Today's Custom Fauxdori Cover

Today besides sketching, I also completed another fabric cover.  This one was special with my Leesburg "sister" picking out the material she liked.  We stopped off at JoAnn Fabrics after the sketch crawl and I came home and immediately got to work making it from start to finish.

Inside has an insert of regular paper (20 pages front and back) with a cover and a six-pocket folder.  I made an extra band for her to use to add her watercolor paper.  Inside I included a printout of how to cut her sheet of watercolor paper to fit this size cover.

I absolutely love the material and pattern on it and my dear friend loves the results.

Making these are addictive.......lol

Yet Another FauxDori Cover / Step by Step

With each one, it's getting easier and easier to include operating my sewing machine and how to line up the Crop - A - Dile Big Bite hole punch/eyelet setter.

Out of all the YouTube videos I've watched, this one is the one I found to be my favorite and the one I'm basically following to create my own covers.

For the video version on how to make these, I found this one to be my favorite and the one I'm basically following with the exception of how she folds the finished cover.    Brandy Michelle Plans  She's very thorough in her presentation.  She also shows how to handle placement of center hole and eyelet for those who do not have a long reach punch / eyelet setter like I am using.

For those who are interested, please feel free to right click on images and "save image as" for your own reference.

My Second Fabric Fauxdori Artist Travelers' Notebook

This Fauxdori turned out nicer than the first........although there are some things I learned with this one not to do next time.

This one includes an insert section with mixed lined, graph, and dot paper I printed off so I'm not having to carry an extra little notebook for notes and reminders when our group gets together.  The insert section has a piece of Bockingford watercolor paper as a cover only because that's all I had strong enough.  I went shopping last night and now have some nice patterned card stock I can use for future insert covers.

This one also has the pocket folder I made and shared in my last post.  I have several business cards tucked in one of the pockets that has contact information about our sketching group for interested people who check us out when we're out sketching.

And as you see from the photos, I'm now getting into adding charms and beads to hang just to dress the notebook/journal up a bit.

Notice my eyelets are lined up better than my first but could still be improved upon with lining.  I'm finally getting a "feel" for the crop a dile big bite gizmo.

I found cone bead caps that work perfectly for the bottom strands of the elastic bands made to hold everything in place.

**Now if I can just find a better way of attaching the closure loop without having to use a big knot to keep it from slipping out the center eyelet hole.

First Fabric Sewn Fauxdori Travelers' Notebook Cover

For days now I have been looking into an alternative method of making my own artist journals.  I've made accordion and hard bound hand sewn journals.  And I have made a couple leather Travelers' Notebooks.

My new venture is learning to sew and create hand sewn fabric covers along with adding various inserts and embellishments.

I've spent days and days viewing various videos on the subject getting a feel for the different methods people use to create their own.

The following is my very first sewn cover.  From this I've learned quite a bit:

1)  How to set up and use my sewing machine (this was a BIGGIE for me);
2)  What 72F Pellon is and how to use it plus the best way to cut so the fold looks better when cover is folded in half;
3)  How to size material and pellon for the dimensions I wanted my cover to be compared to the size cut watercolor  paper signature insert I wanted (a big thanks to Laure who helped me with that);
4)  How to trim seam allowance edges and corners to look right when material is turned right side out (after making a pocket);
5)  How to get those inside corners to fill out nicely;
6)  Getting a feel for different diameter elastic cords providing enough HOLD and yet not be too tight;
7)  How to better use a Crop a Dile Big Bite hole punch/eyelet setter.  Mainly gauging how to line it up is the trickiest for me but I'm getting better (as my next post will show); and
8)  Where to mark and cut a sheet of watercolor paper for the size pages I wanted making sure the folds were parallel to the grain.

Closed with loop finished cover.  I've left the cords long at the bottom as I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with them.  Either cut off short or maybe add beads or something.

Would love to find a better way to attach the cover loop rather than having to make a huge knot so it doesn't slip through the eyelet.

Need more practice lining up the holes with the crop a dile punch/setter.

I don't think I did too badly for my first one :-)

A Midoris Traveler's Notebook Type Sketch Journal

My most recent project is creating a different type of journals for sketching and painting in.

The idea came from Laure Ferlita's post and the Midoris Traveler's Notebook you can get and refill with little notebooks by sliding them between elastic bands.

There are three signatures of four folded sheets of Fabriano Artistico Cold Press 104 lb watercolor paper and the size is about 3.5 x 5.5".  This gives you 16 pages each signature / 48 pages front and back to sketch on.

What I like about this idea is that the signatures are not permanently sewn together (at this point) and if you wat a 2 page spread or don't want to work with the bulk of the sketchbook, you can slide a page section out and work on it flat and then slide it back in.  Makes it easier too to scan for a digital copy of your artwork.

Once the signatures are completed with sketches/paintings, you can then sew the signatures together or just keep this book together and make another.  The elastic bands hold nicely.

This is a great way to mix paper surfaces up as well (watercolor paper, drawing paper, notebook pater, etc.) all in one little sketchbook.

I plan to play more using eyelets where the holes are punched in the cover and maybe adding beads and/or charms for a more decorative look.  I also want to explore sewn covers in place of faux leather once I figure out how to sew a straight line with a sewing machine..........lol.  Maybe add a pen look, as well :-)

My Newest Toy - Hand Crafted Ballpoint Pen

My newest pen (top in photo) was specifically made for me by Steve Kondo as a Christmas gift from Terry.  This makes two I now have that Mr. Kondo has created.  I'm waiting on one more which will be a dip pen holder :-)

And here is the sketch or drawing I've already done using Procreate to draw it.  My coloring is off as it looks more copper here but then the scan shows it more yellow than it should be too (particularly at the tip)........LOL.  It should be an antique gold coloring which I may be able to change fairly easily.  But regardless of the color, I feel pretty stoked over how it turned out.  I believe the name of this style is "The Professor" using a clockworks blank to create the barrel.