Personalized Quilted Journal Covers

Recently I have been working on several new Blue Ribbon Designs, leaving minimal time for sewing/quilting/other projects...but I did arrange a few hours this past weekend to finish up a birthday gift for my friend Lorrie...and do a little more piecing on my Nine-Patch Pixie quilt. I had been saving this lovely sampler fabric (Willimasburg R Presents The Sampler Collection by Windham Fabrics) with shades of blue especially for Lorrie, as blue is her favorite color...I decided I would make her a quilted journal - one of my favorite things to sew.

I have shown a couple of these journal covers to you before - they are so much fun to work on...and easy to personalize! The cover actually fits over a composition notebook that can easily be found at any office supply store - it measures 9 3/4" h x 7 1/2"w. The supply list is minimal - this is a great project for using up scraps of fabric...and they can easily be embellished with all sorts of trims, buttons, and/or embroidery. Best of all, there are two FREE patterns available online! The pattern used for the samples in the photos is from an older Quilts and More Quarterly Challenge and can be found in PDF form on the allpeoplequilt.com website. For a slightly smaller version (made to fit a spiral bound A5 art diary 8 1/4" h x 6 1/4" w) visit the Moda Bake Shop Blog for an excellent tutorial called "Journal Covers". These journals are the perfect size for making a list, taking notes, or writing down your personal thoughts....and to top it off, make a lovely gift! I have made quite a few of these and each one is unique and special - I like to embroider the recipients name on a piece of wool felt or fabric and applique it to the front...and there are so many other ways you could make these covers recipient specific. I hope you will try making one of these fun quilted journals...for yourself...and/or a friend!