This quick, nearly no measure sewing project is fun for a sip and sew event, a youth project or a quick scrap buster.

Maelynn Wood share some tips for wild stitches and shares her methods for quick construction of a composition notebook cover.

Let's compose a cover on today's episode of “Love of Quilting.” Funding for love of quilting is provided by The Bernina 990.

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[Upbeat music] Hello and welcome to the 48th season of Love of Quilting.

I'm Sara Gallegos, and today on set, I am playing with Maelynn Wood.

Welcome.

- Hi.

Thank you for having me.

I'm so excited because Maelynn is a pattern designer and instructor and has created a really adorable notebook cover.

Do you mind telling us a little bit about this?

- Sure.

So this notebook cover is made to cover your traditional composition book.

That, you know, kind of lame and boring - Right.

and you want to personalize them - Yeah.

and make them fun and make them feel really you.

So we've created this project to do so.

It's really cute and fully lined, and the book just slides right inside of it.

- Yep.

Easy peasy.

We've got a couple different versions with us today.

If you don't have, an embroidery module or you're looking to sew with someone young in your life, that's maybe just starting out.

We've got our basic strip version here.

This is using scraps from a 2.5in precut bundle, Oh great.

- Which everybody has a few of those laying around.

Absolutely.

And if you're doing it with a large group, just unroll it, cut to size and everybody gets a little bit of everything from the fabric collection.

You just mix and match, right?

Really fun.

- Exactly.

And then maybe you're wanting to get a little fancy.

Step it up a little bit.

Yeah.

We can, if you have an embroidery module, you are welcome to embroider a cover on it or what we're going to be doing today, which I'm really excited about, is we're going to be making some maxi stitches on our front cover piece - Nice.

and, trying that option as well.

So you'll get to see all the options today.

- Excellent.

So this is a really wide stitch.

And when you stitch these the travel is going to move side to side quite a lot right.

- Yes.

So what are some ways that we can kind of like set ourselves up to be prepared for this.

Well we have set ourselves up here.

So we've really, sprayed this.

- Right.

Really well with a starch spray.

Ironed it.

It's nice and stiff.

We've also used a stabilizer, underneath, which is going to be very helpful.

And then we've drawn a center line here because as the machine is working, it's going to be moving side to side.

- Right.

And we just are using this as a guide - Yeah.

to help us remember where is cen Where is center?

- Right.

What is straight.

Yeah.

What is straight today?

- Yes.

Yes, I love it.

So there's lots of different stitches on machines to play with, and hopefully this will inspire you to try at least one of the decorative stitches on your machine if you haven't yet.

Yeah, I've got it all lined up in this machine has the go button, which is really nice.

- Yes.

I've just set the speed that I want.

I'm going to press the go button and then just do some babysitting.

- Okay.

Okay.

Let's go.

There we go.

- Yeah.

I have found that if I use that start stop button, I don't love it for like, quilt piecing because I feel a little bit out of control.

But for something like this where I'm just watching it and just trying to let the machine do its thing, it definitely helps me to to kind of relax a little bit.

And it also keeps a consistent speed, which gives you a better stitch result.

Yeah, the consistent speed is calming for me.

Yeah.

It's like, oh we know what we're doing.

We're staying steady here Just a little zen moment.

Yes.

- Yeah it is.

Like oh that sounds nice.

Doesn't that sound nice.

- It does.

It does.

- Yeah.

And a lot of sewing machines have either a seven millimeter or a nine millimeter stitch width opening.

That's the opening that the space.

Can the needle can travel side to side in, but we can still do stitches that are much wider than that.

Like this is 43mm wide because the feed dogs actually carry that fabric side to side while it's moving front to back too.

So kind of kind of a neat concept.

Yeah.

I've used this before for Project Sewing.

If you've got a tote bag that you're making or a pencil pouch maybe, and you want to give it that pantograph effect.

Oh.

- But on your domestic machine.

- That's a great idea.

It also does It also accomplishes that goal for you.

- That's a really neat.

Okay.

