Weekend project

My 12 year old daughter, S, was given a jigsaw puzzle over the holidays. It was used, and had a piece or two missing, so rather than throw it out, she took it to use in some form of craft. Very quickly she decided she would make a journal with it. I left her to plan it out, and choose any papers she might need. She chose a green decorative paper for the covers, some Greek text to line the covers (don't ask me what it says!), and glued parts of the puzzle on the front cover. She wanted some envelope pockets inside, so I made a template for her, and she found calendar pictures to use for two pockets. The inside pages were made from a semi-glossy paper that I used for this journal this summer.

S punched all the holes in the signatures and the covers. I must confess I'm a little overprotective of my tools, was a little worried to let her use my awl, after my experience breaking one, but she managed fine. I wasn't sure how easily she would catch on to the sewing for a coptic binding, but I should never have doubted a young creative mind whose memory is far better than mine! I attached the covers and the envelopes, but she did the rest of the sewing. I was amazed how easily she caught on to the pattern of "inside outside" which I still repeat to myself when I'm doing a coptic binding. Here is the finished journal, which turned out great: