The weather folks have been predicting a monster snowstorm for the region this weekend, and I decided to embrace the coming snow with some “fiber therapy“.

I have been intrigued with the journal cover craze that has been getting more attention on YouTube and other places, and had a snowman remnant from a fiber excursion that my sister and I took, last Fall. I have been wanting to do something with this snowy fabric, and considered making one of the OTHER journal covers, such as I made around the holidays.

Those journals – featured in the gallery of photos below – used fabric as well, but the fabric is fused to the cover of the Composition Notebook. In other words, it’s not reusable on ANOTHER notebook. They make nice gifts, especially last minute ones, but I wanted to expand my repertoire into making some more LASTING covers that can be used multiple times.

I’ll be honest: I was a little intimidated to cut into the snowman remnant. I only had a scant amount, and I really liked it. PLUS, I had decided to “go rogue” and somewhat freehand the pattern. As someone who tends to stick to the pattern on first tries, this was a bit scary at first; but my creative energy got moving, and it became exhilarating! I may have finally unleashed my inner fiber rebel with this project.

I had been mulling over how to use the snowman fabric. Did I want to quilt strips of coordinating fabrics and just INCLUDE the snowman fabric, or feature it, or something in between? In my mind’s eye, I kept seeing a large snowman in the foreground and the green snowman fabric in the background. I rummaged in my stash and found 2 Joann’s remnants that matched, and got to work planning this approach.

Years ago (pre-COVID) I took an applique class at a local quilt shop. I haven’t really done much applique since then, but I remembered the class and helpful hints. I think the BIGGEST lesson I learned that day was that I could do it, and not to be afraid to try. Since it had been a few years since that class, I practiced on a scrap before starting on the main piece.

My snowman applique turned out to be the easier of the tasks in this project, due to me not thinking through the layering of the batting. Still, I’m tickled with this, and more importantly – I learned some things that will make my NEXT one even simpler.

I have always loved Back-to-School shopping, and browsing in office supply stores. I cannot resist a new, clean notebook – of ANY size – so this fabric craft is the ideal combination of happy things.

As I admired my basic notebook cover, I realized that a closure of some sort would have been a good thing to consider BEFORE I sewed it together, so I scrounged around in my craft supplies and found 2 buttons, and some leftover elastic from back when we were making masks. Also, this closure allows for a pen or pencil to be captured at the edge of the notebook, because what good is a notebook carried with you if you don’t have a pencil or pen?

A little “nip” here and “tuck” there, and I think I’ve finished my FIRST reusable Composition Notebook cover.

This is project is a terrific STASHBUSTER – especially if you are creative and can piece together smaller pieces to make larger ones. I’m working on a slightly smaller NEW notebook cover where I pieced the lining to make it wide enough. You can’t even see it because the flaps that the notebook front and back cover pieces slide into entirely cover the “added “extension” pieces.

There’s no end to the creativity possible with fabric, thread, some fusible interfacing – especially with the added bonus of an entire snow day.

Happy snowstorm stitching to all!

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(C) 2026 Fiber Harmony / Stitch ‘n Dish