We're almost at the end here already.

I'm just going to press that button and finish this off okay.

Let's see what we've created here.

Oh that's pretty.

I like that.

- Fun little design.

Yeah.

- I got a little distracte at the end.

- That's okay.

Sorry.

- It happens.

- We were chatting It happens.

So now that you have stitched your stitch, you could of course do multiple rows if you wanted.

But you've cut this down to size already, right?

- Yes.

To be able to, piece into your project.

Yep.

- Okay.

So we're going to take this over.

I've already sewn together some of our strips.

Okay.

I've gotten them nice and flat, which I'm awfully excited about.

So we've got six already done here.

What we're going to do is we're going to put this in the middle of other sewn strips.

- Okay.

And so we can probably just trim this to size.

I think this is actually a tearaway.

So - Even better.

- usually yeah, usually when I tearaway I do like to kind of put my finger so that it sort of supports those stitches.

And then I can tear that off just so that I don't pull my stitches out by mistake.

And this is a fun place to use up your scraps of stabilizer from embroidery, too, because when you embroider, you kind of embroider right in the very center of that big, huge hoop.

And then you've got these like pieces around the edges leftover.

So kind of a fun way to use those up.

And we didn't talk about the thread that we used.

This is an embroidery thread, right.

- It is.

Yeah.

- It is embroidery floss.

- It has a nice sheen to it.

It does.

- A little bit of a shine.

Yeah I love the 40 weight embroidery threads because they've just they hold the needle really well for decorative stitching.

It's polyester.

So even if it's a really thick, dense stitch, it still holds up really well without breaking, like I think cotton sometimes does.

And you get that pretty shine.

So it's just kind of fun to play with.

We should also mention our bobbin thread today.

Yeah yeah yeah.

And so we were working with a traditional bobbin thread like you would use for embroidery.

And what's different about this is it's actually a 60 weight thread.

So it just kind of works a little bit better for embroidery or for decorative stitching.

And if ever you find that that bobbin thread is coming up to the top, this machine has a bobbin case.

It has a little higher tension that really pulls that needle thread down and makes sure that it's beautiful on top.

And on the back side you'll see your bobbin thread and a little bit of that needle thread coming down to the underside.

That's what we're always looking for with embroidery or with a decorative stitch like this.

So you don't want to see any of that bobbin thread up top.

Of course, you could also just wind a matching bobbin too.

So - Yeah.

Cool.

- Fantastic.

- Perfect.

Okay, so heading into our next step we've got some precut pieces over here.

- Okay.

We're just going to align one on the top on the bottom.

And then we're going to sew.

So I'm going to fold this down so it's right side together.

And we're going to reset our machine here to sew our nice straight stitch line.

I want to use a quarter inch seam allowance.

And we're going to go from here.

I think we have the quarter inch foot over there too, if you'd like that.

Yeah I would where is it?

There you go.

- Oh it's right here.

Nice and close by.

I'm just going to change the foot on here real quick.

And that foot has a guide that's a quarter of an inch or the edge of the foot, I should say, is a quarter of an inch from the needle.

So it gives you that nice even quarter inch seam.

It's going to let my machine know what I'm doing over here.

Beautiful.

- So we're all on the same track.

Yeah.

And then we're going to be good to go.

So I'm just going to sew this down with a quarter inch seam allowance from the top to the bottom.

And we do still have that polyester embroidery thread in.

And in a project like this I think it's totally fine to use that for construction because it is really, really sturdy.

It's polyester thread, which is very durable.

There we go.

Do you want me do press that for you?

- That would be great.

Cool.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

And then after we press this step the next step is we're going to attach the bottom pieces.

Okay.

This would be another fun place to use.

Even the lettering that's built into the machine too.

Oh we had.

To put someone's name on it.

Yeah.

If you're making these for some kids or some grandkids and you want it to, all work together.

So just so you notice here, I've got the strips, so I'm going to make sure these all match just like this.

Nice.

- Flip that over.

Good catch Maelynn.

- Right.

