I am quietly fuming after being (very kindly) informed that someone is selling my Greengate Style Baby Poncho pattern on eBay, even using the original photograph from my blog!
It’s not just the fact that they are making money from my design, but that people are paying for it when it is available for free. Maddening.
Anyway, being the sharing, caring folk that we Crafters are, I have another tutorial for you – a Bookbound Journal.
I made mine using part of a hide of turquoise leather that I had leftover from a previous project, but you could use boiled wool, felt, cardboard – anything really. This was constructed entirely from stuff I had already so was completely free to make, which was essential as it went into my #sewingsanta parcel and I had already reached my spending limit.
So, here we go.
How To Make A Bookbound Journal
You will need: –
16-20 sheets paper (I used a mix of plain, squared, lined, coloured and notelet)
Cover Material which doesn’t fray (Leather, Cardboard, Felt, Boiled wool etc)
Waxed Cotton/Strong Thread
Magnetic Closure
Bradawl/Craft Knife
1. Stack your paper in piles of 4 or 5 and fold in half to make a ‘signature’. I made 4 signatures to go in my book.
2. Using a bradawl or other sharp pointed tool, pierce four holes through the fold at regular intervals making sure you go through all the layers of paper.
I use an old magazine underneath to protect my table.
3. Fold and stack all your signatures neatly together and lay on your chosen cover material. Cut around leaving about half a centimetre all round.
If you want to make a flap to close the journal, you can extend the fabric as shown below.
4. Mark a line about half a centimetre onto the fabric, directly in line with the holes in the signatures.
5. Cut through the fabric at these markings using a craft knife.
6. Thread a needle with a length of waxed cotton (or strong thread) twice the measurement of the spine of your journal.
7. Starting at the bottom, pass the needle through the hole in the first signature and the slit in the cover from the inside to the outside as shown below. Leave a tail of thread about 5cm long.
8. Pass the needle back through the second slit and signature.
10. Continue in this way until you reach the top, then weave your way back down to the bottom in the same way.
11. Tie the ends together and trim for a neat finish.
12. Add all the other signatures in the same way.
13. If you’ve added a flap, now is the time to add a closure of your choice. It can be a simple length of leather knotted at one end, slipped through a slit and wrapped around or a magnetic snap fastening as I have used.
14. Attach following the manufacturers instructions and cover the snap with a decorative feature button or piece of fabric. I made a bespoke needle felted button using three colours.
You could use handmade paper with deckled edges to make it really special, or just stick to printer paper to keep it simple, but I rather like using several different types of paper to make it more interesting.
I can’t show you what it looks like from the top because it is personalized with the recipient’s initial, but you get the idea.
I wrapped it up, popped it in the parcel along with lots of other goodies (blogged about here) and posted it First Class today, so somebody should be getting a big box from #sewingsanta in the post tomorrow! How exciting!
December 9, 2014 at 7:57 pm
Wow! Your #sewingsanta just keeps getting better and better 🙂 This looks very professional.
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December 10, 2014 at 9:59 am
Thank you – a compliment indeed!
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December 9, 2014 at 9:24 pm
You are just too clever!!
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December 10, 2014 at 9:59 am
I just like trying so many different things and don’t show you the ones that fail:)
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December 10, 2014 at 1:11 pm
Well that makes me feel better 🙂
On another note…. Please say this big Christmas box that arrived this morning is from you!?!
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December 10, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Ha ha Beth! I couldn’t possibly comment:)
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December 10, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Oh that’s not fair! I will wait to find out on Christmas Day if I can!!
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December 9, 2014 at 9:46 pm
A brilliant tutorial and a wonderful gift too! I sympathise about the ”stealing” aspect as I have had something similar on Etsy with a person making a pattern for my peg bag designs – though not at all of my quality!… though still, they were making money from stealing my idea…It’s so infuriating and even more so for you, as you are ‘giving’ the pattern for free! I love there is no end to your new and informative posts 🙂
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December 10, 2014 at 10:03 am
Thanks for the kind words – I got the pattern removed without having to go down the official route by just threatening to contact eBay. I recognized patterns from other blogs too and if I can remember which ones they are I will let them know.
