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Activities / Banjara Embroidery / Banjara Patchwork Bookmark

Banjara Patchwork Bookmark

Banjara-Style Patchwork Bookmark: Fabric Scraps, Stitches and Tiny Mirrors

Level
Beginner
Duration
45 - 90 mins
Budget
₹90 – ₹1,376
Age
10+
State
Andhra Pradesh

Materials

  • Stiff felt sheet, 1 mm thick
  • Cotton embroidery floss in 3 colours
  • Embroidery needle
  • Fabric glue
  • Glass seed beads, 3 mm (8/0)
  • Colourful cotton fabric scraps
  • Scissors, pencil, ruler and a piece of cardboard

Steps

  1. Cut a 5 by 18 cm felt strip and round the corners
    Draw a rectangle 5 cm wide and 18 cm long (2 by 7 in) on a sheet of stiff felt with a pencil and ruler, and cut it out with scissors. Round the four corners by snipping off a small curve, so the bookmark does not catch on pages. Stiff 1 mm felt holds its shape and does not fray when cut. Common mistake: using soft thin felt that bends and does not stay flat in a book.
  2. Cut eight small triangles and squares from colourful fabric scraps
    Cut a strip of fabric 2 cm wide, then cut it into 2 cm squares. Cut some squares in half across the diagonal to make triangles. You need about 8 patches in all, in at least 4 different colours or prints. Banjara textiles are made from many small pieces stitched together, so mixing bright colours and patterns is the whole idea.
    Tip: Cotton scraps are easiest. Slippery silky fabric frays and is harder to stitch.
  3. Arrange the patches in a zigzag along the strip before gluing
    Lay the felt strip on the table and place the patches along it in a zigzag, with the points of the triangles touching the squares, leaving a 1 cm margin at the top and bottom of the strip. Move them around until neighbouring colours contrast, then take a photo so you can copy the layout. About 2 cm of felt at the rounded end should stay clear for the tassel.
    Tip: Put a light colour next to a dark one, and avoid two patches of the same colour touching.
  4. Glue each patch down with a small dot of fabric glue
    Lift one patch, put a pea-sized dot of fabric glue on the back and press it onto the felt for 10 seconds. Work along the strip one patch at a time, copying your photo. Let the glue dry for 15 minutes. Common mistake: too much glue, which seeps through the edge and makes stitching sticky and stiff.
  5. Stitch a blanket stitch around the edge of every patch
    Cut 50 cm of embroidery floss and use 3 strands in a contrasting colour. Knot the end and bring the needle up through the felt just outside a patch edge. Push it down through the patch 3 mm in, and bring it up again 3 mm along, passing the needle through the loop before you pull, so a small bar sits on the edge. Go around the patch, then tie off at the back. These stitches also hold the glue-dried patch securely.
    Tip: Keep the stitches the same length, about the width of a grain of rice (3 mm).
  6. Sew a seed bead in the centre of three patches
    Pick three patches that are large enough, and sew one seed bead on the centre of each. Bring the needle up from the back, thread the bead on, go down next to it, and then come up and pass through the bead a second time to hold it firmly before you finish at the back with a small knot. Beads add the sparkle that Banjara work is known for.
  7. Sew a running stitch border all around the felt edge
    With 3 strands of white or cream floss, sew straight running stitches 4 mm in from the edge of the felt all the way around, each stitch and gap about 4 mm long. Go slowly on the curved corners so the line stays smooth. The border frames the patches and gives the bookmark a finished look.
  8. Make a small tassel and attach it to the rounded end
    Wrap floss around a 6 cm piece of cardboard 20 times, slide a 12 cm length of thread under the loops at the top and knot it. Cut the loops at the bottom and tie another thread around the tassel 1 cm below the top. Make a small hole through the felt 1 cm from the rounded end with the tip of your scissors, loop the top thread through it, and knot it at the back. Trim the tassel ends level.

Sustainability

High - made from fabric scraps and felt offcuts

Safety

Needle pricks; use acrylic mirrors, not glass, so no edges can cut; beads are a choking risk for young children