Class 4 FABRIC ART WORKSHOP Margherita Allan
Origami folded journal cover and 2 bags
Requirements for Journal cover
Notes from “Making books & journals”. Constance Richards.
See pdf link on website for images and text print out.
If measurement is too long for your tools to cut then you can
fold in ½ wrong sides together and cut
eg 11cm X 44 and 11cm X 44.75
Pages:
Cut thin paper – rectangle 11cm X 88cm (4 ¼ “ X 34”)
Cover:
Cut thick paper (wallpaper etc) - a rectangle 11cm X 89.5cm (4 ¼ “ X 35”).
Not too thick or thin
All paper MUST hold a crease.
Steps for pages
Fold sheet width wise into a concertina of 8 panels .. see cover steps A – D below.
Steps for cover:
Fold length of paper into a concertina of 8 panels
With all folds, make sure long outside edges meet accurately then press gently on the
crease line. If all still correct then crease sharply along the line.
a) fold length in ½, wrong side together – mountain fold ^
b) unfold, lay wrong side up (mountain fold ^ is now a valley v) and fold ends to v
c) unfold, lay right side up (3 mountain folds ^ ) fold outside ^ to the centre ^
= 3 mountain and 2 valley
d) fold ends into the centre ^
= what is facing up now is 3 mountain and 4 valley and the end cut edges
Fold cover steps.
e) Lay paper right side up. Working out from the centre ^, in the square after
the first v, fold it on the diagonal from the top down to the left so the rest of
the length is behind and down on a diagonal.
If you line up the length going behind with the v fold on the right your
square will be accurately folded in ½.
It looks like an upside down U.
f) fold triangle pieces to the centre. Shape now looks like a rectangle.
g)holding the main piece at top, lift the whole section up and flick the long ends
up and under. Crease along the edge.
If the paper is too inflexible
– hold the main piece, lift and flip whole section, triangles are underneath.
– Fold the long ends over the main part, squaring off all the edges. Crease.
– Holding it all together, turn it back over so triangles are facing up again
and the long ends are pointing away from you
h) fold long ends down to the main part by
– right square - take centre top point on a diagonal down to its bottom right
corner, along edge of main section edge
– left square - take centre top point on a diagonal down to its bottom left
corner, along edge of main section edge
i) fold these triangle points under the main part triangle flaps
Cover can be used either way
Flaps on inside or outside
– slip your 1st page of the paper signature (group of pages) behind the 2 flaps or
the slits. The flaps can hold a pen, other things or embellish the cover
Signatures
– either stitch in place
– or tie in with cord
- leave a length of cord at the end
- for tying and some extra for a tassel if wanted
- hold cord, run down length of outside cover, up first concertina valley fold
(fold of paper which has been slipped into the cover) and tie to the long
end (cord is now a tied loop around cover and first page)
- repeat running down the cover and up valley’s of the signature till all done
– OR down cover, up first page and tie to the start (a loop as above step) BUT
now go back down a page, tie to the cover loop at the end and back up a
page.
Repeat till doing the last page and IF it work out run cord up the cover to
finish and tie off at the end with the long cord.
– tie beads or decorative macramé stitches up cord on cover, to finish off
Requirements for Bag 1 notes are from a Martha Stuart TV craft, I think.
Cut 1 x 60cm paper square – Must crease easily
See bag 2 first steps, if you would like to make it with a fabric square
In the instructions I have used images from a fabric and a paper version, which ever
show the steps the clearest
Start with a square and fold diagonally in ½ to a triangle. Crease fold.
Fold the top point down to the base, make sure edges line up and right bottom corner is
in ½ too. JUST CREASE THE FOLD TO MARK THE LEFT EDGE.
Flip over and repeat with other top point. Unfold back to the triangle again.
Fold bottom points up to the side marks. Crease the side fold.
Flip over and repeat with other point. 3rd image shows what end shape looks like
Fold the top point down and slip inside just under 1st layer of previous fold fabric.
