Creative Paper Concepts - Sewn heritage page

The page layout I'm sharing today first appeared in Creative Machine Embroidery magazine, Paper and Embroidery edition in 2004. Five years ago, wow. It was the time when the sewing machine industry thought they could invade the scrapbooking industry and make every scrapbooker want a machine. We did have fun! This heritage layout of my grandparents appeared in the first edition of Paper and Embroidery.

Tips for sewing on paper: 1) you can't make a mistake. If you do, then you have an embellishment opportunity. Just be creative, you can overcome a few poked holes in paper. 2) Keep it simple. Too many holes perforate the paper and it begins to disintegrate in your hands. 3) use a sharp needle so that the stitches form properly. 4) match your thread and needle. Don't use a large needle and a tiny thread. Or the other way around. These combinations are recipes for disaster. After that, it's all fair game. I suggest a practice piece of the same paper on which you plan your finished project. Not all papers are the same weight or feed through the machine the same way.

Basically, draw a grid on the paper with a pencil. Adhere a few 1" squares of fabric (shown) or paper to selected grids. Enlarge picture to see specifics. Sew on the gridded lines, couching decorative cords or ribbons in place with either monofilament or decorative threads. Adhere photos, antique lace, and label. Sew buttons in place. I use my machine for this - no big knots on the back side. Tape all thread tails on the back of the page.
This piece of lace was embroidered on an embroidery machine. I believe the motif is by Sue Box.. Feel free to correct me if my memory has lapsed.
The little girl embellishment is from Vintage Workshop "Garden Time". Printed it on paper and cut around the motif. Used pop dots to adhere to page.
Chenille yarns should be sewn down against the grain to keep the yarn fluffy after it's sewn.

I scanned a postcard of the town in which my grandparents lived, resized it in picture software and then adhered it to the page.

Enjoy and Be Creative!