How to make a Fabric Valentine Book

The premise
I love books, I do not mean I love to read( I like it just fine). I love holding books; turning the pages slowly and quickly. I love the intimate interaction demanded by a book. I love the historical references of books; the implications of freedom and equality that are aroused from ones mind when you think of the history of book making and the spread of knowledge to the common folk( my peeps).
I love making books. I have spent years keeping art journals and then making books; every art project was premeditated, inspired by and made record with the help of a book. I am sure my tactile fascination with books was born when I was a wee little Darling', of which I have no memory( I have a terrible memory). However I can remember how books became more and more involved in my creative process. .....This is getting too drawn out. Sorry book making brings out the art nerd in me.
It is all from journals, I believe, In the beginning of my " serious study of art" my journals were always more interesting (to me and to others) than the actual finished art piece. So I must conclude now in retrospect, That I started making books, as art, out of my desire to bring the viewer closer to me; to give them a more realistic and honest rendering of my view point.
When I was teaching a beginning design class at The university of Arizona , I assigned a very similar project to this tutorial. Each student was asked to write down four words describing something in there room at home. Then write one word for the thing. We then made pamphlet style collage books and used the words as the text for the book. I liked doing this project in the very first class because the result was so informative about the student; Like little visual autobiographies. I suggest you make the paper book first to get a feel for this.This is a great first run to hash out ideas and understand the folding method of the pamphlet. They are actually great to have around for making little memory books or we love making "comic" books out of them.


The project...these books are to be valentines. Choose who you are making the Valentine for. I made three(well I am still working on the third)I chose as my valentine : mother, lover, and burger. For the 4 words you can use almost anything. Just choose something that is relevant and fun loving for your recipient. The fifth word will be a term of endearment.
For my mother I decided to do the traditional 4 descriptive words...using her as my muse. I actually decide on the words by writing like 10 or 20 ideas and using a dictionary to help me decide on the words I liked best together. For my lover I decided to use the title to a song by one of our shared favorite musicians, Allen Toussaint.




His music conjures up such sweet memories of our courtship and we became engaged in N'orleans. For burger I chose a movie( star wars of course) and his favorite characters from the movie.( I am still working on burgers...so no photos yet)

The materials

Base fabric cut to 19"x13"
heat and bond lite
lots of fabric scraps
thread
hand needles
buttons/ beads/ other embellishments
spray starch
printing and drawing tools : stamps, stencils( some method of putting text to fabric) paint brush, pencil,
marking chalk
ink
Iron
sewing machine
spray starch

The process

1. cut and starch iron your base fabric. This 19" x 13 " fabric should be at least med weight. I chose one darker value one lighter value and one that had printed images. This will allow me to layer from dark to light and one from light to dark and on the third deal with the challenge of editing the printed images.2. cut, iron, and attach your back ground fabric.
Apply the heat and bond to all your back ground fabrics. I used translucent sheer fabrics that would help me create depth in my layering and help create a variety of values.

3. Make your pamphlet.
a. fold in half vertically and Iron
b. fold in half horizontally and iron
c. fold both ends to meet in the middle creating four fold across
d.unfold your ends and cut from the middle to the first fold .... creating a slit in the center.
4. Fold and iron you pamphlet . Hold on to the fabric on both sides of the slit, ....pull open ....and fold your pamphlet

into shape.
Iron the entire book shaping it as you go along.

This book will be whimsical and loose don't worry if all your edges don't match up perfectly, because they will not; you can work that into your design.
5. Create your lay out.Using pins and your memory, start designing each page. Now it is time to dig into your creativity and have fun. This is when I establish the flow of my text. That helps me start working each page individually. Of course you want your book to have continuity. This can be established by using color,repitition; of shapes and fabric, and stitching lines. The colors, shapes, and fabric choices should start happening now.The stitching will come later when I deal withthe books final flow. This is also the time I try to give each page an individual look. I can always add elements of continuity on top of these initial design elements.

6. Attach your design elements. I used heat and bond on all my fabric pieces, some I then added stiching by hand ...and machine. I used stamps, stencils and embroidery to illustrate my text. I suggest stamping on bits of fabric then attaching that to your book. This gives you another layer and saves your book from accidents. Add buttons or other imbellishments that you will be wanting to hide the work in the interior of the book.

7. Finsh your edges...or not. If this is an artist book not something you will be laundering( like a kids book) you could skip this all together( just heat bond everything), but I just love stitches too much . One method is to topstitch about 1/4 to 1/8 from the edge. I actually sewed around my book several times ...using the machine to draw some ephemeral lines of continuity throughout my pages. (speaking of machines LOOK!!! at my, new to me, necchi let me just say...whole new world lalalalalaalove it!)
Another method for finishing your pages is to turn and press all your edges in about 1/8 of an inch then fold your pamphlet and top stitch the edges together.

I find the method slightly tedious looking for my aesthetic( but not my mothers so I finished hers like this).

Whichever finish you choose from above , Follow this sequence as you sew your book edges up:
After you have chosen an edge finish
- fold your book back into shape and PRESS.-
Sew your edges together starting with the front pages -then iron- next the back pages -iron - then work the middle pages taking care to iron and keep the shape of your book all along.

