Quiet Books from My Past!

I am all about memories.. and here are two! 37 years ago, I made these quiet books for my daughter. She loved them! I saved them just for out of house times when I had to take her and she had to be quiet, or sit still or not be able to play much for an extended period of time, like doctor's office, church, resturant, road trips, etc.

Check them out... some things never change! Some of the same pages ideas in this quiet book are still popular in quiet books today! The difference? Back then, we didn't have the internet so to get patterns we relied on McCalls or Simplicity and coloring books! But...it worked!

Check out these two videos and leave a comment...tell me what you think! I made them 37 years ago... keep that in mind!!!

To see all the quiet book videos I have done for quiet books I have made... this link will take you to all of them here on my blog....   Quiet Books Handmade    
                                      
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Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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How to Make a Pizza for your Quiet Book Page!

I have been working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle page in my grandson's quiet book. I saw this fabric in the store and grabbed it! how perfect! I cut out enough "slices" to make a whole pizza (8 slices!) and then I pressed single sided iron on interfacing to the back to fuse the threads all together so there is not frayed edges or dangling threads when I cut it out.  Then...cut out the pizza but leave about 1/4 inch outer edge on it. Then.. to make it more sturdy.... I used double sided iron on interfacing (Wonder Under) and fused the pizza image to another fabric that would be the visable back of the image. In this case.. I had some white flannel..and used that. But...if you want it stiffer, fuse it to felt. If you want velcro on the back, sew the velcro to the felt FIRST, then fuse the felt to the image.  Watch the video to see how it all works!

Makes a perfect pizza!!! Use it in a kitchen setting or grocery store page or a picnic page!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving 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!

The Solar System - Quiet Book Pages

I bought this solar system fabric while back...been itching to make the pages! Pages are 11x11 unfinished. I used chalk to make the curved lines and then used a close zigzag stitch to sew them on.

The planets were a fabric, and I cut the 9 planets plus sun out and made them into "pieces" with velcro on the back. The child can remove them and put  them back. Child can learn the names of the planets and what order they are in. 

 I cut the piece to include the planets name along with the planet. And then on the right side, I used iron on interfacing to fuse the names....in order..so the child can learn them and learn the order the planets are in.

I think my little grand son will love this page. What child doesn't love thinking about outer space and all that is there!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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How to Make Your Quiet Book Squeak!

My  You Tube video explains it all!

I have been ordering from AliExpress a few times now. They are out of China and the products are amazing!!!! I love their felt particularly. Stiff enough to work with very well and hold shape, and still soft enough for little hands to play with! 
Here's the main page if you are interested...they all kinds of craft supplies...sewing and junk journal embellishments and scrapbook materials!  Take a look if you like! They offer free shipping in many cases and I have gotten things in 2 weeks!  

 AliExpress

   This is the felt I LOVE!!!    

(click on the link to see it)  this is 8x8 but you can get it larger or smaller sizes.

I just ordered more! It is perfect for quiet books and sewing small figures and such

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE

How to Make Finger Puppets from fabric

I have failed miserably in my many attempts to make finger puppets with felt to go with my Quiet Books.  I guess there is a time in which we should just call it quits and give up!  But.. that doesn't mean to forget!  So I fiddled with my  3-D Images  creation idea... and BINGO.....came up with a way to make them into finger puppets!

Pick a fabric that has a large image on it....fuse iron on interfacing to the back.  Cut around edges leaving about 1/2 inch allowance.

 Cut a piece of felt  and a piece of fuse DOUBLE SIDED interfacing the same size and press with iron.  

Cut another piece of felt about 1 inch larger than the image and lay the image on top and machine stitch just slightly to the left of the image outline. Stitch all the way around, leaving the bottom of the image open.  Cut slightly to the right of the image outline, trimming off all the allowance.  Use a very small pair of SHARP pointed scissors for this... makes it so much easier and precise!

And there you have it... a finger puppet.  Rather quick and easy!

