How to Sew Cloth Books

Cloth books are perfect for bringing to church since they are quiet and can be played with by small children until they are needed by early readers (The Lords Prayer) or adults (The Lord’s Prayer in other languages, or The Pre-Communion Prayers). They are also very easy to make so it is a quick project for an experienced sewist or a great beginner project for young and old.

1. Iron the cotton fabric with high heat and steam. 
2. Cut out the 8 page panels along the black outlines. The two cover (“A”) pages are longer than the interior page sets.
3. Match the page letters with right sides facing so you have four inside out sets. Pin to hold the layers together.
4. Starting a couple inches from the bottom left corner of a page set, sew around the page set with a 1/4” seam allowance (backstitch when you start). When you get about 1-2” from the start, backstitch and cut the threads, leaving a hole to turn the page right side out.
5. Clip excess fabric from the corners to reduce the bulk in the corner (don’t clip the stitches! if you do on accident, just sew over the stitches in the corner, starting and stopping about 1/2” from the corner on each side). Finger-press the seam allowance at the turning hole to match the seam allowance so that it will close straight in the next step. To do this: take the top layer of fabric in the seam allowance at the turning hole and fold it back so that the fabric makes a crease even with the stitches on the left and right side of the turning hole. Flip the page set over and repeat.
6. Turn the page set right side out. Take a pointy stick and put it inside the “bag” to gently poke the corners out so they are nice, then run the pointy end along the seams inside to smooth them straight. Iron the page flat to help with the next step.
7. Edgestitch each page set to finish the page and close the turning hole. Consider using a decorative stitch on the cover page set!
8. Fold the cover page in half as if the book was closed and finger-press a crease at the spine. Unfold the cover and stack the four page sets so that the content reads in order and then make sure each page is centered at the spine (so the page content doesn’t disappear into the center seam). Clip or pin securely and turn so the book is face down.
9. Sew the pages together: sew along the crease starting in the middle of the spine, sew to the edge, with the needle down turn the book 180 deg and sew back to the other edge, turn the book 180 deg and sew back to the middle, backstitch and cut the threads. Sewing like this will prevent the pages from shifting.
10. Enjoy your book, or gift to someone who will!