This was part of my mum's Christmas present. I had this idea in my head, to combine some cross stitch and Kraft-tex to make a bookmark. This is really a very basic make but I'm pleased with how it turned out and hope it will wear well as she uses it. I know that Kraft-tex can actually feel better the more it's handled and it should still hold its shape, as it helpfully conceals the guts of the cross stitching. 

In case you haven't come across Kraft-tex, it is the most fabulous product - it's like fabric paper! It feels like card, acts like leather and you can do all sorts of things with it. You can wash it, it becomes more pliable and wrinkly if you do (so more leather like in appearance) and you can sew it. In the past I have made pouches and labels using it and I have a tutorial for a card holder here. If you're interested in Kraft-tex you can find it in my favourite online shops: Sew Hot in the UK or Fat Quarter Shop in the US.

The cross stitch text was from an image I found on pinterest (I printed it out but forgot to record the source and there's no designer mentioned on the print out of the pattern, so apologies). I adapted the 'a' to have a little tail and the original had a border but I chose to keep it simple. Anyway, I thought my mum might appreciate it and it's a phrase we all can reflect upon. The stillness and calm that connects us.

Carry around some quiet inside thee - George Fox*


I used the same thread collection as in my last sewing project, Aurifloss from the Twinkle Twinkle collection by Alicia Jacobs Dujets. I picked out two pretty blues: the paler #2805 and the medium #2815. This time I separated the strands and used three strands of floss for stitching both the text and to attach the aida to the Kraft-tex. If you're wondering it really isn't at all difficult to stitch through, you do need a sharp needle though!

A running stitch probably would have been quicker but then the edges would have been a bit more prone to fraying, even though I did use pinking shears. The pinked edges actually provided a really easy way to create a blanket stitched look, that is actually whip stitching. 


You can see this more clearly on the back. The colour is a bit off here though because the Kraft-tex is in Stone, which is definitely more grey. The holes in the aida helped with the length of the stitches on the front and I wasn't too worried about the back but it actually looks ok and it's nice to see the hand stitches. 


Happily my mum was really pleased with the bookmark and she teared up, saying the words meant a lot to her. I hope she will enjoy using it!



* a little internet search suggests this is not a direct quote by George Fox but rather came to be known as his after Floyd Vernon Chandler attributed it to him. The quote was also attributed to George Fox in the cross stitch pattern I used and it does seem to succinctly represent some of his writings. It felt more appropriate to add this footnote rather than use author unknown or attribute it to Floyd Vernon Chandler. I feel that it does hold true as a 'Quakerly' phrase even if George Fox himself never spoke it.