Zipped journal cover

I feel honoured when I am entrusted with somebody's much-loved fabric and asked to create something new with it. 

On this occasion I was asked to create a zippered journal cover with four internal card pockets from a tea-towel.

Sure, no problem, I said. I could tell that the owner didn't really want to part with it, but she had faith in my ability to make it.

After many, many different versions/notes/attempts, I was able to create the following journal cover:

Here are just a few of my notes that I made during the creative process.  I also made two different fabric versions first to see if I had figured it out correctly.  I think 'tenacious' is my middle name!

But it was so worth it!

 

 

It fits the journal it was designed for beautifully!

 

I added a matching piece of ribbon as the zip pull.



 

 

I added polka dot bias binding to the edges of the journal cover.  The binding I used wasn't as stretchy as most I've used so I gathered the edges and I think it works really well!

On the inside cover there are also four slots for credit/library cards.

 I'm really happy with the way it turned out :)

And, of course, now I have figured out how to make one of them, I can make more.  Excellent!  (Off to make sure my notes are up to date!)

 Next...

A journal cover story

I've been tinkering with my journal cover pattern lately.

I knew there must be an easier way to make them.  I knew that if I kept on playing that I would eventually stumble across a solution.

So I got some paper out and had a play - very technical stuff!

And then I got some scrap fabric, labelled it and had another play.

Then I used some actual preloved fabric because I thought I'd sussed out how to make it.

Ahem.  It would appear not!  (Never fear, I'm going to remake this one!)

But I didn't give up.

I tried one last time.

And looky here - it not only worked but I'm really pleased with how it turned out!!

I knew there was an answer in there somewhere LOL!

This cover was made from a preloved tea-towel that I fell in love with!

Now, at first glance it may not look much different to any of the other covers I've created.  But I am now 100% happy with it rather than 99.5%.  And that 0.5% makes a big difference to me!

So now I've updated my pattern instructions and I have cut out lots of fabric and I'm looking forward to having more fun with them!


 

Elmer bag

Fabric or pattern?

Which comes first?

90% of the time I get most of my inspiration from the fabric.

So when I discovered this fabulous muti-coloured check tea-towel from Lakeland (well, at least that's what I think it was - it was definitely cotton with a little hanging loop in the corner) I just had to find a use for it.

And as it's so brightly coloured it had to be called an Elmer bag!

The ideas came easily - just cut off the sides of the tea-towel (it already had seams), double up and create handles.

Then sew the sides of the tea-towel together, create a dart and turn the right side out.  No need to add a seam to the top as it had already been done for me!

Sew on the handles and add buttons for decoration. 

Ta-dah!

Definitely a bag to brighten up any day!

I'm busily making a raft of unique items in time to sell them at a large centenary event at the end of June.  It'll be my first stall <grin>.

Talk about excited!