Heirloom Treasure Boxes How To

	Supplies you will need: 1/4 Yard of fabric. This is enough to do both the inside and outside of your box. If you are using a different fabric for your lining then figure 1/4 Yard for lining, too. You can also make the bottom of the box different fabric than the top. If you have nice, left-over scraps from other projects, use them. Be as creative as you like. Every time you do something different, it makes your box unique! Roll of 1" Masking Tape Embroidery adhesive spray made for machine embroidery Stitch N Shape (Floriani Product) or something similar such as Timtex. Embroidery Stabilizers and Threads... Florianni... The name that means beautiful embroidery. Heat N Gone (Floriani Product) This is my preference. You can use a light-weight tear-away stabilizer. However, the tear-away stabilizer does tend to leave little nubs when you tear it away. Instructions will show the Heat N Gone product. Wind a bobbin about 1/2 full of thread color(s) you plan to use for your final satin cover stitch. This can be a contrast or matching color to your fabric(s), but will be the bottom side of your edging on all pieces and will show. Cut-away or tear-away medium to heavy weight stabilizer to use for box templates.


Shown is Box 1. Finished size of each box is 3.75”x3.75” There will be slight variations in the different boxes, but they are basically embroidered and constructed in the same way. Box is assembled in this order: Make sides for bottom box Construct box bottom using bottom sides from #1 Make sides for top of box Construct box lid using top sides from #3 Add bling bling if desired There are 4 different templates: Box Side, Box Bottom, Top Side, Box Top For each template design, hoop cut-away or tear-away stabilizer in a 4x4 hoop and embroider. Cut out templates on the inside edge of the stitching line. You should have 4 templates. Cut 1 of Top Cut 1 of Bottom Cut 4 each of Side Box Top Cut 4 Each of Side Box Bottom
	Make Bottom Sides. Hoop Heat N Gone Stabilizer according to the size hoop as listed below. This is a very thin stabilizer, but strong. Your hoop will not hold it in place unless you tape it to your hoop because it is so thin. Use your masking tape and, on the back side, tape the stabilizer to each side of your hoop, 1/2 of the tape on the stabilizer and 1/2 on the side of the hoop as shown. Make sure you pull the stabilizer taut before taping each side and tape is smooth. Load the design into your machine as follows: For 5x7 or larger hoops, use design Box 1 Bottom Side Double - sews out 2 side pieces in one hooping For 4x4 hoop, use Box 1 Side Single

	1. Stitch the placement line(s) for the side pieces you cut earlier from the Heat N Gone stabilizer. You cannot place the wrong size square as only the side pieces will fit in the placement lines. Spray your pieces with embroidery adhesive spray and place inside placement lines. You can also hold in place in the center of the piece with your fingers (press straight down) as the tack down line sews, if desired. The machine will stop between the two pieces to allow you to position each piece separately. 2. Stitch the zigzag tack down line for the lower piece. 3. Stitch the zigzag tack down line for the upper piece. OMIT THIS STEP FOR 4X4 HOOP

	4. Stitch the fabric Placement Line. This allows you to see where you need to position the fabric for the outside of your box. Unless you are fussy cutting pieces, it works best to use one large piece of fabric to cover both placement lines. Spray the back side of the fabric for the outside of the box with spray adhesive and lay it over the placement lines so that it fully covers the lines. Right side of fabric should be up. Smooth down. 5. Stitch the Fabric Fix Line. This will hold your fabric in place while the decorative stitching is sewn. 6. Stitch the Decorative Stitching.

Lining Fabric	Remove the hoop from your machine and trim any threads or jump stitches on front and back. Cut a piece of lining fabric large enough to cover both placement lines. Spray the wrong side of fabric with spray adhesive and smooth over placement lines on the back of the hoop. Right side of fabric should be facing up as shown. Replace the hoop in machine.
Step 5 & 6	7. Sew the Zigzag Tack Down Lines.
	Remove the hoop from the machine and trim as close to stitching as you can. Place the back blade of the scissors against the stitching, lift up gently, but firmly, on the fabric with the other hand and cut. Curved, very sharp embroidery scissors work best.
Step 7	8. Stitch Satin Cover Stitch Underlay. Remove hoop from machine and clip all threads and jump stitches. Any frayed edges of fabric will be clearly evident and now is the time to clip them on front and back of hoop. This helps to give you lovely, smooth edges on your pieces.
Step 8	9. Sew Satin Cover Stitch. Pieces are finished. Note bottom edge will be cut away later. Tear away stabilizer and press, if fabric allows. Be sure not to use too hot an iron on your fabric! Repeat all steps until you have four sides completed.