Do you ever, pat yourself on the back when you're doing a sewing project.

- I do that too.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

Every time we avert crisis, it's like yes good job.

- Yeah.

Okay.

And then I'm just going to do another quarter inch down here.

And of course you could clip or pin these if you were working with someone who was maybe new to sewing or maybe felt a little uncertain, you can totally clip or pin these into places you go.

Hold it in place.

Yes.

Okay, we'll give that a nice press.

Okay.

I've been pressing toward that solid center piece.

Is that what you would have done?

- Yes.

- Okay, good.

On the same page.

On the same page.

Also, some of these fabrics are a little bit lighter.

So I want to catch that seam on the darker side.

Absolutely okay so there's the cover - Okay.

Cute.

- Great.

- The front of it anyway.

- Yeah.

So then we've got our six piece here and then this.

Oh you need this one too.- Yeah.

- Okay.

And then we're going to grab this one over here.

And we are going to assemble these three pieces together Okay.

- Just like this.

So I'm going to start that by folding these right sides together.

And again you could pin or clip or, or wing it.

Or just go for it.

- Or just go for it.

So using this quarter inch foot just gives you a nice guideline the whole way down.

It keeps it nice and steady for you.

It takes a little bit of the guesswork of it.

The edge of the foot is the edge of this, Right.

- Where my marking and I really have fallen in love with these types of feet that take all the guesswork out of it.

People will ask like, okay, how many sewing feet do we need?

Well, you have to have the right tool for the job.

We need all of them.

You need all of them.

That's the answer.

All of them.

- Yeah.

Okay, then I'm going to attach this last piece over here.

- Okay.

Onto the front putting our fabrics right side together, lining it all up.

I do think that having the right foot and the right tool just makes sewing so much more fun, because you can conquer a myriad of different techniques in a fraction of the time just by having the right tool, things become more precise and a little bit more fast.

And that way you can have more fun sewing.

Well I talk about a confidence builder.

Sure.

- When you know you've done a good job, you're like, yeah, I did that.

- I did that.

Yeah, okay, so we can probably press those two seams.

Okay.

- Since you're over there.

- Sure.

And then the next step that we're going to do is we're going to attach the lining to our project.

So I've got a couple different options here.

Sara does one of these speak to more than the other?

I like the red.

- The red okay.

We're going to go for this red one here.

I'm a red gal.

Almost got it pressed for you.

This would be a really fun like sleepover project for teens too I think.

Oh, absolutely.

- I could see this with Like you said, just opening up that 2.5in strip and let everybody pick their six pieces or however many.

And, - Yeah.

- Thatd be really fun.

There you go.

- Okay.

So we've got our front cover and now we've got the lining.

I'm going to lay these one on top of the other.

- Okay.

Right sides together.

should all match up if we've done our work correctly okay.

And then when we sew this together we are going to leave a gap.

- Okay.

So that we can turn it right side out.

And I like to leave the gap on one of the short sides because then it'll be hidden on the inside on the inside flap.

Good plan.

So, I'm going to start sewing this all the way around.

So I'm going to start on one of the short sides.

Not on a corner.

I'm going to start a couple inches just above the corner here.

- Okay.

Do you want any clips or pins or you're just going to go for it?

I think I'm just going to go for it.

- So boldly.

I'm just going to go.

I'm going to go for it from this side though, because I do think I'm just a little slight on my measurements here.

Okay.

So I'm going to start on the bottom half of the short side a couple inches above the corner.

And again we're going to sew that quarter inch seam allowance.

And my foot's already lifted here.

So I'm just going to rotate this to now go around the corner.

And then just sew the length of our project.

Yeah I like having the machine set up so that when you stop that needle comes down or goes down and the foot lifts up ever so slightly, and then you can just pivot around the corner.

Saves a step for you.

- Saves a step.

But I know that you like working with knee lift too, right.

I do I do usually work with a knee lift and sitting down.

Okay so all new things.

That is one of the challenges of playing with us from the Love of Quilting set is that we do sew standing up.