Want to see the video?        How to Make Finger Puppets from Fabric 

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Quiet Book page - A Day at the Beach

Hey every one!  I have another page done in the Quiet Book I am making for my grand son.

Click to watch the video...   A Day at the Beach

and then you can also read about it here.

 Here, the child can take sand castles out of the bucket and play with them in the "sand". He can also open the oyster and see the pearl! And.. a little friendly crab is right there to be his play pal! This layout was quick and easy. The castles are made of felt. I just have to bind these pages into the book. That is something I do when all the pages are done. These pages are cut 11x11 and have 1/4 inch seams and 1/2 inch binding.

If you want to see my You Tube videos of all my quiet books pages and also Junk Journals...click here!    

Fabric and Memories on You Tube

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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The Pillowcase Adventure Makes Memories

Few months ago I had my 7 year old grand daughter for 2 days and she is into crafts as much as I am...we are craft buddies! I had previously taught her to make a lap quilt out of charms, but this time...I taught her to make a pillow case.

You just need about 3/4 yard of main fabric and 1/3 yard of a print for the cuff (the bears) and 1/4 yard for the trim (the green) for a standard pillowcase, as you see in the picture below of the completed pillowcase.

How it Started

The story of Cordoroy, the little bear that lost the button on his green overalls... has been a special story to her and I. When she was 2, I started reading the story of Cordoroy to her and she loved the story! There was a store security guard in the story that was dressed  like a police officer. Her daddy is a Deputy Sheriff  and she thought  the guy in the story was a"Beddy Sef", just like her daddy!The story became very  special to us. I later began making up stories for her at nap time about Cordoroy and Silky Bear (her own little stuffed buddy) that lived in Princess Ashleigh's bedroom and when Princess Ashleigh left for school..the bears and other dolls would come to life and scurry out of the house and to a strawberry patch and have an adventure...similar to the Raggedy Ann/Andy stories.

The Fabric:

When I stumbled on these panels and the bear fabric at an online store... I knew I had to get them, no matter the cost! I had never seen them before and of course....Cordoroy fabric was in my "shopping cart" within minutes!  I intended to make her a quilt out of them some how, but just never could figure a design out! Then it suddenly occurred to me to let her make the pillow case and the rest is memorable  history!

See the little loops on the right side of the case in the picture above and left side in picture below?  She has two little "bedtime buddies". She calls them her "Silkies", one is a bunny and one is a bear (ergo Silkie Bear!) . They have silk binding on them. She said that they always fall out of bed or she rolls on them and can't find them. So I created these fabric loops and now, she puts "Silkies" in the loops and they never leave her side! The picture below is the other side of the pillowcase, the "Good Night" side and the Silkies are in the loops on the left there.

The Memory

Ashleigh will have  memories of our special time together  for years!! It started when she was 2 and now at 7, when she stays the night, she still asks for a Cordoroy story at bedtime. And I always have a different story and adventure that the bears do and she has her favorites that she asks me to tell again. She has the pillowcase at  her house and sleeps with it every night and always has her  Silkies with her...and her memories. Good night, Ashleigh!

And to further the memory (for both of us!) I later made her a small quilt about Corduroy and his escapades. I made her what I call a Symbolic Memory quilt. Instead of making a specific quilt with obvious features...I used symbols which she knows and will still be able to recount the memory and in this case...carry the memory with her to give to her children.

Click to read about the Symbolic Memory Quilt

 

This is the book that inspired our memory.  Corduroy is now 40 years old, but we don't have to mention that! We shall let the little bear be a child's friend..no matter how old he, technically, is!

Does your child have a favorite character....get them the book and make them a quilt or pillowcase to match it and you'll have a great gift for them with lots and lots of memories. Or...what about a character memory of yours? Do the same and hand those memories down to your children!

