Quilter's Planner Cover Tips and Tricks

Today's project post is about the 
2016 Quilter's Planner and Planner Cover Pattern (included with purchase of the Planner). Check out the links for more pics of the planner, or click here for a video of the Planner and Stephanie :))

The Quilter's planner is a Year/Month/Week/Day planner that includes Weekly free quilt block patterns, pull out Art quotes and full patterns by world famous quilters like Freshly Pieced, 13 Spools, Meadow Mist Designs, Quilting JetGirl (My Fav!), Pat Sloan, Mandelei Quilts, Cooking Up Quilts, and the Night Quilter. You gotta check it out!!! And while you're there, take a gander at June, cause there is a free block pattern for my Modern Dogwood block for you!! There is also a handy reference section so that you don't have to carry around an extra reference book for measurements and quantities for standard quilt sizes. Brilliant! I ADORE mine, it is so thoughtfully laid out and planned.

But let me get into chatting about the Planner Cover:

Tweaks:

• The pdf instructions are clear and come with photos, which you know I love. 
• Use 40 wt thread as your planner cover will be stretched and your pocket will hold items like a ruler and extra pencils. You don't want your work to come out and ruin all that beauty!!

• Quilt your planner cover outer fabric after you have added the stabilizer. I did close matchstick quilting ala Whatsonemoreproject over on IG. What do you think? 

• I would add an extra 1/4" to 1/2" onto the dimensions... I used linen, which looks fantastic, but it does add significant bulk to the seams, and reduces the space inside the pockets for the planner to fit into. My bad. I thought about it at the time and said, *&%k it. It'll be fine. Now my planner covers are slightly jammed in there.
• I have made a hack for the zipper end covers so that you don't have that little bump up at the top and bottom of the zipper that you see in the photos. 
• Instead of making zipper tabs as per the instructions: 
• Cut (2) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares of your cover fabric 

• Fold wrong sides together (wst) 1/4" at the top, press. Repeat for the bottom. We are making a finished edge for the outside and inside of the zipper within the pocket.

I topstitched the edges of mine after I folded them over. Then discovered that I didn't need to as I was goin' to topstitch right over the stitching in the next step... so skip stitching now, and just stitch in the next step ;)

• Fold wst, matching bottom to top edge, press. Be sure you have your raw edges of the folds to the inside!
• Insert Zipper beginning into the fold, centering it in your square. Topstitch close to the edge nearest the zipper pull. Repeat for the bottom of the zipper. 

Trim off all of your thread ends. Geesh!

• Continue on with pattern as usual. Now your zipper tabs won't add any bulk to your planner cover, and the unfinished edges will be sewn into your seams. Yay!!

Make your planner cover insides nice and cute so you can smile as you start every day :)

• I would make my bookmark about 4" longer so that at the beginning of the year, it still reaches all of the way to the bottom of the page.

I know you'll love your 2016 Quilter's Planner!!! 
I am just so glad I have mine, it makes every day so much easier. 
Stand by, cause I'm going to have a giveaway for one!!! 

XX!

Lori

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday :)

Go check out what everyone else has been up to! They'll love to see ya!