MOUNTAIN MOM REPORT: Sewing Tutorial Notebook Cover

This is a sewing project that might be fun for beginners as well as experienced sewers. You could reduce these instructions to a simple cover, or expand them to a detailed, personalized cover with many extra features. I am somewhere in between, unable to resist embellishments, but not expert enough to make my finished product completely perfect.

Begin with a 5x7 inch notebook. Mine has a spiral binding that is rather heavy. I have also used these covers with notebooks having thin spiral bindings. In any case, begin with a cut of heavyweight fusible interfacing. This is the base canvas for what will become the front and back (but not interior flaps) of your notebook cover. It also serves as a backing to your fabric and embellishments, which makes sewing go smoothly. Measure 12.5 by 8 inches.

My inspiration today is this vintage table napkin, embroidered with flowers. In this photo, I am working on cutting down the napkin to fit on my interfacing piece. I didn't have a wide enough piece so I added a floral fabric to make it the right size. Final fabric measurements: 12.5 by 8.5.

Organizing fabric pieces: On top you see my notebook with the heavy binding. Under it are 2 pieces of fabric (without interfacing) which will be the inside flaps, that hold the cover on the notebook. Flap measurements: 5.5 by 8.5 inches. To the right of the flaps are the flap pockets. Pockets are optional. Size of pockets is flexible. They must be 5.5 inches wide. You may vary the height. Mine today are quite short but I'd recommend at least 3 inches or more tall. At the bottom of the photo, you see my main fabric piece with the embroidered part going to line up as the notebook front cover. Always center your design with the awareness that the edges of the fabric will be sewn a half inch. That final piece to the left is a pen holder. Pen holder is optional. Measurements for the pen holder are 6 by 3 inches. I used interfacing to back the pen holder but that is optional also.

Here is one flap. Fold the edge over about a half inch. The optional flap pocket is here too, with its edge folded right along with the flap edge.

Here you see the open notebook and the two flaps (with pockets) lined up accordingly. Take care to note the flap edges mirror each other. Do not sew two identical flaps or you'll have two right side flaps (or two left sides, whatever). The remaining raw edges on the flaps will be sewn in with the main fabric piece later. By the way, the applique designs are optional also.

Pen holder: Fold the top raw edge of the pen holder and sew it. Align the pen holder somewhere about center on your main fabric piece. Mine here was a bit left of center so you'll see that my pen ends up riding on the backside of the notebook. For a perfectly aligned binding pen holder, you should center this fabric piece and also consider making it have a little leeway with a pleat. (See how this can get endlessly complicated?) I used a zig zag stitch over the raw edges, for simplicity.

Sew the pen flap twice. Double enforce the stitching at the tops. Do not sew across the top part or there won't be a entry for your pen.

Getting closer: Ok, now we have our main fabric piece with the pen holder sewn in place, as well as two mirror image flaps. Align the flaps so the raw edge sits next to the raw edge of the main fabric piece. The sewn flap edge faces away.

Fold the flap over. Raw edges still line up. Right sides together.

Here you see both flaps face down on top of the main fabric piece. I dotted a line in orange pen at the half inch mark so you could see where to sew. Sew very straight. Notice the middle top and bottom are not sewn yet.

Those middle sections are along the binding. After sewing the flaps on, you may carefully cut a small notch about a quarter inch inward, at each place where the flap stitching ends. This creates a simple flap that folds in, just so the cover has a neater look.

Here I place the notebook on to check how things are going. I sewed along the orange dotted lines. I clip the corners to help make them fit well later.

I trimmed the edge because it's too bulky to leave much. Never cut your stitching. Always leave at least a quarter inch of seam allowance.

Turn it right side out. Notice the middle flaps are now ready to sew down. It really helps to iron at this point. Be cautious not to sew the flaps at all because they are already the right size. Just sew the remaining middle flap that is sticking up, down to line up properly.