Passport Cover / Field Notes

[JLSleather]

Apparently, everybody and his brother making patterns these days - to  sell to us.  Just one tip (yeah, I know this goes over like a lead balloon).... do yourself a favor... if you're going to purchase patterns, save yourself the price of one of them.  

The "field notes" covers and the "passport" covers.. are the same covers!  There is 1/2" difference in height between the two booklets (unless other countries make them noticeably different).  My U.S. one and her New Zealand one are 5" x 3.5" (and about 3/16" thick).  The 'field notes' thingy is 5.5" x 3.5" (and about 1/8" thick).

So if you're making "cases" for these... save the price of one of them.  Buy one, then cut off 1/2" off the top (or don't - won't matter) and put the money in your kid's piggy bank.  

Actually, ya know what ... just put the price of both in the kids' college fund, and print this ..   

 

FieldNotesA.pdf

[Sandy Robbins]

I thought i would Thank You for the PDF.  I try to collect all kinds of patterns.

Sandy

[Dan Miller]

Thank you for this.

Dan

[bikermutt07]

Annnnd, you're awesome.

[JLSleather]

Welcome folks.  Always more in the works ...

 

[Matt S]

This pattern works very well for passports. Thanks, JLS!

[JLSleather]

 

[Pounder]

Thanks for another awesome pattern.

 

[JLSleather]

No worries.  Now, keep in mind that if your girlfriend likes that goofy pen loop thing added in, that's a 2-step simple process:

1. Try to talk her into elastic or velcro (hook n loop) -- which will fit ANY pen size, and easily replaced if worn. OR if that fails,
2. Then adding the girl stuff becomes a simple matter of creating a loop long enough to go around the type of pen you want to use, and ending up back where the stitch line of the pocket is on the stitch line of the main body.

How to do that reliably, quickly, and easily (so you can get back to listening to the next thing she wants changed  )

 

[JLSleather]

So, if you took your case parts, and laid 'em out side by side flesh side up, you'd have this (note i added a 'pretend' stitch line on the pockets for illustration):

Gitcha two pens -- one to wrap, one to mark.  Use hers... tha'll fix 'er   And a piece of the same leather you're using (3/4 here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wrap one, mark with other.  "Fancy" stitch line on there for clarity  -- just mark across the top of both pieces.  This one is just over 1 3/4", but again - it will matter what pen you're using.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Measure distance between marks.--- use this measurement to move your pockets OUT from the body of the project. This will be your "loop"

Edited August 7, 2016 by JLSleather

[JLSleather]

So, then -- you could simply add a loop much like the one shown above.  Skive the ends (outside the loop) and stitch between the layers just like the previous 'version' of the pattern.  OR, 

almost as simple, you could cut the parts from one piece (except the card pockets, for reasons already covered about the stitch showing). So you'd have 2 pieces instead of 4.. and they'd be 'joined' by this loopy thingie (in my case, 1.75" long) you made...

You could use a "single"  strap, or alternating to form a closure (hey, the girls liked that in the 60's, so ...).  Which "could" be done by cutting a solid piece and then cutting out the ovals

Cut out the shaded sections-- wide or narrow as you like long as they alternate positions. Remember the 1.75" is between stitch lines, so the "between" distance would actually be 1.5" (minus 1/8" per side).

I added a "fold line" here just to be clear -- still just a matter of lining pocket tops up with the witness marks.

Remember to stitch the card pockets on before  folding over, and yer done.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2016 by JLSleather

[TheCyberwolfe]

Nice mod! My idea was to make a cutout of a letter "V", then turn the top of the two arms 180 degrees inward and stitch to the inside at the main fold. It makes a tube when looking at it from above. Found a super-skinny pen (with refills) on Amazon so it doesn't make the stack too thick.

 

[frenchy07]

Thank you for the pattern and insight.

 

BF

[HempKnight]

Thank you

[falcon45]

Thanks so much for this pattern!

[chrisash]

Love the two colour stitches, that's one thing sewing machines cannot do

[alpha2]

An even simpler pen "holder" can be achieved like this...

I know this isn't a passport wallet or field notes book, but it's the same idea. Just make sure to allow for the additional width of the back piece to allow for the pen in the middle.

Jeff

 

[bullmoosepaddles]

@JLSleather you Sir are as gracious as you are wise. Thank you for sharing. 

@alpha2 wonderful idea also. Very simple. Thank you 

Edited August 16, 2018 by bullmoosepaddles
added comment

[TonySFLDLTHR]

I actually went and made a Field Note yesterday. I used a different pen holder and card slots a bit different.

Edited August 16, 2018 by TonySFLDLTHR

[alpha2]

Looking at that, I can see where my idea of the pen in the fold wouldn't work so well for a notes thing. Good to know!

Jeff

[frenchy07]

Here's a P Port cover from your pattern, slightly modified. Thanks for all the patterns (yep, got a file full of them)

BF 

Edited January 15, 2019 by frenchy07

[JLSleather]

Good to see that's gittin' some use and I didn't draw a rectangle fer nuthin'

 

[JLSleather]

Been a year folks.  Just poppin' this up in case somebody missed it, or maybe the new guy didn't see it last time.  STILL free

 

[Aven]

I appreciate you taking the time to put the tutorial together.  Thanks for sharing.

[Bert51]

Thank you JLSleather, looks like i have another project to do and all I have to do is follow your instructions, magic.

Bert.