8.Press with Iron. one final shaping with the iron....nice and hot


9. share your love

Fabric covered Calendar Board tutorial

I was searching for a perfect calendar for my new blue kitchen when I decided why not just make one. Yes I realize we are a half a month into the year and many folks probably have their calendars but can't you always use another? ( or better yet one of the variations I discuss at the bottom). I have so many swatches of treasure fabric that would make a perfect focal point for a wall calendar. What was even more appealing about this project than using treasured scraps as the focal point, was that I made the whole enchilada from things I already had in my sewing studio or around my house. At first I thought I would sew a collage for each page. But a collage for each month is just too thick....so I could scan them in right which is nice if I am making 20 but I just want one (or 3 different ones)? And plus you loose the fabric as art effect.OK, as per usual I was making something more difficult than it need be( this is how my creative process unfolds before me) So here is the simple version. I would have one fixed image with changing calender pages. I decided to mount the calender on a fabric covered board with an attached hanger.

Now I have lots to suggest for this project. This can be a no sew project very easily. All you do is use one piece of fabric for the background. If you want to have an image on top of your background fabric you can simply use the heat and bond lite ( my new favorite fusible webbing)to iron on another piece of fabric with your image cut out of it, I want to do a cat silhouette for our Mae Me. If you are opting not to sew you would also need to glue the handle on the top in back.
A word about the heat and bond. I only bought it because my local big craft meglo store was out of Wonder under.With that said ... I love heat and bond lite. It was cleaner, easier and more sure fire in the application than wonder under . However, I have not tried it on wearable art yet. I will keep you posted on those trials. I am afraid it might be a little thick for clothing but we shall see. And of course the heat and bond name is not as super fantastic as WONDER UNDER!
Moving right along I chose to do a patchwork of fabric for my background which of course I used my sewing machine for. I am planning a tutorial that will be a simple patchwork pocket to give ya'll an easy guide as to how I make all these patchworky things. One more suggestion is that you might make a fabric scrap collage as your focal point and just applique it to a larger piece of fabric for your background.
materials
*glue gun
*staple gun
*sewing machine(optional)
*scissors for paper and fabric
*rotary cutter(optional)
*fusible webbing (i used heat and bond lite)
*fusible interface
*felt
*fabric
*Iron
*loop turner(optional)
*card board
*2" stencils for year label (or other label you might use...like I was gonna write"Yee Haw" on the rodeo calendar but got LAZY)
*one printed calendar you can find one on-line or you could use one of the freebies you pick up at the bank or what have you. I designed this calender board based on an 8.5X11 printable here. I chose two, landscape in red and green

Instructions

1. measure and cut the following




1.Card board(I used a home depot moving box)15"x26"
2.Felt for backing 15"x26"
3.fabric for background 17"x27.5"
4.fabric for hanger 11"x2"
5.fabric behind hanger 18"x3"
6.fabric or felt for year applique' 7"x3"
7.fusible interface 15"x26"
8. trace your year or other label (backwards) onto the back of the fabric that you have back with heat and bond and cut
(to make it all smoother make sure all your cut fabric is pressed)
I am an eyeballer.... so I cut my cardboard, then use that to cut my felt and so on...I am not saying you should be like me but you can see from my results that eyeballing it can get the job done.

2. Sew the hanger. Press the fabric for hanger 11"x2" in half length wise. sew with 1/4" seam allowance the entire length of hanger. turn right side out using your loop turner(if you do not have this simple extremely helpful tool use this as an excuse to get one they are cheap and invaluable for turning tiny tubes)Press.


3. Attach hanger. Make a sandwich starting with the background fabric right side up the hanger looped inwardly and centered on the top edge of background fabric topped by fabric behind hanger 18"x3"right side down. Pin it all in place
sew along entire width of the sandwich edge with about a 1/4 "to 1/2 " seam allowance catching the hanger and press the seam.



4.Make your Year label and attach ~I used felt on one and fabric on the other. You could sew them on or just heat bond them, like I did. I probably would have used pinking shears on this but I will tell you my dirty little secret, I do not own any pinking sheers! (and yet I still am able to make stuff). attach the year label to your background fabric, I sewed mine on but you could also heat bond this. Which ever attachment method you choose, make sure to position your label relative to all of your design elements including the parts that you will fold over . I put mine at the top.


5.apply interface to center back of background fabric.



6.measure and mark the center of your fabric and the cardboard at both ends .

7. Glue background fabric to the cardboard. lay the fabric wrong side up with cardboard on top, Line up your center marks on top and bottom. You want this to be tight and even so I start at the top flap and glue right under the seam that you made with the hanger attachment. Then I glue down the flap. Then I flip it around and glue the bottom edge next pulling evenly and tauntI glue the sides the same way. I trim the corners a little to keep it from being too bulky under the felt backing.


8. Position and glue felt backing. I start again at the top here and glue across the top then slowly down the sides just doing a little at a time and pulling evenly and tautly on the felt watching to make sure I am hiding all my messy underlings. Then trimming off any excess
9. Attach the calendar. I stapled the calender all together first in the center then I use the staple gun and stapled the calender onto the board. I did not press to hard here so the staples would not come out the back.10. hang it up and start planning


There are a bunch of variations for the use of a fabric covered board I have been thinking of while typing this. I will share a few... It could be a kids award board for chores or potty training or homework charts and such. It could be a to-do board with a planner attached . Or a kitchen shopping center with pockets for coupons and a weekly sales fliers and a pad for grocery lists . You could make a mail organizer with in and out going slots and a calendar for marking bill due dates. There all kinds of free printable planner forms on this site. And of course you could use a more general lable or none at all, and use this as a calendar board every year just by replacing the calendar sheets every year.
have fun and if you make it I would love to see it!!