1. Projects & Learning
    2. /
  2. Project Ideas
    3. /
  3. Paper Crafts Projects
    4. /
  4. Planners & Journals

Fabric Quilted Planner Cover

by JOANN |

Item # 4221156703P129
Intermediate Over 5 Hours

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

  • Cotton fabrics - total of about 1 yard
  • Various scrap fabrics for front cover - reference the included pattern
  • (3) 10"x 8.75" fabric pieces - inside cover, inside back and back pieces
  • (2) 1.5"x 36" strips for attaching zippers
  • (1) 4"x 13" fabric piece that will cover the binder rings
  • 12" zipper
  • 14" zipper
  • (2) 9.25"x 8" pieces of interfacing
  • Needle and thread
  • Iron and board
  • Pins
  • Rotary cutter and/or scissors
  • Zipper foot

DIRECTIONS:

    Preparing your front and back pieces:
  1. Using your chosen fabrics, piece together your front cover section using the provided pattern. Use 1/4" seams. Square off your final piece so that it is a crisp/clean-lined rectangular shape. Press.
  2. Sew together your front piece and inside-front piece (which will be seen when you open up the cover) with your interfacing inside. Do NOT put right sides together. Sew a small zigzag stitch around the perimeter of all 3 layers. Sew right up against the edge of your fabrics. The interfacing is slightly smaller than the fabric pieces so that you will not need to sew over it.
  3. Sew together your back and inside-back pieces using the same method from step 2.
    4. Preparing your zippers:
  4. Grab the 12" zipper and one of the 1.5" strips. Place the right sides of both pieces together.
  5. Start sewing at the bottom of your zipper and use your zipper foot to allow you to get approximately 1/4"-1/2" from the edge. Once you get to the end of that zipper, slip in the 14" zipper (let the metal toggles of both zippers tuck in nicely together) and continue sewing until you hit the bottom. You will now have 1 nice long strip that is attached to both zippers.
  6. Placing the right sides together, grab your second strip and sew it the exact same way along the other side of the zipper. This will leave you with the zipper piece that will wrap around the outside of the planner cover.
  7. Press, and then leave about 2 inches of fabric hanging beyond the end of the zipper on both sides (cut off anything extra).
  8. Attaching the Front and Back pieces to the zipper:
  9. Find the left top corner of your cover piece, this is where you will start to sew on the zipper (It will create a u-shape as you sew around the perimeter of the cover).
  10. Place the end of one of your zipper pieces so that it hangs approximately 1" beyond the cover (so they are NOT lined up perfectly) and sew approximately 1/4" seam around the 3 sides of the cover.
  11. When you are going around the corners, curve the zipper and snip little darts into the fabric attached to the zipper to add more give. This gives the curved edges of the binder cover.
  12. When you get to the end, you should have about 1" of the zipper end hanging off the edge, just like at the beginning.
  13. Use the same instructions above to connect the back piece of your cover to the opposite side of the zipper. It will be a little tougher to do this side. You will want to open the zipper to give yourself more room to sew. Use your zipper foot.
    14. Finish:
  14. Keeping the zipper open, grab your 4"x 13" piece and sew the long edge of this onto the left side of the cover, right sides together. You will need to leave extra fabric on each end of the 13" side.
  15. Sew the other 13" side to the back of the planner cover, right sides together again. Leave extra fabric on both sides. You will be tucking this in later.
  16. You are now left with open edges at the top and bottom of where the binder rings sit.
  17. Place the actual planner inside your cover to help give it shape.
  18. Tuck in the edges of the 4"x 13" piece so that it sits flush with the front and back pieces.
  19. You left extra zipper and 2" of fabric at the ends so that now they can be ladder stitched to the edges of the 4"x 13" piece.
  20. You will be tucking in the zipper/fabric piece as well, and sewing in a u-shape as you close everything up. Play around with tucking and positioning the fabric to your liking so that it has a nice clean look.

JOANN HACKS:

  • As you piece your front cover together, remember to square off your sections as you go. This will help to create a nice clean rectangular shape when you are finished.
  • When sewing your strips to the zippers you may need to move the toggles of the zipper around a little as you sew so that they won’t be in the way.
  • The zipper will not sit perfectly in the middle of the length of the binder because the zippers are not the same size. Don’t let this concern you.

More Project Ideas