“I love notebooks, to fill with all my doodles, to make lists and dream. Seeing them full and in need of a handmade fastening to keep them closed fills me with so much joy. My second love is for scraps of fabric, even the teeniest of scraps get saved, just waiting on the right project to show itself. With this in mind, what better way to combine my loves than by creating a quick and easy daydreamer journal from fabric with a homemade signature using watercolour paper?

This project started with a fabric tag from a pair of jeans. I knew the calico material of the tag would be a great base for stamping, painting and sewing onto. I was inspired to create a cover using fabric scraps. I dyed some scraps with coffee and Media Misters to develop the whimsical shabby chic look I wanted to create; complete with frayed edges and threads galore.

You could use a shop-bought notebook but if you have plenty of papers, why not make your own? I chose watercolour paper for this one, cut to the desired size then held together with elastic to create a signature. Using elastic over sewing or stapling allows you to take out pages as you work on them. Most importantly, remember to have fun and let your imagination take you on a journey!”

1 Use a permanent ink pad to stamp onto fabric.

2 Use a permanent ink pad to stamp onto patterned fabric, cut out the top.

3 Paint features using watercolour crayons with a wet paint brush. 

4 Add a little detail to the hair and lips with a Posca pen in White.

5 Sew the stamped fabric t-shirt in place and add wonky stitches around edge.

6 Add the tag to the journal, sewing it down onto lots of other fabric layers.

To finish the project: Making the fabric cover was quick and easy with the help of fabric and a sewing machine. Decide on the size of the paper or notebook you want it to house, then cut three pieces of fabric to create the base layer for you to add all your fabric scraps/paper to.

To create the flaps to house the book inside, cut two pieces of fabric to size then sew in place. Add stamping to the inside flaps before popping your homemade signature or notebook in place. I often create Media Mister dyed fabric fastenings to keep my books closed.