A Pillowcase Tutorial

Here is a great tutorial about  making pillowcases using the "tube" method. It is very quick and easy. Also, because they are so quick and easy...you can make many of them in a day or so. Pillow cases are great for gifts of all ages! Change colors and prints and the options are limitless! I do mine slightly different in that I sew the pieces together, then one seam up the side and then roll the cuff  down to cover the seam and then hand sew the hem to cover the seam. Only seam visible is the side seam and the bottom seam!

This is a tutorial for making a pillow case..really fast and easy! Click the arrow in the middle of the picture below to start the tutorial

Reasons for making pillowcases....

1. as gifts...for any occasion! Valentines Day gets red ones, patriotic days get red, white and blue. Wedding...matching white (or the wedding color) accented with some lace! Kids birthdays...find out their favorite character or "thing" and get fabric to match! Christmas... a Santa or other holiday print. Fabric comes in SO MANY different prints these days, you can almost always find the perfect print!
2. Fund Raisers....get a group to make them and sell them at the school fund raiser or any fund raiser.
3. Donations to charities...especially the kids charities...you know the kids would love their very own speciality pillowcase!
4. To match the room you are designing or a quilt you have made!

Whatever the reason...just have fun making pillowcases!

Junk Journal for a Teen boy (masculine theme) Chris - Part 2

I have been working on getting junk journals for my grand kids to have when I relocate out of state so that they can keep some of their memories in a safe place. This one is part 2 of the one I made for my (almost) 16 year old grand son. He is a step grand son, so we are just getting to know each other so this journal is also one where he can take out what I use if he doesn't like it but still have the use of the page for things he does like. It is on YouTube.. but here it is also... hope you enjoy watching it, get some good ideas for pages and embellishments. A masculine theme  can be a little difficult sometimes, because manufactures seem to cater to the female theme more,but we crafters always find a way around that! 

Plus... this junk journal also includes embellishment from ...actual junk mail, some actual "things" that have been used, some cash - in unique form and description and how I used magazine pages as pages in the journal. So.. take a look! Let me know what you think!

If you missed (or want to watch again) Part 1....here it is!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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My Bargello Adventure Part 1

Last summer I decided I finally.. after 40 years, I wanted a nice bed spread for my queen size bed. Yes, never in 40 years have I had one! I have had comforters but never a dust ruffle. I have had nice blankets on top.. but never a bed spread. And I didn't like comforters, so it had to be a full spread. So I suddenly thought my favorite colors were teal..blue and green shades but preferably blue.  I intended to make a block quilt. I went to the fabric store, bought several prints and colors of blue/green teal and started looking for a block pattern. Now, a year later.. I am starting it! However, not a block... a BARGELLO!!! Yes, those wonderful and amazing motion quilts! Bargello is a pattern that shows motion or movement predicated on how you place the tons of tiny little squares vs. the colors of the squares vs. the size of the squares!

My first attempts turned out pretty good..Orca for my grand daughter as she loves the whales, and the pink for my daughter.. she loved pink!!! If you want to check them out...here are the links...

Orca, Whale of a Quilt

Pretty In Pink  


But now... it is my time. How many times do you actually make for yourself? I am always making for others, but now... I want a bedspread!!!

So I got out the prints I had from last year, of course, needed a few more prints/colors and ended up with 10 prints/solids in blue/green teal.

 This is how I layed them out...the first time! You have to spend some time organizing, reorganizing, replacing, matching etc..before you get that "Ah-Ha" lightbulb moment of "THAT'S IT!" Then... walk away for a few hours and go back....often that "Ah-Ha" moment says... "no...not quite right" and you juggle the prints again.

And also... when you think you have the perfect line up...remember, they will be repeating the line up so...take half from the left.. and place them on the top of the right end and see how it looks that way, as that is how it will look when you have the squares sewn together. Some times it doesn't really match!  In other words..play with it! Walk away, come back and play again. Ask your friends..online ones too and see how the "see" the prints and colors. Some times a second pair of unfamiliar eyes help you see what ...is right in front of your eyes!!!  Hopefully it won't take you as long as it did me.. I have a hard time matching colors.. odd as that sounds coming from a 50 years sewer!


