Covered Notebook with Matching Pen Tutorial

This tutorial has instructions to make any sized notebook cover and a matching pen. All of my measurements and what not will be in red.

Supplies

Notebook – I used a spiral bound Fat lil’ Notebook by Mead

Fabric (see your measurements to determine the amount needed)

Fusible interfacing ( use appropriate interfacing for the weight of fabric you choose)

Adult hair elastic/ponytail holder

Button

Pen – one that has a clear tube

* Plus the regular supplies like: sewing machine, thread, needle, pins, mearsuring tape, rotary cutter and board, and an iron.

Ready – Set – Go

First off you need to measure your notebook.

Measure from the back side edge, around the spine, to the front edge of your closed notebook. 9.5 inches.

The height   5.5 inches

and how deep you want your pocket flaps to go in. 3 inches

Notebook measurements

Cover/Lining – This is the length around your notebook by the height.  9.5  x 5.5

Pockets flaps – This is double the depth by the height.  6 x 5.5

Cut Interfacing

Cut your interfacing using actual notebook measurements. You’ll need 4 peices cut. 2 cover/lining and 2 pocket flaps.

Cut Fabric

Add one inch to each measurement. 10.5 x 6.5 for cover/lining and 7 x 6.5 for pocket flaps

Cut 4 pieces again. 2 cover/lining and 2 pocket flaps.

I used some thin scrap fabric for the lining , a pieced cover that I cut to the appropriate size and some Kona Curry for the pocket flaps.

Apply Interfacing and Folding Pocket Flaps

Iron on your interfacing per interfacing instructions.

 

Fold the doubled length of your pocket flap in half and press, wrong sides together.

Cut and sew in elastic

Set your fabric aside and grab your notebook and elastic.

 

Measure elastic on notebook by placing thumb where  button will be. Place thumb inside elastic loop and wrap elastic around the back. Pinch elastic about a 1/4  inch on the back side. Do not stretch the elastic.

Cut the elastic close to your fingers.

If your cover piece is sitting in front of you, right side up, sew your elastic onto the left edge of the fabric placing it in the middle, loop toward the center not edge. Allow a little of the elastic to hang off the edge and sew over it about 3 or 4 times about an 1/8th of an inch from the edge. Clip all your strings.

Sew your pieces together.

 

Place your lining fabric right side up infront of you.

Place your pocket flaps on top of the lining with the fold towards the middle. Line up edges and corners.

Place your cover piece on next, wrong side up. Your elastic will now be on the right side. Pin at least your corners. I also pin the start stop sewing location as well.

With a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew around your notebook leaving an opening at least 3 inches at the top. Make sure you back stitch.

Finishing Up

Clip your corners.

Turn your notebook cover right side out. Pay attention to your corners.

Press, making sure to fold in the fabric at the opening so it will be ready to sew closed.

Topstitch about an 1/8th of an inch from the edge all the way around your notebook cover.

Now your ready to sew on your button.

Open up notebook as shown and slide front and back covers into pockets flaps. Once , I’m guessing, my seam allowance was off and I couldn’t get the notebook cover in. I simply cut the the cover and back of the notebook a bit smaller so it would squeeze in. No one was the wiser.

Fold your notebook and place the elastic over your button. 

Now on to the Pen

 

You’ll need a pen with a clear tube.

 

Unscrew pen and remove ink. Mine was as simple as unscrewing the back. Some other brands are a little more complicated.

 

Measure the length of your tube and cut a piece of cordnating fabric that length by 3/4inch. Apply interfacing to the fabric for easier insertion.

Fold the 3/4 inch side of fabric into thirds and slide into tube.

Replace ink and put the pen back together.

Now your all done.

I don’t think I’m officially back but I wanted to post this.

This is my first tutorial so let me know what you think. Any suggestion that would make it better would be greatly appreciated. If you use the tutorial and blog or post pictures, please link back to this post. Also let me know how it worked out for you.

My plan is to do a tutorial for all the projects from my give-away. (except the quilt, that was totally improvised) Its a way to document how I did it so that I don’t have to figure it out again. Any suggestions on which one I should do next?

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