This tutorial a re-post of
this post that I wrote as a guest of SewWeQuilt. Enjoy and please let me know when you try them!
Today I bring you not one but TWO journal covers! I confessed my love for journal covers in
this post a few weeks ago. I'm still enamoured of them. These are my new favorites. Until I make another one, of course.
Let's start with the big one.
Oh yeah, did I mention I also have a thing for Dresden's too? Yes. Yes I do.
Here's what you'll need:
A selection of fabrics for the Dresden plate. I've had these in my stash for well over a year, waiting for the perfect project. You know those favorites that you can't bear to use? These are some of mine. Can I just say one thing here about saving fabrics? Don't. USE THOSE FABRICS! My quilt cave is in our basement. A few weeks ago, the supply line to the toilet, which is located over the basement, burst, thus, flooding the basement. Gratefully, the water didn't damage much, and my fabric is fine (whew!) but it very easily could have been soaked. So please, don't be afraid to cut into your "good" fabric. You deserve it! Okay, stepping down from my soap box....
You'll also need a composition book for the journal (standard size ~ btw they also make these with gridded paper ~ perfect for sketching quilt designs!) Base fabric (I used linen) and a backing fabric. Honestly, I just used a heavy weight muslin for this. It's never seen. Plus it adds a little sturdiness. You can get fancy and use a print if you'd like. For the Dresden blades and center, scraps will do. The base and backing are cut to 16 1/4" x 10 3/4" (basically, an inch taller and wider than your book, allowing for a 1/2 inch seam allowance.) Not pictured: one hair elastic, one uncovered button, to be turned into a covered button, and fabric for the side flaps, 2 pieces, cut 10 3/4" x 5 1/2".
Aside from the usual rotary cutter, mats, rulers, I used a
Dresden ruler. You can get it lots of places. I highly recommend one. I think you'll find that you'll use it for all sorts of things. If you just want to make a template out of cardboard or template plastic, here are some dimensions.
Let's make the Dresden plate. First, cut your blades. I experimented a bit with the size, and this fit the best on the journal cover. You'll need 20 of these. I had 7 fabrics, so cut three of each and had one left over.
Once all the blades are cut, arrange them in a circle. Make them look pretty!
Take each blade and fold in half, matching the sides, and giving a little finger press down the center. (the wider part of the blade is shown here.)
Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew across the top of the folded blade. You can chain piece these guys.
Little Dresden Soldiers
Snip between seams, keeping them in order. Turn the point out on each blade. Use the finger pressed seam to line up the center seam of each blade. Press.
After all the blades are turned and pressed, pick up two at a time, matching seams, and sew from side to the base (from pointy side to the base.) I like to do it this way, so I make sure my side seams match. It won't matter if the bottom seams aren't perfect.
You can chain piece these if you'd like. I get confused easily, so I sew a pair, lay it down, then pick up the next pair. After you have all your pairs sewn, pick up a pair of pairs, sew together. Continue in this manner until your circle is stitched.
I hate to bring this up, because we were have such a good time, but at this point, you need to press the circle. And, you need to press the seams open. I will do almost anything not to have to press seams open, but in this case we must. Sorry.
Back to the fun stuff. Take your journal cover front, and give it a little press down the middle. We're going to center the Dresden plate on the spine of the cover. (Of course, you can put it anywhere you want!) Line up the plate on the seam, centering it top and bottom as well.
Pin well.
Using matching or neutral thread, stitch down the plate to the cover. I stitched very close to the edge of the plate, maybe 1/16th".
Now, on to the center. I measured my center. About 3".
Totally serendipitous, one of my fabrics had this awesome motif!
There are several ways you can finish the center. You can choose not to have any center at all, and just turn under the edges of your circle (I guess you'd need to do this before you stitch the outside down!) You can needle turn applique it. I decided on a raw edge applique. I traced my circle template onto lite heat n bond. Fused the heat n bond to the wrong side of my fabric, and cut out my circle. Then, fused the circle to the center of the Dresden plate. Using matching thread, navy in my case, I used a small zigzag to stitch the center down.
For the closure, take your hair elastic, take a little thread and wrap around the end to secure it (I learned that little trick from
Jeni!)
Using a 1/4" seam allowance, tack the hair elastic to the left side of your cover (which will become the back of your cover.)
On to the side flaps. Super simple. Fold long edge under 1/4", then 1/4" again and topstitch. Repeat for other side. (Make sure you create a right and left side. See picture!)
Almost done! Time to layer it up. Place your cover, right side up. Then place your side flaps, right side down, with the finished edges towards the center.
Lay your backing fabric on top, right side down.
Pin all around.
Sew, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave a 2-3" opening on the bottom to turn the cover right side out. After sewing, I clipped the corners and trimmed the top and side seams to 1/4" to reduce bulk.
Turn your cover right side out through the opening, give her a good pressing. Hand stitch the opening, add a covered button to the front and voila! You're finished!
Whew! Ready to make the small one? Much quicker. Besides, you're an expert by now!
This is the one we're going to make
How cute would this be for a stocking stuffer? Or for you to keep all of your gift lists, receipts, menu plans?
You'll need:
Front and lining, 7.5" x 5" (I used osnaburg for the lining, which you'll see later, not a great choice. Should have stuck to muslin.) Two inside pieces, (3" x 5"), hair elastic, covered button garnish. Finish the side flap pieces like above (fold, fold, stitch.) For a super easy, faster way, you can use selvage edges from your fabric, like in this scrappy version:
For the closure, cut your hair elastic so it's one long piece. (Cut your hair elastic on it's seam.) Tack it to the front left side (which will become the back of the cover) stitching in about 1 1/2" from the side and 1/8" away from top and bottom edge.
Layer your pieces as before: Cover, right side up (keep the hair elastic on the left side), flaps, with finished edges toward center, then the inside of the cover, right side down.
Again, pin to keep layers from shifting. Stitch all the way around, this time using a scant 1/4" seam allowance, leaving a 2" opening for turning. Clip corners.
Turn it out!
See that mess at the bottom? That's why I wouldn't use osnaburg again. Oh well. Hand stitch closed. Add a decorative button (I sewed mine to the elastic.) Bring the elastic around from the back to the front to secure your mini journal cover.
Now go make a whole bunch of them for gifts!
Thanks so much for spending some time with me. I do hope you'll give these a try!
