A big burst of Cherry Blossom

As a journal cover.

I'm not really a journal person but I am a person who has a more placid life with lower blood pressure if I have pen and paper on hand to jot down reminders,
shopping lists,
cute guys' phone numbers,
(just checking if you are still with me),
recipes from cafe mags (so I don't have to cough to cover up the sound of me ripping out the page
and hoping that I don't get smited),
somewhere where I can find them.

So I love having pens and note pads with me all the time.

I have wanted to make a journal cover for a while

and was torn between using some of my most beloved fabric

(think Stenzo rose paisley; think Moda Swell)

or doing a trial first.

I am not a patient person.

I don't tend to try out a pattern in muslin or an throw out fabric first.

So I compromised.

I love cherry blossom

and I chose some of my Japanese style fabrics.

In fact, to my eye,

the Smila's World ribbon probably made the whole thing a bit too busy

but I never tire of looking at it so I am happy to risk the social embarrassment of

excessive flower embellishment.

In the end,

it went rather well.

It is easy to do,

even easier if you use a tute already written up on the web.

I did some extra stitching down the inner pocket margins

and used my sewing machine rather than my overlocker so I could get a finer finish to the corners.
It is reversible but I chose the fabrics without intent to reverse the cover.

I would, however, suggest that you don't forget to avoid the ribbon with that hot iron.

It has what I would call the "shrinky dink effect"

and pulls in the journal cover.

But it is usable,

though not perfect,

and I am glad that I kept my bestest fabrics till next time.