Bridal Project: Stunning Wedding Albums
June is fast approaching, and with it the upcoming wedding season. What better time to use your sewing skills to personalize a gift - for the bride, or for the bridesmaids? We're pleased to offer some lovely suggestions.
The first project shows you how to make stunning wedding albums. If a close friend of yours is getting married, and you'd really like to give her something personal in addition to the practical gifts from the registry, this album is a beautiful idea. It can be used as a wedding gift, or can be given at the time of the engagement to save wonderful memories of this special time.
YOU WILL NEED:
One 3-ring binder
Photo-album pages (as many as you like)
3/8 yard fleece
1/2 yard white satin
2 yards satin piping or narrow lace trim
Four identical floral appliques (if you're not going to embroider)
Oval picture frame base
Matching thread
Stabilizer
Tailor's chalk or erasable pen (either water or air-erasable)
Glue
INSTRUCTIONS
Open the binder.
Make a pattern by laying the satin on the binder and marking a section equal to the size of the binder.
Add 1/2" on the long sides of the binder and 3/4" on the shorter sides. DO NOT cut the satin yet.
Using the tailor's chalk or pen, mark the position of the binder's spine on the satin.
On the front section, mark 1" in on all sides.
Place the oval frame in the desired position (center, upper or lower side, etc.) and trace the inside of the oval.
Using these markings, either embroider a floral design on each corner, or position and either sew or glue the floral appliques.
For the inside of the oval you have two options. The first is to embroider the names of the couple and the date of their engagement or wedding. If you choose this option, do it now. Another idea is to insert a photograph of the couple, developed in either black and white or sepia tones. You can glue the photograph now, or leave it for later.
Cut out the cover piece of satin. If you used chalk or a water-erasable pen, remove the markings carefully with a damp cloth. If you used an air-erasable pen, the markings will disappear on their own.
Now cut two more pieces of sating the same size as the binder front plus 1/2" on all sides (these are for the front and back inside covers).
Cut a piece of satin that is 3" wide and 32" long (for the oval frame cover).
Now you need the fleece. Cut pieces to match the front, back and spine of the binder. Attach it using spray adhesive or craft glue.
Attach the zipper foot to your sewing machine.
Pin the piping or lace trim to the outer edges of the cover, and machine-baste at a 1/4" seam allowance. When you reach the corners, clip the edges as needed, and overlap the ends.
Take the inside sections. Turn under 1/2" on one long side of each; pin and stitch in place.
Place the inside sections on the outside cover with right sides together and the finished edges of the inside covers toward the spine of the binder. Stitch all the way around using a 1/4" seam allowance (the spine area will have a single fabric thickness).
Clip the seam allowance at the corners and turn the binding cover right side out.
Insert the binder into the cover; use craft or fabric glue to secure the inner edges in place.
You're almost done!
Take the satin strip, and seam the ends together to form a circle.
Stitch each long edge using two parallel rows of straight basting stitches.
Gather up the strip by pulling the bobbin threads.
Wrap the gathered fabric around the cardboard oval, making sure that it's divided evenly.
Use white glue to adhere the satin to the oval. When it's dry, glue the oval to the front of the covered album, making sure that the embroidery/photograph is centered in the middle.
Insert photo pages into the binder - and you're done!!
b>Decoration variations:>
1) If floral motifs don't appeal to you, you can sew pearls in the four corners instead.
2) Take a copy of the couple's wedding invitation and take it to a photocopy place. Adjust the photocopy size to fit inside one of the inside album covers, and copy the invitation onto iron-on transfer paper (can be found in office supply stores). Iron it onto one - or both - of the inside covers.
3) If you use a photograph on the front cover of the wedding album, have it laminated first for added protection.
4) For elegant gift-wrapping: Buy a gift-box to fit the album. Lay the album on a piece of tissue paper, and lay another layer of tissue paper on top. Tie it all together with a satin ribbon, and place inside the box. Now you can either take the box to be professionally gift-wrapped, or you can do it yourself.
5) To further personalize this album, compose a poem or wish for the new couple. Print it out on parchment paper in a calligraphic font, and either place inside the first page of the wedding album or glue to an inside cover.
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