One of the first blogs I wrote was about how I’m a dumper when I cook. I don’t measure the ingredients very often, but mostly guess at what looks right. Sometimes I sew in the same way.
I’ve had my Bible for about 20 years now and I love it because it’s familiar, marked up, and has notes in it. Since it’s getting worn out, I needed a way to protect it from more wear and tear. A Google search gave me ideas about how to make a fabric book cover for it. The videos were tutorials and no patterns were provided. That’s okay with me because I don’t mind figuring it out on my own.
The first one I made turned out terrible. I put the wrong kind of interfacing in it which made it much too stiff and bulky. Plus it was too small. My seams were larger than I’d figured in for the measurements. Good thing I made it out of scraps so I wasn’t out anything but time and effort.
The second attempt turned out much better. One of the tutorials I looked at said to make the fabric for the front and back of the cover two inches larger than the sides of the book it will cover. That tidbit made all the difference.
After digging through my stash, I found some fat quarters for the cover. I measured and cut, messed up one piece so I had to measure and cut again. I wanted a pocket to hold paper and a pen or two, and another tutorial showed an easy way to do that. The hardest part was figuring out how to do the magnetic strap that holds it closed. After all the figuring, cutting, sewing, and ripping (you rip what you sew), I finished my new cover for my old Bible. Maybe it will hold together for a few more years.
My point to this blog is sometimes you have to jump in and try your best regardless of whether you have a pattern or recipe. Use your head to figure out what may work and try it. Start by using scraps so if you mess up, it isn’t a big deal. After you feel more confident about what you’re trying to accomplish, use the good materials. You might surprise yourself with what you can do.
