How to make the cards
Do the embroidery for each side, making sure you can trim to size after they are done. Each sandwich is a front and back with the interfacing and batting inbetween.
I wanted them stiff, so I put extra stiff interfacing (Pellon) and one layer of batting in each sandwich. I made this like small quilts – so stitched them together around the border edge, trimmed to size (these are 9” square) and then sewed binding on each one. The easiest way to do the binding is to precut the piece and sew it in a circle. Then I ironed it into the square shape, including the mitered corners. I put this on top of the quilted square and pinned and stitched. Then turned the binding to the back and hand sewed it down.
How to make a basic fabric box
I had to modify this for this project because the box was so big, and those instructions are below. But for the basic small box you make a paper pattern that is a cross with one side having 3 sections (2 sides and the bottom of the box) and the other side having 4 sections (2 sides, the bottom, and the top of the box).
You can add a 5th section to this if you want a flap that folds over one of the sides. Put your sandwich together to be turned: batting (fat bat works well for this), then the 2 layers of fabric right sides together.
Sew the pieces together, leaving about a 4 to 5” section open. Clip the batting close to the seam line, and trim seams, especially at the corners. Hand stitch up the sides of the box.
How I made the Alphabet box
Because this box was so large I made it in 2 sections – the 3 section and the 5 section (because there was the flap). I didn’t want to turn it, so I made it like the cards – putting the sandwiches together and quilting and binding each strip.
Then I made the straps and layered them on between these two sections on the bottom, and then sewed them up the two sides. The box with cards is heavy, so I wanted it to be supported from the bottom.
When you measure the box size be sure to make it large enough to accommodate the batting thickness on the sides and bottom, especially if you are using the fat bat. I also added a couple of inches in the length so that the cards didn’t fit too tightly, and could be paged through by little hands. So this box is not a cube, but rectangular.
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Our very special thanks to Kathy from California.