So sometimes things aren't quite as perfect as we might like, or as they might be if we were sitting at our machine, you know, in the quiet of our own home.

- Right.

I think it's good for our brain to find some challenges.

That's right.

Learning new things and.

Learning new things.

- Yes.

And you're doing an excellent job.

- And you can see that on this side.

It's not lined up exactly.

So I'm using my quarter inch guide from the inner fabric.

Instead of the outer to make sure that we catch that as it goes around the corner.

So and I'm going to do my long side.

[Sewing machine noise] I am making sure since some of these seams are pressed towards the foot, I am kind of hand pressing those down as they approach the foot just to keep it nice and tucked in.

- Flat so they don't flip over.

Nice and flat.

Yes.

I keep thinking about all the different lessons in this project for a beginning sewer.

Because here we're learning to sew straight.

You've got the precut pieces with the 2.5in strips to get that accurate quarter inch seam.

I just think it's a really great introduction to quilted projects.

Yes.

And it's very forgiving as we're witnessing here today.

Right.

The project is very forgiving.

Hey, I'm going to just going to cut this last stitch here as I go.

I've left about a 2.5in gap here.

Okay.

- I'm going to snip corners.

Let's see.

Do we want to just use the rotary cutter there?

You could.

- Yeah, I've.

Got little scissors.

Sure.

You think I'll.

Just use the rotary cutter real quick.

Sure.

- I'm just going to snip some of these corners to reduce some of the bulk.

As we as we flip this over.

I am excited to flip this right side out though.

And see our project as it comes together.

It's another it's another quick one.

It's another fast win.

So if you have someone who wants to do a project but they've got an hour.

- Right You know, max and you know, maybe someone's coming to visit just for a morning cup of coffee or tea and you're like, oh, let's do this quick project.

This is - A little quick gift.

- This is a good one for you.

Yeah.

So I'm just going to wiggle all the way down to the far corners.

Poke that first corner out.

And if you have a tool or tips that you like to poke at your corners, I did bring a little, corner turner with me today.

Just going to poke those out.

So get nice crisp corners.

That tool you've got has a ball at the end, which I think would be neat to show because I have used inappropriate tools in the past for flipping corners where it poked right through the, edge of the corner.

So to have that little round ball on the ends gives you a nice crisp edge without poking through your stitching or your fabric.

- Right.

Don't use your seam ripper or like a pencil.

I was just going to say a pencil, a knitting needle.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

So those are always the things that are close by though.

Right.

- You know.

So this probably just falls under the category of building confidence of doing finishing a project and knowing that you've done it well.

Don't you think the part of like, being a better sewing is just knowing all the right tricks, too?

Yeah.

That's why you have to make friends that sew.

- Learn all the things.

So what are we doing about this?

Yeah.

Okay.

So we flip this right side out.

We'll probably give this a nice press.

- Okay.

And as we press we're going to press these see this is our gap here.

We're just going to press these seams in.

And then we'll sew this shut.

- Okay.

I'll get it pressed for you.

Excellent.

- Okay.

So this is where we need to really roll those edges right.

Yes a little persnickety worth the effort though we do want to make sure we roll the edges all the way out because we've measured this to fit our composition books.

So if we don't measure them all the way out when we go to sew it together, it might be a little on the narrow side - Okay.

- to fit the book covers in.

So.

- You'll feel like you're wedging it in there.

- Right.

You mentioned that you've got two younger kids.

We keep kind of talking about littles with sewing.

Yes.

- But, I've done these with my girls for surprises and then I'll write little notes inside, like maybe, maybe in a random page somewhere where they find it.

Yes.

- At school or.

- Yes.

They are fun.

Kids use composition books, you know?

I mean, it's on everybody's school supply - Sure.

list in general, but also, maybe if they're going to music lessons and they need to take notes or they're going somewhere and they're going to to journal at a summer camp or, you want to write letters back and forth and drop it in the mail.

Fits a Manila envelope really nicely.

- Oh yeah.

So just lots of fun uses for it.

And then when the book gets filled up, you could always take the cover off and start a new one.

