Helen’s Creations NJ A5 Japanese Fabric Notebook Cover Review

In addition to being a pen addict and an inkophile, I am also an avid notebook lover/hoarder. I rarely use notebooks without a cover - even hardbound notebooks are often covered. Just before the DC Pen Show, Helen of Helen’s Creations NJ released A5 notebook covers using some of the same Japanese fabrics that she uses for her pen cases. So, I asked/begged the Bossman to pick up an A5 notebook cover from Helen when he was at the DC show. I also bought one from her at the Empire State Pen Show. Brad got me a green/orange/brown one (which is really difficult to get the colors right in photos) and I bought a blue/white/black/gold one.

Helen and her son Dominic at the Empire State Pen Show.

A one-of-a-kind A5 notebook cover made from green/orange/brown fabric that Helen bought when she visited Japan and a blue/black/white cover that I bought last month.

The flap on the right isn’t sewn shut to accommodate thicker notebooks as well as notebook growth (from stickers, ink, washi, etc.). The strip holds the right side of the notebook in place.

The notebook cover is meant to fit A5 soft cover notebooks like Midori, Leuchtturm, LIFE, etc. It does not fit the hardbound Passepied Paper Notebook that I tested recently or other hardcover A5 notebooks as its hard cover is too tall to fit in the fabric cover.

These are the notebooks I used to test the covers. Left to right: FreeField Vertical from Luddite (more of an insert as opposed to notebook), LIFE Noble, Midori A5, Leuchtturm A5 softcover.

When I first put the cover of the notebook next to the cover pocket, it looks like it won’t fit, but all it takes is a bit of gentle bending to get the cover inside and then you can gently slide/push the cover all the way. It is a snug fit heightwise. Widthwise, it can fit slim inserts to thicker notebooks because the right cover flap isn’t sewn shut. This allows the cover to fit thicker notebooks, or multiple notebooks.

Will the notebook fit?

Gently bending the notebook in the middle will allow it to fit. Then you can close the notebook flat and slide the rest in place.

Same thing for the back - you can see the curve of the notebook’s cover for the initial fit.

Nice and flat with the flap tucked in under the strap.

There is also a ribbon bookmark that’s sewn into the top of the fabric cover. Depending on how thick/thin your notebook is, the bookmark might not be at the center of the spine. This is a minor nitpick for me as I don’t really use the ribbon bookmarks (from either the notebook itself or the cover).

The bookmark is on the backside of the notebook because this insert is very thin.

You can fit more than one notebook, if you like, by inserting one notebook in the front flap and one in the back.

An A5 Paper Source notebook (left) and a Midori A5 (right). You can also see that the green bookmark is in the middle of the two notebooks.

Both notebooks fit nicely when the cover is closed.

The fabric provides a little bit of structure to softbound notebooks, but it is not rigid. Both the fabric cover and the notebook cover can bend if you’re not careful, or if you cram it in a backpack hard enough. You don’t need to baby it, just something to be aware of.

The notebook cover has a double layer of fabric that is folded over itself on the front and the back, so you may notice the “bump” during writing. Placing an A5 pencil board a few sheets below your page could help even things out.

You can see the slight bump from the left/front cover fabric.

The back fabric bump is more pronounced because of the added strap in the back.

Overall, the covers are well made and I love the variety of fabrics that were offered (I wish I took a better closeup of her offerings). Since they are made from delicate fabrics, gentle handwashing is recommended if you need to clean the cover.

A cropped picture of Helen’s table at the Empire State Pen Show. The cover on the front right is the one that I couldn’t resist.

Helen plans to put the covers on her Etsy site in the coming weeks. The notebook covers are $44 for cotton and $70 for silk when purchased online (slight discount for in-person purchases). Helen also makes custom notebook covers (and pen cases) in varying sizes, shapes, and fabrics. For more information, you can reach out to her via DM on Instagram or by contacting her on Etsy.

(Disclaimer: The Bossman purchased the green cover at the DC show and I purchased the blue one at the Empire State Pen Show. All other products are my own.)

Luddite Patchwork Bendy Pen Case Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Pens on the go need proper conveyance, so I'm always up for trying out a new pen case. It seems there's no end to the new ways designers will configure a simple pen case, but this Luddite Bendy Pen Case is yet another fun, fresh take on the idea.

