Tea Time Bookmark (In-the-Hoop)

Keep your place while reading with this stylish tea time bookmark! It's make entirely in the hoop, and is a fabulous way to celebrate your love for tea (and for books!).

The in-the-hoop tea time bookmark design has four files.

One is the embroidery file, and the other three are dieline files, marked with the letters DL. Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the right shape and size.

Open the dielines files with embroidery software and print them.

If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is a free program to use.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive. Smooth the quilter's cotton on top.

Spray the backside of the front piece dieline printout with temporary spray adhesive, and smooth that on top of the fabric.

Cut out the shape and remove the paper.

Repeat this process for the back piece, the tag pieces, and the handle, too.

Now that the fabric pieces are cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer.

Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery design (not the dieline files).

Use size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline, or outline stitch. This marks the area on the stabilizer for the front fabric piece.

Spray the back of the front fabric piece with adhesive.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Place the fabric right inside the sewn dieline.

Reattach the hoop onto the machine and continue with the design -- a zigzag stitch tack down will sew next.

This holds the front fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

All of the inside elements will sew next.

On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "cup back piece tack down."

When you get to this section, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine. Do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Cut a piece of string to about 8" long. Secure in place on the back of the fabric piece as shown.

Spray the ends of the handle piece with adhesive and press in place as shown.

Spray the backside of the back fabric piece with adhesive.

Place the back piece right inside the shape of the embroidery.

Secure the string in place onto the stabilizer with a piece of tape to prevent it from being sewn over later on.

Since both sides of the bookmark will be seen, wind a bobbin with the same thread being used in the needle.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design.

A zigzag stitch tackdown will sew next, followed by a satin stitch border to finish off the cup.

Next, the dieline for the front of the tag will sew.

Add the front fabric right inside the dieline.

Continue with the design -- a zigzag tack down will sew next.

Remove the hoop from the machine.

Turn the hoop over to the backside and tape the loose end of the string in the center of the tag fabric.

Spray the backside of the back tag fabric with adhesive. Secure the string to the stabilizer as shown.

Wind a bobbin with the same thread being used in the needle and continue with the design.

A zigzag tack down and satin border will sew.

When the design has finished, unhoop the stabilizer and gently tear it away.

This adorable teacup bookmark is a tea-rrific way to keep track of your place while reading.

Plus, it's a fabulous gift for other tea lovers, too!