After 2 days of fiddling and chatting with others for their view, I decided on this line up.
I went from dark to light..then fiddled. I am not completely happy with that small black print, but it is close as I could find to match the other 2 prints. I am not wanting the image of the print to stand out... just the colors. I tried it with light colors and with dark and it seems like...in the middle is where it looked best..separating the darker blues from the lighter green teals

 Then, I took the 5 fabrics on the left in above picture and put them on the right side of the line up..as that is how they will be when sewn together. and I am kind of liking that small black print more..seems to blend in a bit better.

This one.. I just wanted to see how it looked without the small black print at all, so I put it at the end....and I find, it has grown on me and I do at least kind of like it in the mix so I will be keeping it in the line up. I am thinking also, it and the solid black...will (hopefully) make a kind of outline throughout the bargello pattern, maybe enhancing the flow in some way! I will be able to see that once I get the strips cut and layed out in the pattern I create.

So...that's it for now. I have to pre wash everything, iron the wrinkles out and then..I will cut one yard from each and start cutting the strips of various sizes. I am hoping to have some of these left to make pillow shames or at least some deco toss pillows.

I watched a video that really helped me and even have been talking with the maker of the video and it and she have been a huge help so if you'd like to check it out....here it is!

Making a Bargello Quilt with Patti Carey

Thanks for reading and hope you will join to follow along...maybe make your own!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE

A Pocket Recipe Altered Book is in my Future!

Well everyone, I have been searching for ideas on  ideas and inspiration to create pages for my fabric lace memory books. I  seem to have hit a wall in the creation department! I make a pocket on every page for adding a tangible memory item, from the past or to have for a future tangible memory item. Well, in searching for inspiration...I stumbled on this....and I need one of these! Well, before you think I've one sandwich shy a picnic lunch,  let me tell you about what I am talking about first. 

Years ago, late 90's I guess... I decided to make a family cook book. I had made some things that the kids liked or others in my large family liked and we had large family gatherings and some of my cooking was specifically requested to be brought to every family function. Add to that some of my mom's favorite recipes and I have a book to publish! So I thought I would put a cook book together for my kids to have after I'm "gone". You know, carry on the family tradition. I typed one out using Word Perfect...(remember way back way?!?!?) and I just type on half sheet of 8x10 colored paper.  I type the recipe and then at the bottom, wrote out a few lines about why this recipe was special or the memory that went with it.

The one that sticks out first and foremost was a cookie I made and rolled it in powder sugar. I made a bunch and my little boy - around 4-5 years old..begged for them. I gave him some and then said no more. Of course, all-american boy he was (still is!) begged and begged and I said no, you've had enough....no, later after dinner...you moms know the drill! Anyway...the next day we went through the same thing and I said the same thing. Later that day, I noticed his lips, chin and all down the front of his shirt had white "stuff" on it! I did a bit of silent,"mom detective" work, and  realized he had snuck some of the powder sugar cookies out of the cookie jar! And in eating them quickly and secretively, the powder sugar left a huge trail of evidence!  I asked him if he had had any cookies...he said no. I asked if he had washed his face...he said no. I asked if he was sure he had not taken any cookies from the cookie jar. He said no. I took him to the bathroom and put him in front of the mirror and asked 'What is this on your face and shirt?" Talk about total shock "I just got caught" look...he was so pitiful looking, I could hardly keep a straight face! We talked and he said he was sorry.. and (to my knowledge) he never snuck into the cookie jar again...at least if there was powder sugar on the cookies! Either that or he figured how to eat them without leaving the evidence all over his face!


Check out this YouTube video. I just love this little album! It will be perfect for a recipe or two on each page... or in each pocket. I am a pocket person...I love pockets and the extra space they give!  But isn't this perfect? And since I have four grand daughters, I'd have to make four books so multiple recipes on one page thanks to the pockets will be a huge time saver!

