Now comes the fun part! I am in the process of pulling out everything that I might be able to use. Of course, this will be too much stuff! But that’s OK. It’s fun to have lots of choices. For fabrics, I want a variety of textures and colors. I’m going to stick to one group: black, white, grey, red, gold (metallic) and golden yellow. I may end up with a tiny bit of others, just to make things pop… we’ll have to see.

I want to make each piece of fabric a bit stiffer. I hope this will allow me to stitch and embroider without using a hoop. I found a piece of Pellon Craft Fuse in my stash. I’ve probably had it for years. I chose it because, unlike regular iron-on interfacing, the face of it seems smoother, like it would move under the presser foot much easier, without sticking.

The next step in my process is to select the order the pages are in. Half of the pages will be double-page spreads. The other half will be single. This has to do with the way I plan to assemble the book. If I put the front and backs of each signature together, and then stitch each one down the center to the spine, the outside layer will end up next to the outside layer from the previous (or next) signature.

I’m starting an experiment. I want to try making a micro, A8 size, art journal using fabric and various fiber art techniques. I’ve never done anything like this before, so this is a totally new adventure. What you see here are the blank, inside pages for the book. I cut them all out yesterday. These, currently, include a small seam allowance. I am thinking, eventually, I will stitch them back-to-back and turn them right side out.