- Right More likely, though, they'll ask for a new one.

- A new cover?

A new cover.

Yes, I think so.

- A new custom cover.

New custom cover.

Yeah.

I love back to school time.

Like right after school starts and going to the stores and stocking up on the notebook covers when they're like, all on clearance.

And then you can get a jumpstart on.

- Yes.

Holiday gift sewing or whatever.

- Yes.

Yep.

- We're almost there.

- Almost done.

Almost got it.

Yeah.

And if you don't roll those corners, you end up seeing the lining showing on the right side, and it just doesn't look quite as nice.

So it's worth taking a little extra time here.

I think.

- Yeah.

Okay.

So here's where we've come to your - Our little gap.

- Little opening.

Do you ever use any glue to hold this in place?

No.

You don't need to?

I've not ventured into the glue game.

Oh, girl, we need to talk.

I use so much glue, so it's a little embarrassing.

I probably shouldn't admit - Okay.

how much glue I use in sewing, but, you know, it just hold things in place for a minute until I can stitch it.

Or just.

It's like an extra set of hands sometimes.

I do use clips.

- Clips are great.

- I use clips to put things in.

Much prefer clips especially if you're sewing with someone that's new to sewing.

And the the the pins, they're nervous around it or you're nervous with them - Sure.

- using all of the pins.

Clips are really the good way to go.

But now I've gotten so used to using the clips that that's my - Yeah.

- go to now as well.

- Very handy.

I don't know if you want to stick one on there, but there you go.

Okay, excellent.

So I can see where I started and stop here.

And I'm just going to go a little bit beyond it.

And I'm going to sew this closed.

Just just like a top stitch.

We're just trying to close this little gap here.

And you could use a matching thread color.

But as you mentioned, this is going to be inside of the journal.

So that's not something you're really going to see.

And on the back side, right?

That's correct.

Yep.

It's totally hidden.

That's why I like to do it on the short side as well.

That makes sense.

Yeah okay.

So here is the fun part.

This is how I put this together.

Do you want to grab a blank book for me.

- Yes.

- Okay.

So I like to take this project by folding it in half.

Exactly.

Let's let's show off our let's show off our covers, shall we?

Very pretty.

- Like this.

Okay.

So I like to fold this in half and put the book on the inside.

This is where we are going to need our clips.

- Okay.

And just make it nice and snug in there and then I'm just going to open up the top flap and fold this in, and I'm going to put it clip on the top and a clip on the bottom.

And they are just to the right side of you there.

Perfect.

Let's go grab a couple.

- Clear container.

Yeah.

So we'll just hold this in place.

And I just do one clip on the top and one on the bottom.

Nice and snug.

So just like a super simple no measure project.

Yeah.

Is that allowed?

- Sure.

Not measuring.

Sure.

Today.

When it looks this cute.

Absolutely.

- Yes.

Take it easy on yourself.

- So i'm going to flip it over.

I do, I'll flip it over.

And I am going to pull it like nice and nice and snug.

So it's really into the fold.

- Yeah.

And then I'm going to put a clip here and another clip here.

And then we're just going to open this up and we're going to take the book out and leave the clips in place.

And the composition book covers are really soft and gentle.

Very flexible.

- Yeah.

And we're just going to pull the book out, set that off to the side.

And then we have it measured exactly to fit our book.

And we're ready to sew our flaps.

And the way.

- That's pretty neat.

That I'd like to do that today is we're just going to sew from one long end to the other, and then one long end to the other, top, top stitch style.

Excellent.

That's great.

Okay.

We've got time.

- Okay, let's get this done.

And you could do this with other sizes of notebook covers too.

I know they make like the smaller version of composition books.

Yeah they do.

Yeah.

Just have to measure to that size.

- You just use the book to measure it.

So we're just going to give this the top stitch effect here.

Remember we don't want to go too far in because we want the book sleeves to fit inside.

The cover.

So just more like an eighth of an inch instead of a quarter inch.

- Exactly.

Since we're measuring.

- Right.