And I also found this recipe card book made with file folders.. I love it to! Maybe I'll combine parts of each style of book and make my own creation! I feel a trip to the dollar store in my near future...they have some scrapbook items there, but always a package of 10 file folders for a buck. And I'll pull out my stash of scrapbook papers, inks, punches and stickers and oh oh oh... I get to organize my sewing room again!!! I LOVE organizing it! I need to call it my Craft Studio since I have so many different crafts going on in there!


This is my Pinterest page    if you'd care to see the beautiful inspirational ideas I keep and repeatedly browse through for inspiration and motivation to get my fabric memory books done... I have a board for Fabric Lace Memory Books, Altered Paper Books, Quilts, Junk Journals and a few other non craft boards..Now, first thing is to decide what kind of page I want to make and the binding I like best...well, I'll answer that...spiral bound...makes for easy turn of pages and the perfect open page option.

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!
Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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The Bargello Adventure.... Begins!

Well, back to sewing! Junk Journals have been fun, but now.. I have made all I need, and... I need  a bed spread for my queen size bed...and the time has come.. I am starting it.. finally!!!  I originally intended to make a block style quilt, but that old Bargello style haunts me and I have decided that is the pattern/style what I want! Something unusual and different (not saying block quilts are common and ordinary, but.. you know what I mean!)

So memory doesn't serve all that well sometimes, thanks to my friends in my sewing/quilting groups,  I have been re-familiarizing myself with the procedure of the Bargello... Bargello is a pattern that shows motion based on how you organize small squares and multiple colors. It is a fantastic view!

4 years ago I made 2. One for my daughter and one for my grand daughter.  So I thought I'd bring those back to life and start my journal of a new bargello story with those...check them out and let me know what you think! I have learned a ton since then, both about bargellos and basic quilting so...I think this time might be easier and look better...or at least as good in a different way!

Pretty In Pink 

(click the title to go to the page)

Orca, Whale of a Quilt

(Click the title to go to the page)

I will be documenting my Bargello Adventure here if you want to follow along. Options to follow are up at the top on the left side bar. So..join and come along with me! Maybe you'll get hooked and want to make one to! The options are endless!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Road Trip! Quiet Book Adventure, page 1

And the adventure begins!  The quiet book I am making for my grandson is on its way! I finished the first page (well, actually it is 2,1/2 pages!) but I am so happy with how this page turned out! I want the pages to not be just educational or learning issues, but also,  I want him to be able to use his imagination and have fun!  What little boy doesn't love little cars!!! I found these mini size hot wheel style cars in a box of toys I have left from when his sister was little. (She just last week turned 17!) She and I used to take all the little cars out on the patio and use sidewalk chalk to make a "city" and roads and run the cars all around!

So... to run cars, a guy needs a road. I also try to put memories or something special in the pages...and also use scraps and things I have in my stash... and...here's what I came up with. Route 66. No, he will probably never know the real Route 66 or what it means etc, (his daddy does so hopefully he will fill in the blanks!) But.. I made a Route 66 quilt for my cousin and had some of the fabric left over, so I cut out the different images and used them on the page. I didn't write a blog about this quilt..but here's a picture of it.. 

So I used pieces and iron on interfacing and made some appliques for the quiet book. I have a you tube video about it at the end here.. and that will tell you a few more ways I included a memory of me for him. I will be moving to another state this year, so unfortunately he and I won't be able to have a personal relationship, but I plan to do things for him thanks to the USPS! But that is another story for another time.  For now...I will give him ways to think of me!

I made a road pattern and cut it out of black cotton and sewed to to one page, then flipped it backwards and cut another one for the next page and made a loop for him to go "both ways"! See the route 66 sign there? And the little brown piece in the middle of the road is a tunnel! The red car is an applique I made from the Route 66 fabric.

The house on this page is from a piece of fabric I bought that... had houses on it! Then another pattern for a loop will be on the next page.

I did a You Tube video about it... easier for you to see how it all works with a video!  If you want to see the video,

"Road Trip Quiet Book Page

 One picture...the last page has a pocket on the bottom of the page to hold the little cars! Then flip this page over, and there is more road!

