I Made A Fliptop Notebook Cover
I discovered cheap notebooks at the newsagent
But…
They are without covers
So I made one
Here’s how…
I chose 3 different Fabrics
- 1 for a cover
- 1 for the lining
- 1 for a pocket to hold the pad in place
Tapes for a pen holder
Elastic – For closure
A large sheet of sturdy card
Light weight fusible fleece (I used Vilene x50)
Lightweight wadding and craft glue can be used
Scissors for card
Needle & thread or machine
Pins
Rotary cutter and board or fabric scissors
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Measurements
Card – cut 4
Dimensions of the notebook plus ¼” added to each side
Fabric for cover and lining – cut 1 each
Dimensions of card, doubled in length, plus ¼” seam allowance to each side
(If your notebook has a spiral binding add extra to fabric to allow for that)
Fabric for pocket – cut 1
Same width as cover and lining
But double the length of the notebook plus ½” seam allowance
Tape – cut 2
Enough to go around the pen at fattest part, plus ½” for generous seam allowance
Elastic – cut 1
At width of the card plus ½” at each edge to allow for generous seam allowance
Wadding -Do not cut to size before attaching to card, it’s easier to attach then trim to size
I found a steam iron worked better than the dry iron recommended for fusible fleece
The card did buckle a little
But straightened when cooled and fitted into covers
My Measurements are all Imperial
My quilting, cutting boards and rules are Imperial
The notebook inserts are Imperial…
I saw no reason to change…
My notebook is 5” x 8”
My cards 5½” x 8½”
My fabric
For cover and lining 6” x 17½”
For pocket 6”x 17”
Attach card to wadding, set aside to dry
Press all fabrics before cutting
Once cut to length
Press the pocket fabric in half
Lay lining fabric right side up, onto this lay the pocket edges aligned
Pocket opening will be just short of halfway
Pin pen loops into position using photograph as reference
Ensure a generous amount is held by the seam
Loops face inward to the centre of the cover
Place and pin elastic across the lower end of the pocket
Use photograph for reference
Place fabric cover over all right side down
Pin securely at edges
Using the ¼” seam allowance
I prefer to work with needle and thread drawn through beeswax
But a sewing machine will do the job
Take extra care to oversew at pen loops and elastic ends
Stitch on three sides leaving open the pocket edge, along the bottom
Make stitching secure either side of this opening
Trim corners to reduce bulk and turn cover inside out straightening edges with finger pressing
Don’t panic if the pocket doesn’t look right it needs to be turned too
Unpin pen loops so they pop out like ears
Ensure all edges have been captured by stitching
Having trimmed wadding around cards
Slip them inside the cover, one at a time
They should be snug
If they are too tight trim a tiny amount from each card until they fit,
If too loose you may have to stitch seams again
Turn pocket & pin pen loops out of the way before you do.
Position wadding side facing out
Two cards to each section
This will make the covers firm
There needs to be fabric only midway, to act as the hinge
(The first one I made using plastic, hoping it would be washable, however it wasn’t firm enough until I added an extra sheet of card to both sections – ah well)
Using seam allowances, tuck raw edges of bottom opening neatly inside
With needle and thread close using a blind hemstitch if possible…
Or tiny straight stitches
Finish securely, for this edge will get a great deal of wear…
Slip the notebook in place by sliding notebook card- back into the pocket
Use elastic to secure covers whether open or closed
I made another for church
Enjoy…
Design, Instructions and Photographs © Denise Stanford 2010
Within the Vine 