When bees find a good source of nectar, they do a dance to show the other bees where it is, so having finally finished my bee book, I’m doing my happy bee dance!
Three weeks ago I’d stitched the pages together, I just had the cover to make. During the Sewing Room Declutter Challenge tidy up I then found a bumble bee kit from Raggedy Ruff Designs, my initial thought was that it would fit on the cover of the book…
…I then started making the cover and had to rethink!
I had chosen a lovely blue bee themed fabric from Lewis and Irene. I measured round the book aiming for the cover to be 1/4″ bigger than the pages. I used some Pellon to stiffen the cover, Pellon is like a very thick vilene, like it’s probably 2mm thick. It’s also iron-on on one side. I ironed it on and put the folds in for the spine so I could work out the cover design. I always add a strip of fabric underneath the spine too, just in case it’s visible.
I made a bee hive and a queen bee last month to go on the spine. It only just fits and it was quite hard work stitching through the pellon. There’s a little gap at the top so the queen bee can be pulled in and out and the ribbon is the book mark. I added a bee charm to the end of the ribbon.
My tulip bee didn’t look right next to the hive on the spine, so I kept the cover simple with the title and a ribbon to tie.
I mulled over the name of the bee book for quite a while, I did quite like ‘A Bee Compendium’, with its ABC, but with compendium being such a long word, I couldn’t get it to work. In The end I kept it simple with ‘Bee’. I found a cross-stitch font I liked on Etsy and stitched it on a blue linen. The tiny bee button which I’ve had in my stash for ages worked perfectly.
I started to stitch the title on using the back-stitch but I realised very quickly that trying to do neat back-stitch through the pellon and stitch the label straight at the same time was going to be very hard. Instead I back-stitched the linen first and then machine stitched right next to the back-stitch so it blends in nicely.
So, my next dilemma was what to do with the tulip bee! Obviously I wanted to use it, it was too bright and happy to go at the back opposite the Last Bee poem. Colourwise it actually went perfectly next to the title page, so although it’s not ideal having the title page second, I wasn’t going to start unpicking pages. I cut a piece of iron-on buckram the same size as the pages to back the tulip with. I could then slip-stitch it to the title page, ready to stitch it to the cover.
For the back inside cover I decided to keep it simple with just the blue of the cover, so I made another ‘page’ of the blue fabric and slip stitched that to the Last Bee page.
Then came the fiddly bit, stitching the inside covers to the outer cover…lots of clover clips and a few curses later and it was complete. I had added the ribbon as I went which holds the book closed, I do like a ribbon closure on my fabric books.
Well I thought it was complete…
I was sorting another box for the Sewing Room Declutter Challenge and I found another bee embroidery, a square of crazy patchwork. It was so lovely I had to use it! I just checked back and I made this in January 2022!
Luckily it did look right next to the Last Bee poem, colour wise it worked and it wasn’t too bright and cheerful. I trimmed it to a neat 5″ square. I looked at ways to attach it as the book was already complete. In the end I used bondaweb!
There is definitely no more room in my book! I’ve counted up and there are over fifty embroidered bees of various sizes and styles. If you include the ones on the fabrics too there are over a hundred bees in the book.
I decided the best way to share my book was a video, so I’ve add a reel to YouTube. Apologies for the silence, I tried adding some peaceful bee themed music, but it seemed to cut the video short!!! Here’s the link…
This SAL is organised by Avis, please follow the links to see what everyone else has been stitching;
Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret,
Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, Cathie,
Linda, MaryMargaret, Cindy, Helen
thecraftycreek 
Your bee book is way better than I ever imagined it to be, really wonderful. The Instagram video frustratingly cuts short the look through your lovely book but nevertheless it was a good idea to show it to us all. Having the inside cover blank must have been your sixth sense working as that lovely piece of crazy patchwork you found really is perfect for that place. Thank you for sharing your progress through the making of your book, I just wish I had your creative expertise!
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Just trying to sort the video, Instagram seems to have a time limit! Just trying to upload to YouTube!
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Just changed the video to Youtube, it seems to be working now 🙂
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Thanks Lynda, I’m really pleased with it.
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Definitely a bee happy dance! I’ll check back for the you tube link…do you have a new project in mind already, or take a short rest with a smaller one?
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Thanks Kathy, I’ve a kit to stitch next!
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What a stunning piece of work. I particularly like the double spread, doily page and obviously the goldwork bee! The bee page marker is an inspiration. So love this!
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Thank you, thats my favourite page too 🙂
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It’s Bee-utiful!!! Congrats on the finish. Such a treasure!
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Thanks Christina
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Your bee book is beautiful. I am amazed by your patience and talent when working on and completing the books.
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Thank you, I’m really pleased with it.
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A beautiful addition to your Book Collection. I am wondering what your next book will be Margaret?
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Thank you, I have a few in my mind!!
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Wow! Just Wow! 🙂
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Thanks Laura
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Congratulations. What a work of art
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Thank you
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I was trying to choose a favourite page but they’re all beautiful. What an incredible project! The Youtube video is a great idea. Works perfectly!
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Thank you, I think the goldwork bee opposite the blackwork bee is my favourite page 🙂
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Your bee book made me smile. It’s a extremely lovely creation.
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Thank you
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wow, is all I can say really. Gobsmacked!!! And chuckling at the last bee poem lol
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Thanks Claire, I’m well chuffed with it.
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You by far have the most interesting project I have ever seen in my years in SALs. What a wonderful keepsake for you and your family. What an inspiration you are. Absolutely stunning work. Congratulations on such a massive happy dance!
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Thank you so much for your lovely comment
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Congratulations! What a project!
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Thank you, I’m well chuffed with it!
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