Wessex Needlecase

Requirements

A piece of Evenweave fabric or Aida large enough to stitch a rectangle of 100 threads by 50 threads, plus enough room to get it in a hoop, if you wish to use one! It depends on the count of your fabric how big the piece will be.

A hoop to fit the piece of fabric

Threads suitable for the fabric (on 14 count Aida I used Perle 8)

A piece of wadding the size of your finished needlecase

A piece of cotton fabric for the lining

A tapestry needle suitable for the threads you are using

A sharp needle suitable for the threads you are using

A piece of Doctor’s flannel or wool felt slightly smaller than your finished needlecase

Instructions

Start stitching 4 threads up and 4 threads in from the bottom right hand corner. (if left handed you can start from the bottom left hand corner)

Follow the chart, using as many colours as you like. (or only one!)

When you have finished the front you can do the back (if you want to!)

When you have finished all the stitching it is time to make it up!

Cut away the excess fabric, leaving about 1cm all round the outside tacking line.

Here you need to decide if you want to use wadding. If you do, cut a piece the same size (or very slightly smaller [2mm all round]) and tack it to your stitching.

Fold the edge in (over the wadding if you have used it) on the tacking line and tack it down with fairly small stitches.

Take the piece of cotton fabric and cut it 2cms larger in both directions. Fold in 1cm on each edge and pin to your stitching (you can tack this as well if you like!)

Take your sharp needle and join the lining to the stitching using blanket stitch. (I make sure to insert my needle vertically down through all layers from the right side of the stitching) Take out all the tacking threads.

Pin the Doctor’s flannel in the middle of the needlecase, and using a double running stitch over 2 threads stitch it in place. (again insert the needle vertically through the layers and make sure the stitches join up on the right side!)

Well done! You now have a beautiful needle case! Insert needles and use!

Two Wessex needlecases. The one on the left is using 14 count Aida, on the right 32 count evenweave!