Folder Cover and Hat Template

Folder Cover and Hat Template

A few years ago, I made some fabric collages. I didn’t do anything with them for a long time, but eventually they all became notebook covers. I had one left, a large blue one:

fabric collageOn a whim, a few days ago I decided to make a cover for a ring-binder out of it. It wasn’t quite big enough, but luckily after a bit of a search, I found some of the backing fabric I’d sewn the collage onto. I used this to make the front sleeve. But first, I used a spare piece of the collage to make a little pen holder.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI used an offcut for the back sleeve

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI used some nice braiding I got a while ago for the straps, and hand stitched the edges with regular sewing thread, and little blanket stitches.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe other thing I worked on this week was making a hat template. I had the same one for years, but when I cut my hair, it was too big, I have another, but I’ve worn that in the garden, so I used it to make a template. It was a bit like tracing around a lampshade or coffee cup to make a template, I had to roll it…and then squash it, and  bend it 🙂 Eventually I had what looked like my hat. Using Photoshop, I went over the curves with the circular selection tool and drew lines between the edge to where the top curves intersected. Just to make sure it was even, I copied one half, flipped it over and joined the two halves.

hat template actual size geometric outlinesNow, all I have to do is find the time to make it 🙂

18 thoughts on “Folder Cover and Hat Template

  1. Zed, it’s beautiful. It’s great you were able to pull it all together with the pencil case and strap. You have a talent for putting patterns together. I can’t wait to see the new hat!

    1. Thanks, Marilyn 🙂
      I have the colours decided already, lots of greens, and earthy browns, and some camouflage silk to go with it.

  2. It’s a fabulous cover – it would make you want to use the ring binder a lot!

    I like the idea for the hat and I wish I could use Photoshop for things other than re-sizing images – I’ve had the books from the library and a grim determination to learn but my eyes and brain glazed over after a paragraph or two….and the books went back to the library….old dog and new tricks perhaps?

    1. Thanks, Lyn 🙂
      I’m more than happy to help with Photoshop any time. I use it daily, so it’d be no problem to do some screen shots and explain things. If I know how of course 🙂

  3. Zed, the patterns in your fabric notebook cover are brilliant! Just wondering, I have noticed some of you on the Forum talking about making notebook covers of felt or fabric, and yet I’ve never seen anyone carry one around the Chicago area. Are these popular where you live? May be a regional thing?

    1. Thanks, Cathy 🙂
      I think book covers have always been popular here, even if it’s just a clear plastic sleeve type one.
      I make covers for a lot of mine because they are often something I’ve acquired or bought cheap. A few of mine were some kids’ Action Man Action File type things, a couple of recent ones (including this) were files given out by the bank years ago to a family member starting a business.

  4. Great notebook cover Zed. I have made some of these a long time ago. I was thinking I have a lot of fabric and I need to make some more of these. Love the hat pattern. You should do more tutorials or have an online class for Photoshop. I bet there are a lot of people that would like to learn more.

    1. Thanks, Ruth 🙂
      I’ve asked on the forum, so if people have any specific requests, post them there!

  5. Love the notebook ideas. It looks great. I was a hat maker in one of my lives. Had to make different patterns for different heads. Got to be so crazy that it took all my time just to keep up with it all. I made some money and then quit. But I still have all those patterns. Finding time and getting burned out on things seems to be my main problem. Photoshop? Oh no. I just can’t find the time.

    1. Thanks, Judy 🙂
      You should scan them and sell them! I did consider sewing a hat, but thought I’d try this first.

    1. Thanks, Nada 🙂
      We have a shop in the city centre called Abakhan, and it sells fabrics by the roll and remnants by the weight, I’ve bought lots of bits over the years, and because I’m terrible and don’t want to ‘waste’ good fabric, I always tear of a strip when I get home, so at least there is some not folded up ‘too nice to use’ 🙂

  6. Zed, I can really relate to acquiring fabric remnants, which I’ve done most of my adult life! The only change has been the kind of fabrics I search for: previously, I looked for cottons for quilting and lace. Then linen. Now, of course, it’s silk–and remnants of silk are not only hard to find, but costly even as remnants!

    1. Years ago, there was a ‘salvage’ shop in Bolton, a town a bit further north than here, right at the back they had boxes of silk scarves. Big ones, about 30 x 30 inches were 5 for £1, the smaller ones, about 5 x 40 inches were 10 for £1. The large ones were mostly ‘seconds’ and had dye stains etc on them or were otherwise just hideous, but the smaller ones were beautiful watercolour designs. I bought some of course and put them in the cupboard and forgot about them, so I was happy to find them again when I started felting. Best bargains ever! Oh, and recently I found a few more in the loft!

  7. Oh I wish I had all those remnants I had before moving! I’d love a photoshop tutorial!

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