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December 9, 2014 at 10:05 pm
love this. I saw this for sale on a bookstore in our country though a bit pricey but will do this probably after my German class. 😀
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December 10, 2014 at 10:04 am
Oh please show us your journal if you do decide to have a go! It’s really not that difficult and would make a great Christmas gift for your husband:)
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December 10, 2014 at 11:17 am
I will definitely 🙂
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December 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm
Fab tutorial but I outraged on your behalf re the poncho pattern. That is just THEFT.
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December 10, 2014 at 10:05 am
Thanks Claire – managed to get the listing removed last night!
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December 10, 2014 at 10:16 am
Good! I am in the process of drafting a blog about piracy and theft. This gets so far up my nose it’s wafting around in my brain… Do you watermark your photos? I think maybe with your free patterns you should? X
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December 10, 2014 at 10:25 am
I don’t and would hate to have to go down that route just because of a few awful people. I love the crafting community and enjoy sharing my knowledge and designs the way we do. It’s just a shame that there are a small minority that have no conscience.
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December 10, 2014 at 1:21 am
I can’t even believe someone is trying to make money with your idea!! Is there any way to let people know with a review or something?
This is a pretty cool notebook idea!
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December 10, 2014 at 10:07 am
Thanks Michelle – I contacted them directly and told them to remove the listing which they did immediately. I guess they’re just after easy money and don’t make a fuss if challenged. It still stinks though:)
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December 10, 2014 at 7:43 am
Report the seller to ebay and get the listing removed. I think I found the culprit and they’re selling loads of other free patterns. It’s shocking, really
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December 10, 2014 at 10:10 am
I got the listing removed and I, too, recognized stuff from other blogs which I am going to try to inform:)
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December 10, 2014 at 9:01 am
This is amazing!!! What a parcel that #sewingsanta haul is going to be!!!!
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December 10, 2014 at 10:10 am
Thanks Lisa! How’s your parcel coming on?
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December 12, 2014 at 11:12 am
In the post!!!
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December 10, 2014 at 9:14 am
I love the blue of that leather. I keep being amazed at the variety of your crafting!
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December 10, 2014 at 10:11 am
Aw, that’s such a nice thing to say Lucie! I just love trying out different things as I’m afraid I get bored easily:)
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December 10, 2014 at 10:06 am
What an amazingly made and beautiful gift! Lucky, lucky recipient! Thanks so much for sharing! Straight out terrible for you to find out people are making money on something you so graciously shared ….. I’m sure ebay is taking care of this! Marianne xx
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December 10, 2014 at 10:13 am
Thanks Marianne, making it in leather does make it a bit more special so I hope they like it. The listing has now been removed but it just galls me that people do this kind of thing.
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December 10, 2014 at 11:01 am
I love those kind of covers!!! thank you for sharing!!
http://vanesew.wordpress.com
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December 10, 2014 at 11:40 am
You’re welcome and thank you:)
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December 10, 2014 at 12:44 pm
What an amazing tutorial, many thanks for sharing it’s defiantly on my to do list.
I’m outraged that some one would be brazen enough to sell a pattern you so kindly posted for free!!! I downloaded uMark5 a free app to watermark my photo’s, that way my photos are traceable back to my sites, I hope this incident hasn’t left a bitter taste, take care x
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December 10, 2014 at 1:02 pm
Oh, please do have a go, it’s very quick and easy but looks quite impressive as a gift. I do watermark my Day Job photos but, as blogging is for fun not business, I don’t really want to. I rather like to think of bloggers as nice people and nasty, thieving eBayers as the occasional spanner in the works. I’ve decided not to let it upset me and to continue sharing regardless:)
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December 10, 2014 at 1:10 pm
I love your positive attitude, boo to all the spanners out there
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