My Journey’s Notebook

I’ve at all times beloved accumulating ephemera after I journey—brochures, tickets, receipts, enterprise playing cards, and extra. I inform myself that after I return dwelling, I’ll print my images, pair them with these paper treasures, and prepare every part into one wonderful collage.

Unfortunately, actuality tends to intervene. I come dwelling hitting the bottom operating, and earlier than lengthy the second has handed. The scraps are tucked away, and I’m already onto the subsequent venture.

A few years in the past, I found the Traveler’s Notebook at my favorite stationery retailer, Paper Plus Cloth. It’s a slim 4” x 8” pocket book designed with vacationers in thoughts—excellent for bullet journaling on the go. I used to be disciplined sufficient to not splurge on the $100+ covers, equipment, and stamps… however I did go away with three completely different notebooks and each intention of diving in instantly.

Trip after journey glided by with out me opening a single web page. I felt oddly stymied, uncertain find out how to start.

Last fall, when Paper Plus Cloth supplied a category known as Traveler’s Notebook Collage Workshop with Bechori, I signed up with out hesitation.

The tables have been lined in colored paper, stickers, stamps, washi tape, scissors, maps, and pictures—an irresistible playground. Bechori spoke by way of a translator and introduced a stack of his well-loved, crammed notebooks for us to leaf by way of. Seeing these pages—layered, textured, imperfect, and alive—was extremely liberating.

It was price each cent. I tore paper strips, experimented with ink, and let myself merely play.

The million-dollar query for me was, “When do you start your journal?” His reply: in the course of the first days of the journey.

So on my most up-to-date textile tour to Singapore and Indonesia, I did precisely that. I packed a small package—pens, glue, tape—and every night earlier than mattress I reduce, pasted, and scribbled.

The hardest half? Accepting imperfection. I needed to continually remind myself that I might add to the pages anytime, in any method. Nothing was last.

When I returned dwelling, I printed a couple of images on my little printer, added a few stickers right here and there, and experimented with some last spreads. Slowly, the pages got here collectively.

And listed here are the outcomes.

I’m fairly satisfied… and in addition kicking myself for not beginning sooner (so sometimes me).

If you’d like to affix me—and maybe begin your individual journey journal alongside the way in which—you will discover all the small print on the occasions web page on my web site

100 years in the past, Singer modified stitching once they launched the featherweight. Suddenly you might sew on the go. Bill Johnson, also called The Featherweight Guy, is restoring featherweights for a brand new era of quilters. Even when you love your new digital stitching machine with all the flowery stitches, one look at these outdated beauties may have you considering, “Maybe I should get one.” Watch my interview here. Tell me what you consider the brand new thumbnail model.

Listen to any of my Karen’s Quilt Circle podcasts on the YouTube Music app here. 

Don’t miss the month-to-month query and reply time with me on the primary Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm EST. Ask Me Anything!

And, despite the fact that we’re achieved posting the movies and emails, it isn’t too late to affix within the Sewing Room Declutter Challenge for 2026. You can begin any time and go on the tempo that fits you. You can watch the playlist here.

There are extra adventures forward. I’m so pleased to have you ever alongside for the experience.