Handmade Planners

A year or so ago I was excited to learn the basics of bookbinding from my friend Muffy. She is an amazing artist and teacher and her talents are vast. Her collection of handmade journals and books is unbelievable...and I could sit for hours going through them again and again.

I have been practicing my new skill making planners for Connie. I particularly like this cover....I used a spectrum of hand dyed fabrics from Cherrywood fabrics.

This is the 5th one I have made...and yes, I am getting better...but there is still room for improvement. My first books contained just 4 months with a section for phone numbers in the back. Now I make them with 6 months because I recently made a separate phone book with all Connie's important and frequently used numbers. I want to keep the planner slim enough to fit in Connie's wheelchair pouch and be easy to handle.

I have experimented with a variety of covers...using both paper and fabric.  Notice a few of the "Sun Moon and Star" calendar squares mixed in with punched squares from photos of Connie's garden on the one in the middle.  I experimented with a magnet closer on the blue fabric cover...but haven't gone back to that.


Connie's current planner only goes through June...so I have been working on the next one and will share my process in the next few days.