Monkey Page for a Fabric Memory Book

My third little grand daughter, now 6, likes gorillas (she calls them "crillas") and super heros. I made her this super hero tooth fairy pillow last fall and have a super hero page in the works for her book. I have not found any gorilla fabric that I could use for appliques for a page for her, but....found some scraps from a tote bag that I made her a year ago...It's a monkey..."brother" to a "crilla"...at least that is what I told her!

Anyway... I cut out some of the monkeys and use iron-on interfacing to the back and then cut them out to be appliques for her page. She is another grand child I didn't have the blessing of doing day care for so she and I don't have many memories until recently. But...this one we have.

She also loves the outdoors, digging holes, climbing trees and her daddy has taught her lots of outdoor survival things. So this page had to be something to that effect. Hard part is... I am not that outdoor-sey anymore! Yeah, back when I was 6, she is a mini-me...but now...well, let's just say I had a hard time creating something to resemble outdoor! But.. I had some fabric charms that were the green camo print....and some beige lace and some other like color things...so I put this together....

 I had that background fabric already cut and why I decided to use it, I am not sure! I might have been able to do better with a different background, but I tend to over think things so I just did it.  I made the pocket out of the camo print charms and tried something new. I bought a large bag of odds and ends at the thrift store and ended up with lots of lace hem tape and this iron on hem tape. I thought I'd give it a try..see the solid green on each side of the pocket? It is adhesive on each side, so I just cut the pieces and ironed them on...and it worked very nicely! Not nicely enough to make me want to go buy more (if they even make it anymore..this stuff was marked 89 cents for the package...that means  OLD!). I added the buttons on each side (mainly cause I mis measured using the iron on tape and couldn't get it off!) but they are a dark green in color so they match. Then used beige flat lace on the edge of the pocket flat, a little piece of ribbon for the flap pull and a glitter/sequin flower.

I just used white lace for the outside edges of the page and this page does not have a "back page" to it. I thought I'd make each page and then sew them together, that way if I want any pockets, pouches or side of lace inserted in the edge seam... I could do that. Sometimes things just look better when they are caught in the seam. So this one will be sewn as the back of another one. I intended for it's back to be the super hero one, but goofed and sewed the lace on the top,bottom and right side, instead of left side! So both pages are the same. No, I am not going to rip out that lace and do it again! I'll just make another page....and MARK IT this time as to which side is to be laced and which side is left as the "binding" side! Yep, lace does cover a multitude of mistakes!

made a gathered lace flower with a little pearl button for the center. I figured (trial and error style) if I pull the gathered lace really really tight instead of just into a circle...it will make a more closed up kind of flower...kind of like a rose bud looking flower. And then I did the regular style of gathered flower in a green lace and another larger one in the rust lace and put them all together to make this flower. Then just a few color coordinated buttons to make it not so lacy!  And the little monkey...he is sitting on the top  of the pocket...waiting to help open the pocket! As I am sitting here typing this, I had a thought.. I need to add a dot of velcro or a snap to the flap of the pocket to keep what gets put in the pocket...in the pocket!

Actually this one came together rather quickly...but then again, it isn't really fancy or embellished either.  I am figuring that I will do 2 pages  in the books, memories I have of the girls...like this one and the Apple Shirt one and the Princess Dress page (and I have a super hero one on the way and 2 song ones nearly done) and then the remaining pages will be just decorated/embellished whoever I want and they get to put their own memories in the pages.

So that is what I have been busy with this week...well one of the things! I also discovered JUNK JOURNALS...and I am hooked on those now as much as these fabric ones! Same theory, same techniques...just paper instead of fabric. I used to scrapbook big time 8 years ago and still have alot of my supplies, so...no shopping trips to the craft store! But I'll fill you in on those when I get some done so you can see what I am talking about. I think that when I get older and get dementia...I am going to be the happiest I have ever been! I will be thinking I am in my past where I was happiest!

Until next week....

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!


Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
This post is linked to the Linky Party for the day. Click on the "Daily Linky Parties" tab at the top of my page and join us!