NO SEW Pocket-Sized Fabric Book

As I was working on projects for Pocket Week, I wanted to make some things to go into all the pockets I was making. This little book fits into just about any pocket, but would work well with the Pocket Quiet Book as well.

This post was inspired by Crafty Staci. She had a whole series of posts in which she used fabric for a “traditional” paper craft. When I saw this post on single-sheet books, I knew I had to try it out in fabric!

I’ll admit, the first time was not successful. I used a sheet of felt. It was much too thick, and the end result was not beautiful, though it is being re-purposed as a needle book, and does a fine job.

I gave it another shot, using regular fabric and HeatNBond. The result was quick, easy (can’t beat no-sew!), and looks great! Here is what you need:

– Plain Fabric (a fat quarter is enough for more than one)
– Fabric with a design for cutting out appliques
– HeatNBond Ultra
– Fabric Pen
– Scissors
– Iron

Start out by cutting your sheet of HeatNBond to a 9×12″ rectangle. 4 1/2 inches up, draw a line 3″ from either side.

Iron the HeatNBond onto the wrong side of your plain fabric.

Cut around the HeatNBond, then cut along the line in the center.

Remove paper backing.

Fold fabric in half, so that it is 4 1/2″ by 12.”

Fold it in half the other way so that you have a 4 1/2″ by 6″ rectangle. Finger crease, and undo this fold. Use the crease as your mark as you pull the two halves apart in the middle.

Press flat, so that you have a 4 1/2″ by 6″ rectangle with four flaps. Iron down, flip, iron again. Don’t over iron, it can make the fabric very stiff.

While the fabric is still warm, but not hot, fold in half to form your 4 1/2″ by 3″ book. Iron some HeatNBond to the back of your patterned fabric.

Cut out shapes and place on and in your book. Iron down, again making sure to iron enough that it adheres, but not over-ironing. Trim any ragged edges with sharp scissors.

Here are the fronts of some finished books:

And the insides:

The car book was made using a printed flannel, and the cars are all wonderfully soft – like a mini “touch and feel” book!

If you don’t mind taking this new-sew project, and adding a little sewing, you can make some other fun books, even mini “quiet books.” I used some colored fabrics cut into shapes, added buttonholes, and then added buttons to the pages of the book, and got a fun Button Busy Book:

I staggered the buttons, the first one near the top of the page, the second in the middle, and the last near the bottom to reduce some of the bulk of the book.