Hi all, it's Vicki-Ann here today. I have been using a Moleskine sketch Art Journal and I just love the paper in it. My problem is, the black cover is just so boring and I want to wait till I finish the journal before I do the covers. If I did the cover at the start by the time I got to the end of the journal it would be covered in so much paint and everything else I use to make art. I am a messy Art Journaler. So my solution. I just love fabric, so thought ok I will make something I can slip over my Moleskine journal. Something that is easy to get on and off and still uses the handy elastic strap that comes with the Moleskine Journal, to keep it closed.
So first I had to select fabrics. I had to work out how big it had to be to cover it and allow for seam allowance. I didn't have a pattern, I just popped the journal on the fabric and cut out a piece of fabric allowing for seams. That was my inside piece. So then I wanted strips for the outside pieces joined together, so I used the inside piece for a pattern, also allowing for seam allowance between the pieces and cut and sewed these together. I cut fabric wadding the same size so three pieces. Cover, batting and backing. I also made an allowance with the cover to be a little longer as my art journal will expand with use.
I wanted some fabric words on my art journal cover and I had this wonderful So Soft fabric paint from DecoArt. I just stenciled the letters in Lamp black onto some linen fabric it worked a treat. I then frayed the edges I like the scruffy look it gives the word blocks.
This is the part for the Helmar Spray adhesive is to the rescue. I sewed one of the word blocks on with pins and my sewing machine. Yea that was ok but thought I really don't know how I am going to do the closure with the elastic, that was the tricky part. (I ended up making a piece that the back cover slides into and sewed it into the back of the cover to hold it). I did not know where the word blocks were going to be positioned yet. If they were going on the front and side and did not want the words to be in a spot were you could not see the design of the cute girls on the Kimmidoll fabric. This is what happens when you are not sure where things go when you are experimenting and making something for the first time. So I sprayed the back of the 2 remaining words with Helmar spray adhesive and well that was fabulous.
You have no idea how many times I stuck and re-stuck were I wanted those 2 remaining words. It was wonderful to be able to move them around, put my journal in and out to look and see how it was positioned.
I even forgot I had stuck them on when I turned my journal to the right way after sewing and there they were still stuck. It was so handy no jabbing myself with pins (yes they are sharp and I always do it). Then I just hand sewed those 2 remaining stuck word blocks on with a cross stitch and embroidery thread with them still being sticky this was no problem. It has been a while since I have done any decorative hand sewing and I enjoyed the process. I also went around the edge of the whole cover with a blanket stitch. My old sewing machine did not like all those layers and would not sew around the edge for me. I like the blanket stitched edge of the journal though, it gives a nice finishing touch to it. Three red buttons sewed on and it was all finished.
Well hope you liked my project for today. I love the feel of the pretty padded fabric cover, it will be a pleasure to see and use it now.