Hope you enjoyed the Road Trip page and got some ideas for your own. I do plan to add a car wash to the pages. I just keep forgetting to do that, as I got on a roll and have completed 4 sets of pages this past week! Subscribe to my You Tube page when you watch the video and the new pages will be up soon. 

And... join to follow my blog here (upper left sidebar, choose how you want to join!), as I will have them here also. Some pages won't have a video tho...but they all will be here! So, join and follow along and make your own Quiet Book for the child you love!

  Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Sucess! A Fleece and Flannel Blanket! She loves it!!!

My grand daughter is hard to please in the handmade world. She just turned 17.. .need I say more? But she was at my house last month, saw the fleece/flannel blanket I made for her new baby brother and she loved the soft,soft fleece on the back and the soft flannel on the front and BEGGED me for one for her! I couldn't believe my ears!   She then noticed the tie-dyed flannel I had left over from when I made capes for my 2 other grand daughters  and loved that and begged me to make her a blanket with the fleece and flannel! I had made the blanket with no batting which made it softer and more "blanket" than a heavy, thick, stiff quilt.     And the satin binding just clinched the deal..she loved it too!

So I set out on a mission. She has a queen size bed so it had to be that large and I figured with no batting, it'd be easy enough to get my machine to FMQ the top with a meander stitch.  Went to the store to get more of that tie dye flannel.. and of course, couldn't find it! I sent her pic of other prints but nothing clicked with her. Finally, is literally wandering the store thinking, I came on an isle that had some fabric in it...and low and behold...there was a bolt of this tie dyed flannel print! I grabbed it and let out a holler of happiness and the lady standing there thought I was nuts until I explained, then she congratulated me! But the happiness only lasted a few minutes. There was only 2,1/2 yards on the bolt and it was in 2 pieces! I took it as I thought I might not be able to get a queen size, but I could at least get a twin out of it if I pieced the 2 pieces together properly. 

I had the blanket done in 3 days. and here it is!!

 She is doing her room in black with teal accents ( a true high schooler!). The back is a black fleece. The front.. blues, teals and blacks with a tad of pink accent.  Store bought Satin binding. And a queen size!!! Here's how I did it!

 I took the shortest piece and used that as the center piece. Then cut the longer piece in half and sewed half on each side of the middle section. I was a little leary of making seams in the tie-dye print as I thought it would distort the pattern, but thankfully, "tie-dye" is a motley pattern so it is hardly noticable! Check it out... I can just make out the seam on the left, but have to search for the seam on the right! So I was pleased with that!

 I used black fleece for the back, flannel for the front and no batting inside. I used an adhesive spray and pins and pinned it together, and did the FMQ wide, very wide, meander stitch. Worked out great.

My next troublesome part was sewing the binding to the edge of the blanket. Usually, I do the "roll over" procedure...where you sew the raw edges to the back, then roll the folded edge to the front and sew it down. Well, no roll over option here! Long story short, I placed the raw edges of the blanket inside the binding (2" Wrights) and then since one side is 1/4 inch shorter, that side went on the front and the tad longer was the back. This way as I sew the short side, it will grasp the longer side that I can't see.  I pinned literally exactly at the edge on the front, then turned it over to see where the pins were so that I was sure the edge was captured in the stitch line.

 
               FRONT                                                        BACK

 Next come the corners. I am pretty good at these mitered style corners with cotton, but you cant do them the same way with this satin so.. I  fiddled and got it matching and pinned. I had to make the stitches come to that center point on both sides.

 FRONT       BACK

 I used a large zigzag stitch all around and it took pretty good. I see some areas that could have been better, but.. for the most part.. it turned out pretty good. Taking out the not as good areas, would have made holes in the satin and it wasn't bad enough to do that! I also hand sewed the flaps/overlay portion of the corners from the corner point to the matching point to keep that all intact.

