Book Sleeve #2 ... for a specific purpose

 In the last post, I shared that I had made a book sleeve for a year-long spiral bound Bible study book.  After I finished it, I realized I could really use another one for another year long Bible study, this one for scripture writing.

This is the front, I made the pocket deeper than the previous one and didn't divide it into sections.

The color in the picture is not a good representation of the actual color.  This is the back.

The lining is of the same fabric as the pocket on the front.

Here are both book sleeves/Bible study bags side by side.  I'm very pleased with both!

I so enjoy stitching up things that I need or want including gifts for others.  Being able to customize items to my specifications keeps down the waste of buying things that don't fit or work for the purpose it was purchased.  I hate that, don't you?

That's it for this post, what are you stitching up and or creating?

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Stitching up a Book Sleeve for a Specific Purpose!

 I have seen so many pretty book sleeves and have contemplated making one for quite some time, but I knew I would never use it for just keeping or carrying around books.

But it struck me one day as I was looking at my current spiral bound Bible study book that it was looking quite worn.  It's a yearlong study and as you might guess, gets quite a bit of wear.

This year's study is coming to an end in a few short weeks, and I decided that for the new study, available in a couple of weeks, that I wanted to make it its own book sleeve, to protect it over the next years use.

Here are the pieces cut out, with notes of what to do next.  

(Note the sticky note that says 'quilt?'  In the end I decided not to quilt it!)

Shown are the pieces for the ...

outside cover ...

lining ...

and pocket ...

Here's the completed book sleeve that I made to fit this spiral bound Bible study.  (By the way, this Bible study has been such a good one, I've learned so much!  Cindy Colley's Bible studies are deep and will put you deep in God's Word with every lesson ... but oh, the precious things that one can learn!  It's truly worth all the effort!)

(This is the study that a friend and I meet online once a week and do together.  We each answer the questions before class and then discuss our answers.  If you don't have a Bible study buddy, I encourage you to get one ... it adds to digging deep in God's Word!)

The inspiration for this book sleeve came from HERE.  I did some customizing of my own but followed her basic instructions.

I customized the pocket to hold the pens I use in this study ...

gray/black for my answers ...

blue for my Bible study buddy's comments that I want to add and remember ...

green for the large online study group that also does this study weekly on Facebook ...

and red for the podcast and dig-a-bits done by the author herself.  By the time we finish each month's study, we have a thorough understanding of the subject we've studied from several different points of view!

I can tell at a glance whose comment I'm reading just by looking at the ink!

By creating this book sleeve, I can protect the cover of the new study as well as keep everything I need to do the study all in one place.  That's a win, win situation for me as it keeps me from running around looking for all the components when it's time to work in the study!

That's it for this post, what are you stitching up and or creating?

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine

Customizing a New 'Teaching the Bible/Bible Study' Bible Bag

 The Bible bag I have been using for years was a gift and I loved it but ... alas, I wore it out and it has long since been time to replace it.

Here's what I replaced it with and how I customized it ...

It started out as a plain canvas tote that I got at Hobby Lobby for $6.95.

My old worn-out Bible bag had my initials embroidered on it and I wanted to keep those, so I cut out a rectangle, added batting and a backing, stitched around the edges and then pinked them using pinking shears.  I then punched a hole in one corner of the rectangle and tied a piece of fabric through it.  Next, I took just a plain ole safety pin and pinned it on the bag.

For the inside, I wanted to add something to the bottom to give it some structure.

I measured the size I wanted and cut two pieces of heavy-duty cardboard according to the measurements.  I then took thick, strong rubber bands that came off purchased produce ... that I had saved ... and banded the two pieces of cardboard together.  Then I made a cover for the cardboard, slipped it in and viola ... I have a structured bottom for my bag.

Into my Bible bag I put 3 zip lock art project plastic storage bags. (These came from Hobby Lobby as well.)  I use 3 ... 

One for the Sunday morning ladies Bible class that I teach (all the materials needed for this class goes in this folder) ...

One for the Wednesday night teen class that I teach (all the materials needed for this class goes in this folder) ...

and one for transporting the church bulletin that I do each week to church without it getting crumpled.

Next in my Bible bag are my note-taking notebooks.  The one on the left is almost full and the one on the right will be its replacement.

Next, are my two zippered bags that carry all the small things that I use such as ...

highlighters,

thumb drives, 

sticky notes,

extra pens, etc

(The bag on the left is one I made and the one on the right was given to me.)

Everything except my Bible stays in my Bible bag from week to week but, since I use my Bible in my daily Bible studying, I don't add it to the bag until before we leave for church.

Do you notice the small key charm laying between the handles?  It's attached to a loop attached to the Bible cover.  It represents and serves as a reminder that Bible study is a key in our relationship to God.

Here it is loaded and ready for use.  There's also room for my laptop when I need it in teaching.

There you go, a new to me Bible bag that's functional, didn't break the bank to create and that I think is classically quite pretty!

That's it for this post, what are you stitching up and or creating?

mrs. patsi @ Grandma's Got a Sewing Machine

My other blogs:

A Working Pantry

From This Heart of Mine