Zippered journal cover

Well, this has taken me all day! but the video is finally uploading.  In the video I will be making a journal cover using a fibre entrapment technique to create a gorgeous surface.

As this is my first video, I hope you will excuse the fact that I accidentally clicked stop when I was supposed to click go and lost the second half of the binding section.  So I have embedded a you tube video about binding below to assist if you need it.
If you want to make your own butterbox journal, you can find the tutorial here on Gwen Diehn's blog, although I heard about it from Melanie Testa.
I can honestly say that this was not my best sewing and next week's tutorial will be a little simpler (sigh) and use a better camera.  My web cam is OK for face to face and hands on stuff, but not for sewing and tiny stuff, so I have  glossed over the sewing bits.

Zippered Journal

Materials

• Journal - all measurements depend on your journal, so make sure you have it handy before you start
• A piece of fabric and a piece of tulle at least 2 inches larger  on all sides than the opened out journal for the background

 As you can just see here, the opened out book has been traced in chalk on the background

• A piece of heavy interfacing at least 1 inch larger on all sides than the opened out journal

• Double fold bias binding (this was left over from quilting) and a length of zipper by the meter

• And of course lots of yummy embellishing thread I have used a selection of black, white and silver is varying textures)

Adding fibres
Back your Background with the interfacing. (because we are going to free motion over the tulle, we need a firm foundation so we don't need to use a hoop.)
Add your fibres, I added a light amount of feathered merino tops first.

Finish by layering and pinning the tulle over the top (pin outside the main area of the background)
The tulle is not strictly neccessary, but it will make the journal more durable.
Free Motion
Set up your machine for free motion, with the feed dogs down, a darning foot on and any other tools you use.  I use a silicone mat to help with slip during free motion.  Just remember to take it off when you put the feed dogs up, or the dogs will not work!
Take your time and just sew swirls and circles all over the tulle until the threads are anchored

Cutting
Next, cut your fabric to an half an inch larger all around than the opened out book
Also cut two pieces  half the size of  your fabric and fold them in about a third on the long side

these will form the inside  of the front and back.  Place them with the fold to the centre and raw edge underneath and staystitch

Adding Zipper
After making this a few times, I think it would be easier to put the binding on first, then the zip, however, in the video I did it the other way around.

Using a zipper foot, start stitching the zip at the top right of the spine, and follow around, snipping at the corners to fit. Stitch only half way around, to the bottom right of the spine.
Unzip the zip, leaving the two sides in place and flip the unsewn half to the other side of the cover.  Sew in place the same way
Slide the zipper head back into place, and bar tack each end of the zipper.
Binding

Open the zipper out again and sew the binding tape to the inside edge of the cover, folding to form a mitre at the corners
fold and overlap the ends before stitching down.
Open out the cover and fold the binding to the front

Secure either by hand or using a straight stitch, folding the corners into mitres as you go

Add a journal, zip it up and off you go!



I have not had time to write detailed notes and put a PDF together for you, but will during the next week.  I just hope my friend, whom this was made for likes it.  It is her birthday today!
Without further adieu, here is the tutorial

And here is a short video on binding to help you if you need it.

This is from daystyle designs which is an excellent site.

Don't forget to check in tomorrow for how to use up all those scraps of thread and get some new fabric out of it!