Hello again, It’s great knowing you are out there! Thanks for reading.

Today’s Made by Me Monday is actually leftover from Christmas. This gift was for my Dad. He is a teacher so he highlights and takes notes in all of his books. The standing stocking gift for him in my family is a pack of highlighters. He generally gets enough at Christmas to last all year! I’m not sure if he is using them as much now, because he has an electronic reading device. Either way, I made him this bookmark to hold highlighters,pens and his place in the book at the ready.

I think you could use these for a lot of different purposes. Gifts for Dads (or husbands) who read.  Students – maybe make one for each course book! You could attach pens easily to your clipboard when going grocery shopping. (Doesn’t everyone take a clipboard with a list on it grocery shopping? Hmmm… maybe it’s just me!) You could also make it a bit wider with more pockets and use it to hold markers onto a notebook – quick entertainment for your kids when you go out.

Made by Me Monday – the Pocket Bookmark

I used a book that was 8″ x 5.5″. I’ve given some guidelines for changing the size in the materials listing. The elastic is very forgiving, so if in doubt make one smaller rather than larger so it can fit varied sizes of books.

Things you will need:

• 2 pieces – main bookmark, size: 3.5″ wide x height of book less 1″ {mine was 7″}
• 1 piece – stiff craft interfacing, size: same as the bookmark fabric less 1/2″ width and height
• 1 piece – bookmark pocket, size: 4.5″ wide x height of pen/highlighter {mine was 5.5″}
• 1 piece – medium weight fusible interfacing, size: same as the bookmark pocket
• 1 piece – 1″ wide elastic, size: height of book + 1/2″ {mine was 8.5″}
• sewing supplies, water soluble marking pen, pins, thread

Materials List

1) Fuse interfacing to the bookmark pocket on the fabric’s wrong side. Turn down the top 1/4″ and then 1/4″ again to hem, stitch.

2) Mark pocket as indicated (see photo) – first mark is 3/4″ in from the edge, second mark is 1/2″ in from the first mark. Don’t worry about the middle line, you don’t need to mark that one (oops!)

3) Fold the first line to the second line and pin each side.

4) Fuse stiff craft interfacing to the back of 1 piece of the main bookmark fabric, be sure to center it before fusing it. You should now have the pieces below.

5) Pin the pocket to the bottom of the main bookmark fabric piece that you have fused with interfacing. Mark a line down the center of the pocket with your water soluble marker. Stitch on the line to create 2 pockets. Baste around the pocket (1/4″ away from the edge) OR leave the pins until after step 7.

6) Pin your elastic to the center of the bookmark, as shown.

7) Place your 2nd main bookmark fabric piece over the stack you have just pinned together. The right side of the 2nd main bookmark fabric piece should be down, the stack that includes your elastic is up. (Everything is right sides together.) Stitch around the edges with 1/4″ seam allowance leaving a 2.5″ wide opening on one side. (see photo below) Note: The extra line in the photo is from sewing the pocket earlier – you don’t need to sew this again.

8) Clip your corners. Turn the bookmark right side out through the opening. Push out all of the corners and edges. Tuck the edges in and pin the opening shut.

9) Topstitch around the edge of the bookmark about 1/8″ away from the edge. This will also sew the opening closed.

10) Sew a few extra “quilting” lines to finish the top edge.

DONE! Send it off to your favorite human being, or use it yourself. Happy studying!

On an important side note! Dana and Rae are starting up another CELEBRATE THE BOY series today! If you don’t know about this series and you sew for boys, BOY you are in luck (ha!). This time they are going to post boy related sewing and projects for 2 weeks straight. They have archived all of the past series here (MADE) or here (Made by Rae). These archives are a wealth of knowledge and really great projects that I have turned to more than a lot to find sewn gifts and ideas for my 2 nephews. Check them out!