Pre-punch your stitching holes.
- make the holes only as big as the fiber you are using to stitch with
- you need an odd number of holes to begin and finish the stitching on the same side.
MATERIALS NEEEDED
Scrapbook Paper - referrably card stock
Stitching Fibers:
- Thread, waxy flax, ribbon, jute, embroidery thread, yarn and raffia work well.
- We recommend you pick fiber colors that best accent your design and page.
Needle - the size required for the fiber being used. We recommend using needles with large eys to allow easy threading of your preferred fiber.
- Needles can dull when used to pierce paper -- don't using them for sewing fabric after punching paper.
Piercing tools: (Select those neede for your particular project)
- Use a piercing tool appropriate for the size of the fiber you are using for your stitching:
- Use a backer that is stiff enough, yet will allow piercing such as a sheet of styrofoam, corkboard, a pillow or cushion or, if you have one a Coluzzle or a Bazzill In Stitch'z Piercing Mat.
- Small holes (pin sized) - Use a straight pin, small needle or a bent safety pin
- Medium holes - Use a larger needle, push pin or a paper piercing tool
- Large holes - Use a paper piercing tool or a piercing bee
- X-Tra large holes - Use a 1/8 inch hole punch
Ruler
Stencils - an option if you plan to do a lot of stitching and want an array of designs to use.
THE PROCESS
Once you decide how much stitching, and where on your page layout you want the stitching, you can begin.
Your first step will be to creat a design free hand where you want your stitching. A light pencil design will allow you to earase your unwanted lines later in the process. You can trace around a design that is simple. Cut-outs and die cuts make good tracing designs. Straight lined designs can be done using your ruler.
If you don't want to "free-hand" a design then we suggest you use a paper piercing stencil. You could also use dotted border stamps that have uniformally spaced dots to follow.
You need to mark your free hand design where you want your piercing. 1/8 inch spacing works well. Make dots where you want a piercing.
Piercing tools like the CutterBee will give you uniform piercings.
With your design lightly sketched and piercing dots noted, you can begin the piercing process.
(NOTE: Once a piercing has taken place it's hard to replace or fill the punched hole--so "think twice and pierce once.")
Once your design is pierced you need to erase your pencil marks. Erase the pencil marks before stitching.
With all of your prep work and layout done you can begin the stitching...the fun part!
Start from the back of our page. DO NOT put a knot in your thread or fiber, but fasten it with a dob of glue or a piece of tape. You'll want to do the same on your finish or last stitch. End your stitching on the same side of your cardstock as you started.
We recommend using the "backstitch" to complete your work. The back stitch most closely resembles the straight line machine stitch. You work from right to left. Starting with a hole (piercing) from the back of your page insert your needle up through the hole bring your needle back up through the second hole to the left of the first hole, and back down through the hole to the right. 
(See illustration insert.) Remember to finish off your stitching by gluing or taping your thread or fiber to the back of your page.
Finish your layout by adding the other element and photographs to your page.
You may also want to try your hand at "Machine Stitching."
