The third retreat project I worked on was the ByAnnie Mini Notebook Cover. The pattern as well as a correctly sized piece of Soft and Stable was part of our goodie bag. It was super awesome of ByAnnie to sponsor our retreat and this was a cute pattern that would make a fun gift!
I’d say the hardest part was picking the fabric, but fortunately I had these 2 coordinating fabrics — the French icons and matching hearts used for the lining — and I love macarons, so this was cool.
Another retreat sponsor was Soak who gave us some of their Flatter to try out. I had seen this on the internet and various social media but never tried it myself. It’s kinda like spray starch but not really starchy. It just smooths the fabric, so like an iron helper. But after trying it, I was sold and immediately went online to order more. Not only did my whole sewing room smell super nice (don’t worry, they have a fragrance free version if you’re not into smells), but it really worked. I’ve tried the Celebration and Yuzu scents but I really want to try the Fig and Pineapple ones. I’ll wait until I run out . . . or next time I need gifts just order a bunch.
But back to the notebook cover pattern. The pattern itself was well-written and fast and easy. It only fits tiny books but it’s very cute and just right for putting in your purse. Because I love macarons, I just had to fussy cut that part. It actually involved modifying the way I did the pocket a bit in order to get it in the right direction, but I love how it turned out. This will definitely be on my quick to make gift list for the future. Add in a nice pen and it’s the perfect combo of useful and thoughtful.
