I'm happy to announce a pattern for making a cover for a swatch book in two sizes is ready.
For anyone who hasn't seen my recent posts about the swatch book, let me tell you more about this project...
About the Swatch Book
This idea of some sort of fabric journal has been brewing in my mind for some time now. I tend to get distracted by pretty prints, and forget to pick up fabrics to coordinate with them. Over time, my fabric stash has gotten out of balance. I reach for a fabric, but have nothing to pair it with and end up spending way too much time sorting through my fabrics to find two that work together, or I make yet another emergency trip to the fabric store.
One day I cleaned out my purse and found a bunch of crumpled, dusty fabric swatches at the bottom of my bag. And I still hadn't bought one single fabric to match any of them! Annoyed with myself, I decided it was time to get my fabric shopping organized. I have a few Moleskine Cahier Pocket journals, so I just started stapling some fabric swatches inside one.
If you are going to make a swatch book, the Cahier notebooks are great--perfect size & nice paper. But other soft cover journals will also work just fine. The book is going to get progressively thicker, so I don't recommend using a hardcover journal for this project.
I've only been using my book a few weeks, so there isn't much organization to the fabric placement. The swatches are stapled inside wherever they fit. Some pages are more color coordinated than others, and others are just a random assortment of prints. Over time maybe something will come to me about how/where to place the swatches. If anyone else has ideas for ways to organize the swatches, please leave a comment.
Besides being able to take physical pieces of my fabrics to the store to make precise color matches, the swatchbook also functions as my general fabric store shopping list.
In the Moleskine Cahier notebooks the last few pages are perforated. So I'm using the last few pages for my lists. My list is a two-part system--needs & wants (or maybe those are waits). A post-it note is my list for things I actually need at the moment & the things I want/need-in-the-future go on the journal page.
When I go to the fabric store, my budget is blown pretty quickly and a few things on the list are always postponed. When I get home I've started adding the things I didn't get to the "can wait" list. Then I recycle the post-it, and add a blank one to the page with the bottom edge of it hanging over the journal page so it can act as a bookmark.
Besides being super useful, it is fun to look through your swatch book! Mine is always in my bag, so the other night while having dinner with someone who also likes to sew, I got to whip it out and show off some of my fabrics. While talking about a quilt I'd like to make, I could show her the actual fabric. You could take your book to classes, sewing groups, etc. Other fabric junkies will be totally excited to take a look at your book.
About the Cover
The nice thing about the cover is it holds the book closed and will help extend the life of the notebook. The cover also gives you two more pockets so you'll have a place to tuck your coupons, swatches waiting to be added, and other little things.
The pattern for the cover includes two sizes, so you can make a cover for either of size of the Cahier journals - pocket & large.
Moleskine journals of all sizes/styles are VERY popular with artists & writers. Back in my early etsy days I sold a bunch of covers for both hardcover styles. So these covers might be a good thing to add to your shop.
Jennie: Thank you! I'm glad to know people like hearing my processes.
Stephie: The business card holders sound like a good idea too. Whatever works for you!
Katie: Thanks for your support!
Patty: Can't wait to see your next one! That's funny your daughter already called dibs on the first one. I snag stuff from my mom too, but she doesn't mind--as I know you don't. I see all the things you make for others in your flickr stream, and know you are generous with your sewing.
Posted by: Keyka Lou | June 25, 2011 at 10:26 AM
I got this right away and love the idea of a swatch book and can think of dozens of other things to use it for...I made it and it turned out really great....you make it so easy with your instructions...going to start another (daughter already snagged the first one) and get my favorite swatches organized in this compact little holder!
Posted by: pattydarbee | June 24, 2011 at 05:25 PM
Another adorable pattern! I'll be getting it tomorrow :)
Posted by: Katie | June 23, 2011 at 04:40 PM
I like the idea of a soft cover notebook for notetaking, but I've always found that business card holders (the cheap kind with the clear plastic pockets for business cards) have been great for organising swatches - I can see all the fabrics, they're protected, and I can move them about and reorganise them simply by sliding them in and out of the pockets. Sometimes I also slip in a receipt or note with informtion about the fabric - keeps it all together. I like the idea of combining a business card hold with a notebook into a lovely fabric cover though!
Posted by: StephieW | June 23, 2011 at 12:43 PM
yay!! great post! I always love reading about your process.
Posted by: jennie | June 23, 2011 at 08:43 AM