Howdy! Today I am here to share my streamlined method for making custom sewn nail image plate holders for MoYou London plates. You might recall my very basic tutorial on how to make these lovely custom sewn holders for any type plate. That tutorial gives you the basics for the concept, so if you haven't yet read it, I highly recommend that you jump on over there and then come back. The information about the thread and stitches I use are on that tutorial and I will not be repeating them here.
This tutorial is a bit different from the other one. For starters, I have had a LOT more practice. You guys had the privilege of seeing my very first custom page protector with that other tutorial. I have now made over twenty for myself for plates of all sizes and even sell these handy page protectors for those who don't want to or can't make them on their own. This tutorial is a stream-lined, more scientific-ish approach specific to MoYou London plates. Why MoYou London instead of any of the other plate brands? Well, the answer is simply that I just got a new batch of MoYou's in the mail and felt like recording the process for my own future use and making the tutorial while I did it :-)
The other tutorial required just a few simple materials, but I'm going to be a bit more picky from now on. These are the materials that I find to be invaluable for making these (all were things I already had on hand). Please note that I've given some of these items made up (but descriptive) names, as I don't know precisely what they are all called, which is why I had the foresight to include a pic for you guys:
- MoYou plates
- A heavy weight page protector (previously bought from Walmart)
- Sewing Machine
- All Purpose Thread (Multi-colored thread makes for a special treat!)
- Rotary Cutter
- Self-healing mat
- See through grid ruler
- Air-soluble fabric pen
- Tracing Wheel
Do you need all these items? No. Make do however you see fit. This is just my ideal list, pictured above. All my instructions are going to use those items, though. So substitute as necessary.
Now, there are two varieties of holders that will be described in this tutorial. You can choose to make protectors that hold 4 plates per page, or 5 per page. Why would someone only want to hold four per page? Well, perhaps you have a number of plates divisible by four. Or, you might prefer the 4-per page layout. Please look at the two pics below. Note how the 5 per page holder has two plates sitting vertically, and the 4 per page holder only has one sitting vertically. So if you don't have two plates that lend themselves well to sitting vertically and you're bothered by looking at them sideways, then you might want to choose the 4 per page layout.
Many of the steps for each type of holder are the same regardless of type. When there is a deviation due to the 5 per page or 4 per page variety, that is clearly marked in the individual steps.
I have a few general points to make before we get started. First, you should always sew directly on the lines that you mark -- versus sewing to the left or right of the lines. Second, trim the little threads as you go along as they will stick out and bug the heck out of you. Third, you don't have to do the steps entirely in this order. When making these for myself, I first mark and sew the vertical line. Then I mark all horizontal lines before sewing again. For simplicity sake, however, I stopped and broke it out step-by-step with pictures. I suggest following the steps below exactly the first time and then changing it up as you see fit. Also, all step-by-step pictures are for the 5 per page variety. Sorry folks, I have no pics of the 4 per page variety while it is under construction. I will remedy this in the future if I create another 4 per page holder.
Enough chatter, let's begin!
Step One
Step Two
5 Holder Variety: Mark a horizontal line 3 1/2" from the bottom that extends from the right side of the page to the sewn vertical line.
4 Holder Variety: Mark a horizontal line 3 1/2" from the bottom that extends across the entire page.
Sew from the edge of the page towards the vertical line:
Step Three
Mark a vertical line 6 3/4" inches from the bottom that extends from the right side of the page to the vertical line.
Sew from vertical line towards the edge of the page:
Step Five:
Mark a vertical line 1" from the top that extends from the right side of the protector to the vertical line.
Sew from the vertical line towards the edge of the protector:
Step Six
5 Holder Variety: Mark a horizontal line 5 3/8" from the bottom of the protector that extends from the left side of the protector to the vertical line. Then mark a horizontal line 1/2" from the top of the protector that extends from the left side of the protector to the vertical line.
4 Holder Variety: Mark a horizontal line 2 3/8" from the top of the protector that extends from the left side of the protector to the vertical line.
Sew the line(s) from the edge of the protector towards the vertical line. If sewing two lines (5 holder variety) then start from with the line closest to the bottom of the page. (Helps prevent buckling):
Step Seven
Now it is time to cut! Grab your protector, plates, cutting mat and rotary cutter.
For each of the 4 or 5 slots, place the plate where it will fit in the slot. Cut between the top line and the plate.
Cut firmly, in a straight line, from the edge of the page (just inside the page - don't cut the edge) until you reach just shy of the vertical line. Test each slot as you cut to ensure you made the opening wide enough to fit the plate:
Step Eight
Place your three horizontal plates in their respective slots, pushing each plate against the vertical line on the left. For each of the these plates, mark a line 3/8" from the right side of the page that is the height of the plate. It is important that you ensure that there is still room for your plate after making this line. If you sewed everything straight and perfect and as the measurements required then this would not be an issue - but none of us are perfect! These are designed to make sure the plates fit snugly, so make sure these lines are correct before you sit down to sew.
Take the page protector to your sewing machine. Change from your decorative stitch to a single, centered stitch. Sew each of the three lines, taking care to be as straight as possible. Back stitch at the beginning and end of each line:
If you are constructing the 5-holder variety, you are done!! Place your pretty plates in the finished product and enjoy your handiwork.
If you are constructing the 4-holder variety, mark one final line 3/8" from the bottom the page from the left side of the page to the vertical line. Sew the line. Now you are done too!
Finished product:
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if you have any questions please let me know in the comments. Thanks for sticking around till the end ;-)
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