Time to dive back into the pile of fabric that was the foundation for the Campervan bowling bag and the Owl tote (both x 2 because it was a collaboration with my mom, and we now have matching sets of bags and totes)! This is my last planned post about this particular pile of fabric from Terry’s, even though there are some fabric left I haven’t decided what I will use it for yet. Also I need to dive head first into making the member magazine for the Embroidery Guild this week. But first, a post about how this journal that I call Jardin Lime, was born! Only one version of this one of course.

Today there will be no sewing, even though we’re dealing with fabric. In bookbinding you can use a thick fabric as a book cover, something that I really enjoy. I started with real book cloth, but have since experimented with painted fabric and now, commercial prints that is a bit thicker than quilting cloth.

I have written before about this process if you want to take a look, but this is what it looked like this time:

I love both fabric and paper, but for book covers I always prefer the sturdy kind that will actually protect the book pages. That’s why I have never made a book cover in fabric exclusively. Instead I glue the fabric to thick cardstock, and fold in the edges. Love the look this technique gives me!

The most important step to make a pretty book cover is to take your time with the corners. Cut the fabric close to the cardstock, but not too close because you want to fold in a few millimeters to one side to actually cover it. These turned out pretty good!

Inside this Art Journal are pre-painted pages made from wallpaper, envelopes, reycycled papers and watercolor papers. My favorite mix when binding books!

I’m calling this journal Jardin Lime because that’s the name of this fabric; Jardin Lime Curtain Fabric! You can get it from Terry’s Fabrics. It’s the same one we used to sew pockets from in the Campervan Bowling Bag!

Don’t you think my Art Journal turned out pretty darn cute?