Fat Quarter Friday: Notepad Cover

Does anyone else find immense joy from making lists and then crossing things off of them? Well I am a list addict, so I thought, why shouldn't I feed this addiction by making my list making even more enjoyable? I found this cute notebook folder tutorial over at the Riley Blake Designs Blog. I love Riley Blake fabrics, so cute! So I decided to try this little notepad cover. I had a couple issues with their tutorial, so mine has a couple minute changes. This project is fairly involved, so if you don't love lists, it may not be for you!

Materials:
2 fat quarters
fusible interfacing
thin batting
1 large button

 Step 1: Print out the pattern so you can cut out your fabrics. (I didn't actually use the patterns, I just looked at them and then cut the fabrics accordingly, but do it however you feel comfortable.)

From your outer fabric (pink):
2 Outer/inner panels
2 Slanted pockets (facing opposite directions)
2 Button straps

From your inner fabric (black):
2 Outer/inner panels
2 Notebook pockets
2 Card pockets

 From your interfacing:
4 Outer/inner panels
2 Notebook pockets
2 Card pockets
2 Slanted pockets (facing opposite directions)
2 Button straps

From your thin batting:
2 Outer/inner panels

Step 2: Iron your interfacing pieces to their corresponding fabric pieces using whichever method your interfacing says to. Make sure to fuse them to the wrong sides of your fabric.

Step 3: We're going to make the outside cover. Take your two Outer/inner panels in your outer fabric (pink) and lay them right sides together.

Then take your two batting pieces and sandwich them around the pieces you just put together.

Now using a 1/2" seam, sew them together along one of the long ends. Cut off excess fabric,

and iron open the seam. Set aside for a minute.

Step 4: Take your Button strap pieces and lay them right sides together. Using a 1/4" seam, sew around three sides leaving one of the short ends open. Trim your corners.

Turn it right side out and topstitch 1/8" from the edge along the three sides. Using the button strap pattern piece, mark where your button hole will go. You can make your button hole at this time or at the end, it's up to you, I waited until the end, but it would probably be easiest to do it now.

Step 5: Using the Outer/inner panel pattern mark where your button should go and attach it to the outside cover piece.

Now we're going to pin the button strap on the opposite panel from the button. Make sure that it is lined up with the button. Position the strap so that the end of it is 5" from the edge of the cover.

Step 6: Take the two pen pocket pieces and place them right sides together. Sew (1/4" seam) along three edges leaving one of the short edges open. Trim your corners.

Turn the pocket right side out. Turn under the open edge 1/4" and iron.

Topstitch 1/8" from the edge along the two long sides.

Step 7: Take your two slanted pocket pieces and lay them right sides together. Sew along the slant using a 1/4" seam.

Turn right sides out, iron and then topstitch along that slanted edge with a 1/8" seam.

Step 8: Position the pen pocket like so on the slanted pocket piece and sew along the bottom edge and the two sides. Also make sure to sew a line down the pocket to make a little pen slot.

Pin the slanted pocket piece onto the right side of the Outer/inner panel (black).

Step 9: Take the two notebook pocket pieces and place them right sides together. Sew along one of the short edges using a 1/4" seam.

Turn right side out, press and topstitch (1/8" seam).

Place this piece on top of the final Outer/inner piece (black) and pin in place.

Step 10: Take your piece you just finished and your slanted pocket panel and arrange them like so.

Flip the panel on the right on top of the slanted pocket panel (right sides together). Sew layers together using a 1/2" seam. Trim off any excess.

Iron open your seam.

Step 11: You should now just have two big pieces leftover, the inner pieces and the outer.

Put them right sides together and pin in place.

Sew using a 1/4" seam around all the edges, leaving a 3-4" opening for turning. Trim your corners.

Turn right side out.

Topstitch around the entire piece with a 1/8" seam. Make sure to close the turning opening as you go. Now sew three seams down the spine, each about 1/8" away from each other.

 

 You're all done, enjoy!