My First Bookmark

[crosette]

Ok...so I just finished making my first bookmark. It's this one.

 

So...what now? I mean, what am I supposed to do to it? I know for sure that it has to be blocked but what else do you all do to bookmarks? Does whatever it is you do to them take a long time? I want to give it to someone tomorrow afternoon so....yea...

 

[crochetfun]

I would like to know, too. I made my first bookmark last night, too. (Pinky the bookworm)

 

Does one press these? Do they need starching?

[crosette]

I would like to know, too. I made my first bookmark last night, too. (Pinky the bookworm)

 

Does one press these? Do they need starching?

 

Starch??....Oh, I hope not...I don't have any starch!

[Julie]

You shouldn't have to starch a bookmark, at least I've never wanted to starch one. Usually all you need to do it get it good and wet, blot it dry and then pin it out on a flat surface. An ironing board or other padded surface is great for small projects. Just pin it out as you think it should look, let it dry completely and then you're set. It doesn't take very long.

 

If you feel the need to wash your bookmark before you block it, I usually use a little detergent (laundry) and water in a tupperware-type container with the lid on. Put the bookmark inside, close the lid and then shake it over the sink. Just be sure to rinse it well if you use soap.

 

Oh, and T-pins work great for blocking thread projects but regular pins will work just fine. Regular pins can be a little hard on the fingers so if you think you might be blocking things regularly, it's worth it to invest in some rust-proof T-pins.

[crosette]

Thank you, Julie! Is it ok to blow it dry? Will it still work?

 

Yay, I just finished my second bookmark!! It's this one.

 

Anyone know of an easy way to cut ribbon w/o it fraying?? I have all three pieces of ribbon cut up for my first bookmark but the ends are all...frayed. It's not pretty.

 

Thanks again.

[crochetfun]

You can use a product< I think it's called Fraycheck or something like that.You can get it in stores that sell sewing supplies, or places like Michaels.

I think if you dilute white glue , and dab it on the ends, it might just do the same thing. (this is just theory, have not tried it!)

 

By the way this thread thing is addictive. Last night I made up a cell phone cover (out of thread), got the Columbine bookmark going. I can't believe I'm doing this.

[Kimberly]

Keep up the great work on the bookmarks everyone! I always like to finish projects, and small projects like bookmarks work up quickly and are a good "upper" when you are working on a large project that does not seem to be getting close to completion!

[Julie]

You can blow dry a bookmark if you want. I usually prop my blocking board up against a wall and turn a fan on in front of it. I'm too impatient to wait for things to dry. :fan

[DesertCrocheter]

Oooh, I'm so glad I saw this thread. I just made my first 2 book thongs this weekend, and they came out fine. I'm going to go and make the first thread bookmark that I made last week over again now that I seem to be getting the hang of working with thread. I love those Columbine bookmarks, and hope I get a flower bookmark like that in the bookmark swap. I'm not sure I'll be up to that level by the time I have to send those out. But I do think I'll need to get one of those magnifying lamps so I can keep working with thread. I loved it, but man, my eyesight is poor. I have brand new (gasp!) bifocals and I was thinking they weren't strong enough to work with this stuff!

 

 

Patty

[InStitches52]

I know it goes against conventional wisdom , but you can block simple things like bookmarks fairly quickly with just a steam iron.

 

Pin it out dry and give it a good steaming by hovering the iron over the work. Don't iron it; just steam it (burst of steam is handy here) and let it dry. Five to ten minutes later it is ready; perfect for the impatient among us......or is that all of us.

[3doxies]

I'm new here. Can somebody tell me about the swap? What exactly is it? I have made LOTS of bookmarks, mostly the same pattern. I'd like to share the pattern with you. How do I do that? It was published in a crochet magazine many years ago. Thanks for your info!