Construct Bottom:
Step 1	Hoop Heat N Gone stabilizer in 4x4 hoop and tape back the same as you did for the sides. Load the Box Bottom design into your machine. 1. Stitch the Placement Line for theStitch N Stay stabilizer. Select the Box Bottom piece you cut earlier, spray with spray adhesive and place within placement line. 2. Stitch the Zigzag Tack Down Line.
Step 2
Now you will attach the sides. Sides are attached in this order: Left Side, Top Side, Right Side, Bottom Side. Please note the pictures below. These pictures show a different box so please don't get confused. It is done in the same way for all boxes, both for the bottom and top of the box.
Step 1 Use your masking tape and affix1/2 of tape to lower, unfinished edge of side piece. Side piece should be RIGHT SIDE UP. Tape should be 1/2" below stitched placement line on side piece.	Step 2 Center piece along zigzag line. Align straight, placement line stitching on side piece along the middle of the zigzag stitching on side edge of square in the hoop. The side piece will lift and bend so you can see the zigzag stitching along the side edge in the hoop. It is easiest laying the piece flat, but is shown bent so you can see exact placement.
Step 3 Press down tape firmly.	Replace the hoop on the machine. Stitch Tack Down Line.
Trim close to stitching. Repeat for all sides.
Again, all box sides, top and bottom, are done in the same way. Proceed to attach sides of box (as shown above) in the following order:
Sewed Tack Down Line, Left Side. Tape is removed for viewing purposes only.	3. Sew Left Side Indicator Line--indicates left side is to be sewn on first. Remove hoop from machine. Use your masking tape and place side as shown above. 4. Stitch the Left Side Tack Down Line. Using masking tape place another side piece in the same way you did for #3 above. Tape the piece along the top edge of the square in the hoop, right side up. Return hoop to machine. 5. Stitch Top Side Tack Down Line. Remove hoop from machine. Trim away excess fabric and tape close to tack down line. Using masking tape place another side piece in the same way you did for #3 above. Tape the piece along the right edge of the square in the hoop, right side up. Return hoop to machine. 6. Stitch Right Side Tack Down Line. Remove hoop from machine. Trim away excess fabric and tape close to tack down line. Using masking tape place side piece in the same way you did for #3 above. Tape the piece along the bottom edge of the square in the hoop, right side up. Return hoop to machine. 7. Stitch Bottom Side Tack Down Line Remove hoop from machine. Trim away excess fabric close to tack down line and trim all threads as needed.
Trimmed Edges
	Spray wrong side of lining fabric with spray adhesive and smooth down over center square of bottom. Turn hoop over and spray wrong side of fabric for outside of box with spray adhesive. Smooth over square area of box. Return hoop to machine. 8. Stitch Tack Down Line.
	Remove hoop from machine. Trim as close as possible to the tack down line. Return hoop to machine. 9. Stitch Satin Cover Stitch Underlay. Trim any stray threads that you see. 10. Stitch Satin Cover Stitch. Remove hoop from machine. Pull box away from stabilizer. Fold box edges inward. By hand, whip stitch the edges together. For each corner, begin at the top, matching the edges so they are even. Use a double strand of thread which would be one piece of thread through the needle eye so it forms two strands, tied together at the bottom. Use the same thread as your satin cover stitching. Sew toward the bottom of the box. To whip stitch, don't try to sew through the heavy stabilizer. The box is designed with triple stitching around the outside edge. Catch your needle to the outside edge of this stitching on both sides of the box. Doing it this way secures the box easily without having to penetrate the heavy Stitch N Shape stabilizer.

	The box top is completed in exactly the same way as the box bottom. As you follow the steps listed in the written instructions, you will note there is decorative stitching in the center of the top, just as there was for the sides. You can mix and match sides and tops--makes this set even more versatile!
	The boxes are beautiful as sewn, but adding some bling bling makes them stunning. Pictures do not show how beautiful they are--truly heirloom quality and worth the time to do them. You can also glue on simple lace edging, silk flowers or bows. It took me 4 hours to complete my boxes, but the time will vary, depending on how fast your machine embroiders. I purchased my crystals and pearls from Design by Dawn: http://www.designbydawn.com