So... it is done. And only a few inches off being true queen size! Here it is on the back, folded up... it looks blue in the picture, but it is actually a beautiful black. The binding, again... matches the blues in the tie-dye perfectly, and is not this shiney! Camera... they certainly have a mind of their own!

 

Mission accomplished!

 My obsession of always doing a little extra... I had  a little bit of the flannel left so I made her a pillow case...the flannel being the base of the case and black for the cuff and a teal for the trim! I forgot to take a picture of it!

 So I rolled the blanket up, put it in a gift bag, and her birthday was Monday.  She was thrilled. She texted me later that night saying.. "IDK if you are up, but this blanket it perfect!!!" Then next day she texted me saying she could hardly get out of bed that morning because it was so warm and cozy!

Now, I want to make myself one! I am going to Joann's to see if that fleece is on sale or use my 50% off coupon and at least get enough to use for the back and later decide on what the front will be! I have a bed spread I am currently creating (in my mind!) but this will be the perfect blanket!!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Inspiration for Quiet Book page ideas.

I have a few pages done and will post shortly, but I thought I'd share why I am doing this and my ideas, thoughts and places for you to find ideas and help, if needed. I want this quiet book to be unique and fun, educational and fun, enhance the child's motor skills and fun, and well.. I think you get the picture. I want my grand son (Grayson!) to have fun while he is a child. I will give this book to him when he is 2 (he is now 3 weeks old!) I want him to  be a kid as long as possible!

So in looking for inspiration, Pinterest is where I have found so much information. I have been saving pages on my Quiet Book Page Ideas board and saving pattern to cut out on my PC. I have been writing lists of page themes I want to use and notation if I have a pattern somewhere.

However, in looking and surfing... I find... boy howdy, some ladies have the most amazing talent for this tiny work! I am blown away by some of them. I said I was going to make mine with no glue...but I have already used glue.. I just can't sew a perfect circle or make such perfect sewing lines...as this lady can.. like this lady has done!   Her blog is in a foreign language, but a picture paints a thousand words so...her work is absolutely amazing. I could look at it for hours. Such detailed stitches and sewing.  But what really hit me was... POCKETS and TUCK SPOTS!  How fun are those and here...3 pages into mine, I have not made one single pocket! I LOVE pockets! Most things I make have a pocket of some kind.. I can't believe I forgot them! But now.. thanks to this lady, I will have them on the pages. Lift the leaf to find the bird, pull something out of a pocket.. hiding places. so to speak. Let Grayson look and find and have fun!

I also want my book to be unique and all the things mentioned above. But I see so many pages...well the most posted ones are washing and drying socks! The kid is 2. NO 2 year old needs to be taught how to do laundry and who the heck even hangs clothes on a clothes line to dry anyway!?!??! (do kids even know what a clothes line is?!!?) And a lace page.. if I see one more shoe with laces, I'll scream! He will learn to tie his shoes when they are on his feet.. and probably 1-2 years on down the road from 2 anyway!  If I put a lace activity in this book, it will be lace a foot ball or lace a door closed or something that when he achieves the lacing.. he gets a surprise! But honestly, I dont' think I will put a lacing page at all. A zipper...again, zip open the mouth of an animal ...so common. I am thinking of zip open a tent on a camping theme page. Or zip open a tool box with some tools inside.

So I have been saving my favorite ideas and themes on my Pinterest board.... Quiet Book Page Ideas for inspiration ideas and themes.After every page I finish, I will surf through and get inspiration for my next page theme.

So, now... back to my sewing room to start page 4. Actually I started it last night. It is  a beach theme with some sand castles and little beach animals. Next I want to do a farm... so many kids don't even what a farm is, let alone get to see one.  I want Grayson to know such things - at least have some idea of it! He will be able to plant foods, move a tractor, learn the names of foods, and things like that. Hum.. how about a road side food stand! He can pick the foods, and then sell them!

If you have been following my Quiet Book Adventure... how have you been doing? I'd love to see your pages.

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE