I make slightly different bobbin rolls. To the best of my knowledge, I invented it for myself but you may use the idea. Start with:
- two pieces of fabric, as long as you want it (I generally make them 18-24" long) and about 14-16" wide (you want at least 6", preferably 8" wider than the batting) - one piece of thin quilt batting or "craft fleece", as long as the fabric (minus the seam allowance) and about 6" wide (a tad wider than your bobbins+spangle are long) - one piece of narrow (1/4-1/8" wide) ribbon about 24" long - one piece of wide (ca. 1", but you can use 3/4" to 2") decorative ribbon 1. With right sides together, sew the fabric along both long and one short side (you can also sew the ends of the other short side, but leave 6" open at the center of one short side). Turn right side out. 2. Insert the batting so one end is flush with the far seam allowance and the long sides are equidistant from the long sides of the fabric. 3. Top stitch all the way around the fabric: use this to close the open short side and be sure to catch the batting in this seam; at the other short side, (a) be sure to catch the other end of the batting in the topstitching, and (b) also catch the mid-point of the narrow ribbon, placed mid-way between the two long sides. 4. Top stitch through fabric and batting close to the edge along the long sides of the batting to keep it from shifting about. 5. Take the wide ribbon and turn under one end. Sew this down (through fabric and batting) close to one short side, mid-way between the two long sides of the fabric. Sew through the ribbon and fabric and batting, approximately every inch. You can make the ribbon *slightly* looser than the fabric between each of these seams, so the bobbins won't bulge the fabric as much. Make sure the distance between these seams is wide enough for the bobbins you intend to store in it (I do it every 3/4" to 1"). When you get to the other end of the wide ribbon, turn under the end and sew it down. The bobbin pairs slip through the ribbon in alternate directions--one pair spangle-up, the next spangle-down. The unpadded flaps fold over the spangles and thread, then you roll it, and secure with the ribbon. Since there are no fabric pockets, you can see thread on the bobbins. Since they alternate directions, you can pack the bobbins closer than if all the spangles (or bottom bulges) are on the same side, and you don't have one end of the roll bulging with spangles and the other end narrower with just bobbin heads. Let's try ASCII ---------------------------------- | |unpadded flap |__________________________________| | |padded |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]|~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |__________________________________| | | | |unpadded flap ---------------------------------- [] = the wide ribbon sewn down every 3/4 inch or so ~~~~~ = the narrow ribbon used to tie it shut ---- and | and ____ = topstitching around the outside and across the long sides of the batting Hope this makes sense, Robin P. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]