By Benjamin Krudwig
Another school supply I remember vividly from my days at school was the textbook cover.
There were brightly colored spandex covers, all the way down to my favorite, folded brown paper bags that could be drawn on and customized. As I went on in my art degree in college, I no longer used as many textbooks and grew into using sketchbooks. These had boring black covers which I tried desperately to make more interesting. This usually involved paint, or colored pencils that quickly got rubbed off as they went in an out of backpack.
I still use sketchbooks today, mostly for my fiber designs now rather than art history notes. I got to thinking that I could use fabric to cover my sketchbooks, so I did just that. I took one of my "failed" weaving projects and found a sketchbook that fit the fabric. I could have measured a sketchbook and then weave some fabric for it, but this project worked differently. I opened my notebook up, clipped the two covers together, then marked three sides every 1/2" about 1/2" in to the material. I then punched holes (using a hammer and a nail) at each of these marks.
I then opened my notebook up and centered it on top of the fabric, wrapped the fabric over the edges clipping the fabric with binder clips to keep it secured in place. I passed a needle threaded with my matching yarn through both layers of fabric and the cover.
The rings in the sketchbook caused some pulling in the fabric, so I gently pulled at the weft threads to force the rings through the spaces in the warp.
I then braided some cord, pulled through some of the fabric to create a tie to secure my sketchbook closed.
Overall I am extremely pleased with the finished product! I plan on weaving a few more pieces of fabric to cover my other sketchbooks. This particular sketchbook reminds me of a leather bound book from days past which adds to the mystery of what is inside.