My friend Whitney suggested a while ago that journal/notepad covers might be something I could make. So a few weekends back I experimented by making Whitney one for her birthday! I wrote this post in July, but it won’t be published until sometime in August, after she’s received her present — I don’t want to spoil her surprise!
It took me about 4 hours to make it — without a pattern and just following my nose and an existing folio I already had. I made it so that it can take A4 and Letter notepads, a spiral bound notepad (slips in to the vertical pocket to the right of the spine), as well as a business card, other small items, loose leaf paper, and, after I’d taken the photos, I added an elastic bit to hold a pen in the spine. The closures are velcro.
So, what do you think? Should I make these? The 4+ hour time frame would mean they’d be expensive, plus there’s at least a yard/metre of fabric in one (at about AU$25 per metre) and about 1/2 metre of Stitch and Shape.
Click on an image to view it full size.
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 
I love Love LOVE my folio. The photos don’t even begin to do this exquisite gift justice because the camera can’t capture the characteristics of the fabrics used on the inside and outside, which both have some texture to them instead of smooth fabric surface.
Don’t make any more in this fabric. I’m selfish enough to want a RhondaMadeIt exclusive. (There’s limited edition, then there’s exclusive. I’m an only child…I don’t share easily.)
Perhaps you could offer it only as a custom order item for people looking for a one-of-a-kind gift, or substantial pick-me-up/motivator for themselves?
The actual question to ask is, “How many of these would I want to make?”
As a beader, I’ve completed several jewelry projects that turned out to be bona-fide “once is enough” pieces because they were so labor-intensive. Even someone being willing to pay me a modest fortune for one of them wasn’t incentive enough to repeat the experience.