As an avid reader, I love to collect bookmarks. So what could possibly be better than a cross stitch reading goal tracker that doubles as a bookmark?
So how does it work?
Each pattern allows for a different reading goal, anywhere from 12 books to 200 books. You can fill in your books by the genre of book, how you read the book (physical, audio, ebook), how you rated the book, the month that you read the book, or even by the colour of the book’s cover.
In 2022, I used the 100 books tracker to track my goal of 70 books. You can see that I didn’t fill up the entire bookmark, which I expected. For any remaining books, I just used white thread to fill them in.
You can find PDF instructions and kits for this project in my Etsy shop.
But how do I turn my finished art into a bookmark?
It’s actually easier than it sounds, it just takes a bit of patience. These instructions will work for any cross stitch piece that you want to turn into a bookmark, not just a reading goal tracker.
Supplies List –
- Finished cross stitch piece
- A second piece of fabric, I used a piece of pink aida
- Needle
- Thread, I used three strands of pink DMC 6-strand embroidery floss
- Scissors
- Iron + ironing table
Step 1
Once you have finished your piece, wash, air dry, and iron the fabric.
Then take your bookcase and trim the fabric down. I left roughly around .75 inches around the perimeter of my bookcase. Take your second piece of fabric (I used a piece of pink aida) and trim it down to the same size as your stitched on fabric.
Step 2
Next, fold in each of the sides of your bookmark and iron down the creases until they sit flat. You’ll want to leave a slight border around your bookcase of at least 4 squares. If either pieces of fabric have a fair amount of excess fabric in the corners, you can trim it down. In the above photo, you can see I did this.
Repeat this process with your second piece of fabric. Both pieces of fabric should be roughly the same size.
If either pieces of fabric have a fair amount of excess fabric in the corners, you can trim it down. In the above photo, you can see I did this.
Step 3
Finally, place the two together pieces of fabric together, folded sides facing each other. Using a blanket stitch, stitch the two pieces together.
That’s it – you’ve finished your bookmark! I’ll be honest, this process is a bit time consuming, but it’s worth it in the end.
Enjoyed this post? Then check out some of my other blog posts or purchase the in-depth embroidery journal guide. You can also join the free Embroidery Journaling Facebook group to chat with others working on Embroidery Journals. Follow me on any of the following social media websites: