the stitches.. .

just a quick sort of explanation :)

so below is the shell or bones of the book, i used watercolour cardboard because i think it will crumple quite nicely under the fabric, but a sturdier bookcard or flimsier paper would work to

i then created 4 signatures(or piles of folded paper)

i used about 3 or 4 pieces of plain white paper in each folded bundle.. .

then i created my two sheets of fabric that would become the outside & inside of the journal,

& laid them under & over the template from above.

at this point you can handstitch or machine sew the book into place or add ruffles in between as well like i did & then sew.

next, sew the sinatures into the spine. you can measure & make markings or roughly guestimate.. .

i used both mother of pearl buttons & glass beads on the outside of the spine to "hide" the stitches & make it look pretty

there should be room in between signatures so that when you fill the pages with lovely ephemera there is room for the journal to bulk out (also you can see some pages are shorter, thats fine too :)

& i also nearly forgot to mention that on the front of the journal i used kind of an informal rouching technique (i haphazardly pinched little pieces of fabric & stitched into place)

then went back & added glass beads over the exposed rouching

i hope this helps,

have a lovely weekend dear hearts!!! {& thankyou so for your beautiful comments!!! hugs & sunshine}