This case answers the question no one has ever asked: What if my pen case was like a taco and a pita at the same time? The answer: Awesome, that's what. The square-ish case is lined with five pen pockets, and it folds in half lengthwise and snaps closed over the pens. But also! Each side of the case is a zipper pouch. So much storage!

The case is made from a soft woven Kurashiki canvas, this version in a patchwork of denim colored textures. The stitching is a yellow thread, and the zippers are gold colored YKK zippers. The designers opted for quality at every decision on this one.

The only issue I encountered with this case is that if you put bulky items in the zipper pouches, they interact with the pens in the pen slots. The volume is shared, so your ability to use those zipper pouches is somewhat limited. But for smaller items like a notepad or ink swatch cards, stickers, etc., it's a fantastic way to assemble a small writing kit. The fabric isn't as protective as a more robust case would be, but the two layers of canvas provide enough padding to keep the contents reasonably safe.

The case sells for $35 at Dromgoole’s, where it's available in a variety of colors. That's a great price for the quality of the case. It's been perfect for taking my writing supplies to the November write-ins happening at libraries everywhere this month. I've been attending one or two a week and really enjoying this kit in the process. I could also see this working well for a sketch artist kit, or even a case for knitters or crocheters to store hooks, needles, and notions. It's a great design made very well, so there are endless uses. When November writing is finished, this one is likely headed for my knitting bag.

(This product was purchased at Dromgoole’s at regular price.)

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Retro 51 X Pularys Modern Traveler Set Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

It's a great feeling when you are interested in something because of one feature it has (like, say, a tiny Retro 51 pen), but then you find yourself enjoying all of its features much more than expected. So yes, I selected this item because I wanted the tiny Retro pen. It's cute! And now I am enjoying having a great wallet, too. Double win.

Pularys makes lots of nice leather wallets, and the Modern Traveler Set collaboration with Retro 51 combines their quality features with a great portable pen, ensuring that you can be well equipped for any tasks that combine card-carrying and writing. There are a lot of those. While many receipts have gone digital, I used mine today in a restaurant, and earlier this week signing a form in a doctor's office. I wouldn't want to write a whole book with this teeny tiny pen (though I'm mad enough to try it someday, probably), but it's fantastic for jotting down a quick note or signature. And the pen writes well! It’s a ballpoint pen, not the gushing rollerball of Retro 51 Tornado fame, but that is much more practical for what will likely be used on receipt paper a lot of the time.

The wee Retros included in these wallets are color-coordinated to the set. This blue wallet comes with a copper-colored pen. The Cognac wallet's pen is teal, and the black wallet's pen is black. All have the Retro 51 brand on the front, and they close with a silver snap strap. They all look great.

It's a surprisingly small wallet, though it carries a lot. It holds 8 cards in the aluminum RFID-blocking sleeve, which releases the cards with the flip of the black plastic lever at the bottom of the wallet. There are also two folder-style sleeves inside the wallet to store additional cards. There's also a folded plastic bill holder behind the aluminum card sleeve. Then, of course, there's the mini Retro pen sleeve in the spine. I was able to move everything I need to carry into this wallet--from a much larger wallet that did not include room for a pen. It was a wonder of physics.

This is my first time using a wallet with one of those card-flipper features. I've been nervous to try one. The little flippers stick out funny, and what if they break, leaving my important cards trapped in their aluminum coffin? Okay, I'm still a bit anxious about that, but I can say that using this one feels very sturdy and reliable.

I knew I would love the pen. I had a tiny Retro 51 like this that I purchased at my first ever pen show in Colorado in 2015, and I lost that treasured pen when it fell out of my pocket in a parking lot one day. I've been searching for a replacement ever since, and it looked like this wallet set was the only way to find one. I did not expect to like the wallet as much as I do! I figured it would be nice, don't get me wrong, but I have never considered myself to have "wallet preferences." That might change, now.

The only thing I'd change about this wallet is that I'd include a teeny tiny notebook tucked into the right side slip pocket, just for a bit of scrap paper to go with the wee pen. Happily that's something I can add, myself.

The Retro 51 Modern Traveler set sells for $120, though as I write this, it's on sale for $96 at Dromgoole's. It's worth the full-price cost, and the sale is a great deal. If you have someone in your life who needs a nice new wallet, or if you need a tiny Retro 51, this is a total win.

(This product was purchased from Dromgoole's at regular price.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!