How to make a sewing needle case

This sweet little sewing needle case can be sewn entirely by hand, perfect for keeping those needles safe and secure!

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Sarah Griffiths

Published: June 26, 2020 at 8:00 am

If you're anything like us, you'll know that losing your needles is a common occurrence! Keep all those sharp and pointy things safe and secure in this cute sewing needle case. This small needle case is a quick and easy make that you can whip up in no time, and the best part is - no sewing machine required!

You will need

  • Craft felt – yellow and pink
  • Printed fabric scraps
  • Gosgrain ribbon 8in long
  • 8 paper hexagon templates, each 1in diameter (½ in along each of the six sides)

You can find a template for the 1 in hexagons needed here, or alternatively, you can find our whole range of hexagon templates for printing here

Top Tip

Close and place the finished small needle case under a pile of books or magazines for an hour to create a crisp, permanent crease along the spine.

Free sewing needle case pattern

You will need:

  • Felt
  • Fabric scraps
  • Ribbon
  • Hexagon template

Step 1

Cutting out

From the yellow felt, cut a rectangle 7in x 3½in. From the pink felt, cut a square 3in x 3in. Set aside for later.

Step 2

From the printed fabric, cut out one rectangle 6in x 3in for the inside pages. You can use pinking shears (as we have) for a pretty finish. The pinked edge also helps to prevent the fabric from fraying. Set aside for later.

Step 3

Cut out eight squares of fabric into roughly 1½in squares

Step 4

Choose seven squares for the front of the needlecase. The eighth will be sewn to the back.

Step 5

Making the hexagon motif

Using the template as a guide, create eight hexagons, and stitch seven of them into the flower formation shown. To do this, follow the instructions below, or you can refer to our Step-by-Step English Paper Piecing guide here.

1. Select one of your paper hexagon templates. Pin the paper to the center of the wrong side of one of your fabric squares.

2. Fold over the right top side of the fabric followed by the top side.

3. Beginning on the folded corner, going from right to left, push the needle through both flaps of fabric but not the paper. Pull the needle through and repeat to make another stitch in the same spot (backstitch)

4. Move to the next corner. Repeat steps 2–3 for the rest of the corners, except the last one. Tuck the final corner in the same direction as the rest. Knot off when the hexie is complete.

5. Remove the center pin and press the hexie with a dry iron, but don’t remove the paper.

6. To join hexies, place two hexies right sides together and whipstitch along one edge, stitching both hexies together. Knot off when you reach the end of a hexie edge. Repeat until all necessary edges are attached.

Free_sewing_needle_case_pattern_square
As the needlecase won’t be washed, you can leave the papers in the hexagons for added structure.

Step 6

Constructing the needle case

Use small tacking stitches to attach the hexagon flower centrally to the pink felt. Set aside, to be used in step 9.

Step 7

Place the large rectangle of fabric centrally on top of the yellow felt. Onto the fabric, place the ribbon as shown – centrally with the ribbon ends extending over the edges. Pin in place, and fold the whole sandwich in half to find the ‘spine’ of the needlecase. Press with your fingers to make a crease.

Free_sewing_needle_case_pattern_inside

Step 8

Sew the fabric and ribbon to the felt along the length of the spine, using a neat running stitch.

Step 9

Close the needlecase and place the pink felt, with the hexagon motif facing up, on to the centre of the front ‘cover’. Pin in place and use a neat running stitch all around the edge to attach.

Step 10

Turn the case over and sew your remaining fabric hexagon onto the back of the needlecase, as shown.

Free_sewing_needle_case_pattern_detail

Step 11

Fill up your super-sweet needlecase with your most used needles and pins, and enjoy for yourself or give as a gift – if you can bear to part with it!

Sarah Griffiths

Senior Technical Editor, Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine

Sarah is our resident tech-expert, as at home whipping up quilt samples as she is tackling complex quilt-math with the aid of her trusty calculator, so she’s an essential part of Love Patchwork & Quilting team! She’s got a fabric stash that any quilter would envy (and yes, it’s a stash – not a hoard!) and an almost indecent number of projects on the go at any one time. She’ll often bring finished projects into work and wow the team with her sewing skills. Sarah’s our in-house American, originally from Ohio, she loves a good cup of tea (spearmint’s her favourite) and comes from a long tradition of family quilters. Find her on Instagram @spindleandshears
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