wrap around left edge
enter 33
exit 32, wrap around left edge, exit 32 again
wrap around spine, exit 32 again
enter 31, wrap around spine
enter 30
exit 29, wrap around spine, exit 29 again
enter 28
exit 22
enter 27
exit 25
enter 27
exit 22
enter 28
exit 29
enter 30, wrap around spine, thread needle through loop at edge, point right
enter 31
exit 32
enter 33, wrap around left edge, thread needle through loop at edge, point down
enter 34
exit 35
enter 26
exit 25
enter 24
exit 14
enter 13
exit 12, tie off
Another spiral. I am actually not too fond of snails, as I think they’re gross and slimy (and I encountered way too many when I lived in England)…but how could I not try for the stab pattern? You could modify this and make the snail’s body longer, but I thought it looked odd, so I shortened the spine width down by an inch.
I’d rate this bind as very easy. There are segments that could be easily missed while sewing the bottom edge, but it’s very simple to add in the missing stitches later.
39 holes. 5″(12.7cm) wide, .25″(.64cm) thick. I forgot to write down how many times I wrapped the spine for the thread length (sorry!), but I think that it was around 8 times.
I’ve been on a spiral kick lately. I was going for cinnamon rolls with this design, but was informed that it looked more like sushi. Later I might try a vertical, ‘stacked’ version so the sushi pattern is more obvious when the book is displayed correctly. But here you go! Advanced beginner, just because of the number of holes. Very easy to sew.
58 holes, 6″(15.24cm) wide, .25″(.64cm) thick. I wrapped the spine about 9 times to get thread length.
An accidental animal print. 74 holes on this one. I suppose that a real animal print wouldn’t have repeats, but…oh well. The sides on this design are a bit tricky, as are the Vs on the spine. I wrapped the spine 8 times to get the thread length. 6″(15.24cm) wide, .25″(.64cm) thick.
becca making faces 