Crease. Flip over and repeat with other top point.
Fold the bottom up and the sides in. Crease.
These folds determine the size of base and side gussets and is your choice.
BUT must be the same eg 2cm base then side MUST be 2cm.
Flip over the refold the same bottom and side crease lines.
Each line has now been folded mountain and valley wise
– this is so fold will easily bend and stay whichever way you bend them.
Open the bag and use your hand inside the bag as a guide to press the seams into
place. The base will have pointy corners which fold under as the base lays down
You can with a lot of fiddling and using fabric (or if your paper is strong) push the corner
points in to the inside of the bag.
If you mark the paper and undo the bag, you will have a pattern for where to decorate.
Requirements for Bag 2 notes are from a handout “that has long forgotten where it
started but has been handed out at many quilt guilds”. I added some hints in the text.
Cut 2 X 50cm fabric squares – 1 for outside 1 for lining
Cut cord 3m long, tape measure and calculator if diagonal line is bigger than ruler
Sew squares together.
Right sides together, start ½ way down a side and sew all way round, ½ cm in, to about
5cm from start. Clip corners.
Turn right side out, fold in the loose edges of opening and pin.
Press whole square, pushing out the seam area so back and front are even and opening
is creased flat, with raw edges inside the square.
Top stitch all the way round, ¼ cm in (this catches the opening raw edges).
Start with a square and fold diagonally in ½ to a triangle. Crease fold.
Mark centre fold in 1/3rds.
Either - Put triangle on a soft suface – measure base into 1/3rds, stick a pin thru
about ½ cm in. Open the triangle and pins will mark for the next step.
OR open the triangle and mark the 1/3rds with a pen for the next step.
Fold the side point to the mark. Crease the side. Repeat with other point. Make sure the
folded points at the top are even – adjust sides if needed.
Hand sew from C – A – C so small items won’t fall out.
Pin just the overlapped fabric not the base fabric. Don’t
catch the base fabric.
– Either turn bag inside out and stitch all thru the
outsides left flap but only catch the lining fabric of
the outsides right flap – this way the stitches wont
show on the outside of the bag.
– OR sew a decorative embroidery thread on outside
of the right flap catching the under flap of left side.
With the bag right side out and sew across the half way mark.
Fold the top point down as a flap over the pocket and sew
across the top of the fold leaving enough room for the cord to
go thru.
Fold the bag along the halfway mark seam and slip stitch the
side seams together.
Cut cord in ½ and thread thru
- left side, out right side, around and thru right side and out left side.
- right side, out left side, around and thru left side and out right side.
Leave a largish loop and tie off each end.
Pull both cords to close bag.
Pull both loops (where cord comes out 1 side and goes back the other side) to open bag
Finishing
Batting – use woollen bed blankets – add a bit of padding, easy to sew thru,
add stability but still soft finish. Or use thin duvets.
Pillow case backing – same technique as the fabric squares above.
– IF the layers are very thick and to the edge of the art trim them back so
they are smaller than the art and just inside the sewn seam line
eg seam only sews thru the backing and front of the art.
– BUT IF the batting and layers are sewn right to the edge, sew the seam
over all the layers and then trim back as close to the stitching as you can
before turning.
Mounting – Picture frames
– can be used totally covered eg finish the art with pillow case technique
BUT only sew the 2 longest sides and 1 short side of the art.
Slip the frame inside the art, tuck in raw edges and hand sew closed.
– OR you can cover the frame with fabric, to frame your art
– either cut a strip of fabric and wind around the frame
– leave a tail of strip and wind rest around frame, till just before the start,
lay the tail along the frame, wind over it & over a couple of start winds.
Finish by either
– cutting and folding back the end raw edge and sew down.
– OR use a bodkin (large blunt needle) to thread the cut end under a
couple of winds and tack down with glue or a couple of stitches.
– OR collage scraps of fabric to the frame with glue