'Schmatta' Journal Cover- Part 2 of 2

Mid-way through felting...

                                             ...the project is turned right-side out.

                                                 Felting and shaping continue...

                                   ...as the journal cover shrinks to its desired size.

                                      A secure closure is fashioned from leather...

                                               ...and a 'cat eye' button is added.

                                                (A close-up view of the button.)

                                                Stray bits of yarn and selvedge...

                                   ...are tacked down with a bit of hand-stitching...

                                          ...and the cover is ready for gift-giving!

'Schmatta' Journal Cover- Part 1 of 2

Old, raggedy pieces of cloth and yarn...

                                                      ...and pencil roving...

                                              ...are laid onto the resist surface.

                                     (A quite satisfying way to use up old scraps!)

                               The project is then covered with layers of wool roving...

                                                         ...and wetted out.

                                   Additional layers of wool are added to side one...

                                      ...and the journal cover is flipped to side two.

                            The center of the second side is filled in with striped roving...

                               ...to differentiate it from the 'design side' of the piece.

                                                             Felting begins...

                                          ...and after a bit of rubbing and rolling...

                                           ...a slit is cut into the (still soft) felt.

                                             Next time: the resist is removed...

                                               ...and the journal is completed.

Yarn-Embellished Journal Cover- Part 3 of 3

Adding a leather strap...

                                              ...to the finished felt journal cover.

                                 A metal punch was used to make the buttonhole...

                          ...(shown here with the green leather from my last project).

                                   My two most recent journal covers...side by side.

                                                      The finished project. 

                          To show how the composition book fits inside its felt cover...

                                     ...here's a photo of my recent 'confetti' one.

                                                A close-up of the brass button.

                                                       The completed project.

                                   Next time: the final journal cover in this series...

                         ...made with pencil roving, silk selvedge and fiber scraps! :)

Yarn-Embellished Journal Cover- Part 2 of 3

Mid-way through felting...

...the project is turned right-side out.

                                          Happily, each and every piece of yarn...

                                        ...has already begun to 'melt' into the wool.

                                          The project is further felted and fulled...

                                   ...and, once completed,  rinsed in vinegar water.

                              An oval opening is created for easy journal insertion...

                                          ...and the finished cover is blocked...

                             ...by stuffing it with rolled cloth napkins while it dries.                

                                            Next time: the finished journal cover...

                                 ...with burgundy leather strap and brass button.

Yarn-Embellished Journal Cover- Part 1 of ?

Laying out lengths of yarn...

                              ...and covering them with bits of roving in 'tiger colors'.

                                             Adding a second layer of wool...

                                                ...perpendicular to the first...

                                           ...and flipping the project to side two.

                                                  Folding in the lengths of yarn...

                                             ...and covering both side two...

                                                            ...and side one...

                                               ...with additional layers of roving.

                             (A dark wool dot is added to mark the 'decorated side'.)

                                                    Mid-way through felting...

                                       ...a slit is cut into the 'non decorated side'...

                                                       ...for resist removal.

                                     Next time: the project is turned right-side out.

Embellished 'Silk Scraps' Journal Cover- Part 3 of 3

Adding more beads to the journal cover.

 

Additional iridescent beads and new clear ones in close-up.

 

A line of gold glass beads marches along the silk edge.

 

The finished cover with a standard 'Composition Book' inside.



 Now, a line of small metal rings 'joins the fray'! :)

 

The fully embellished cover.

 

To complete the project, I stitched on a braided yarn bookmark...

 

...with a pink leather tab.

 

Those of you who know me well...

...are probably out there scratching your heads...

...over the abundance of embellishment on this journal.

No...it's not my favorite thing...

...but somehow, this time, I got carried away! :)

I took three doubled strands of festive yarn...

...and braided them into a soft bookmark.

A small rectangle of dyed pink leather finishes it off.