Which just happens to be the inside of the toe of the foot.

And that's very handy.

- Yes.

It's going to line that up nicely.

It's clever how this top stitches it and sews it together all in one step.

I always think everything looks a little bit more finished and polished with the top stitch.

Oh, absolutely.

Yes.

It's nice.

Okay, so we've got that top done and now we're just going to turn it around and do the same thing to the bottom.

Excellent.

Slide my clip out.

Another good reason to use clips over pins.

- So easy.

You see them there.

Right there.

They're not hiding in your fabric.

- Right.

You're not going to accidentally sew over one and be quite upset by breaking a needle.

- That's right.

No poking yourself, that's the best part.

And they remove so easily.

They really do.

Okay.

And come to the end here.

Great.

- Our shining moment.

Oh, I'm so excited.

We get to put it all in.

- That's right.

Okay.

You just wiggle it in there, And then the other side.

Perfect.

Maelynn, what a great project.

- Look at that.

How fun is that?

- It's so much fun.

Thank you so much for joining us today.

Yes.

It's been my pleasure.

Grab a pencil, tips and other useful information.

Coming up next.

Sara, look at this from Carol Fox from Erskine, Minnesota.

She says, thanks so much for your show.

I have learned so much from you girls.

My tip repurpose those wonderful wooden spools as keychains.

Cute.

- Eye bolts are available from the hardware store, and you can seal the thread with a decoupage medium from the craft store.

- Cute.

And these are great gifts for friends who sew.

That's a fantastic gift.

I would like them.

Super Cute.

Hopefully she didn't send us her house key.

Maybe we could just go on house sit for her sometime.

We'll just go visit.

Okay, this is a cute one from Donna McCormick of Timken, Texas or Kansas rather, and she says, I like to sit on the couch to bind my quilts and do hand appliqué, but the lighting isn't the best.

She discovered that a headlamp is ideal for directing the light where she's working, and it really makes it so much easier on the eyes.

This is also how I hand stitch when I'm up at the cabin.

Oh yeah.

- No electricity.

How cute is this?

This is from Gail Farmer from Wagoneer.

Oklahoma.

- That's very cute.

It's it says this container is meant for toddler snacks.

I use my use of it is self-explanatory.

It works great to store clips.

Easy to keep track of, easy to pull out and put in.

And it doesn't spill.

There it is.

- That is great.

That is so nice.

- Knock it on the ground and they all stay in.

That's perfect.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay, here's another tip from Sandra Murphy of Midland, Michigan.

And she says when she has leftover binding, she stores it on a cardboard tube and makes a note of what project it was for.

And it's a kind of nice little like reminder of what you've done.

And then it's a useful way to store those extra bindings to put into a scrap binding later.

Good idea.

So she marks how much is on the tube.

So she needs this amount of yardage of binding.

For a pot holder or something - Yeah.

- Or you could piece it into a scrappy binding.

- And then you don't have to keep, keep looking at it.

Keep measuring it That's right.

This is from Cora McCauley from Springfield, Oregon.

She says, hello, ladies.

I have learned so much from watching your show.

In addition to quilting, I do a lot of hemming and patching denim.

So when she's, switching needles, she marks on the end with a permanent marker to show which needle she has used.

Oh, that's clever, I like it.

- Yeah.

This tip comes from Ann Meyer of Bryant, Wisconsin.

She says Saturday morning, the world stops while I watch your show.

My tip I was attaching the binding to a throw quilt and it kept twisting and turning.

So she rolled the binding onto a large spool and it fit nicely on the second spool holder of her machine.

It's a simple trick that worked well.

This is from Myrna Pritchett from in Enid Oklahoma.

She said.

We don't have enough room for a design wall, so I cut a piece of batting that I can roll up when I'm not quilting.

Nice tip.

Thanks for watching.

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The Bernina 990.

If it can be imagined, it can be created.

APQS.

Longarm quilting machines allow you to express your creativity.

APQS.

Quilt forever.

Electric quilt making every quilter a designer since 1991.

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