Shopping for Quiet Book Supplies

I went to Joann's this morning in search of necessary supplies for the quiet book. I, of course, took 50% off coupons... had 6 of them! Plus Notions had a coupon for 50% off ALL you buy (not each!) so that sale came at the most perfect time! Snaps, hook/eyes, felt, beads ... all things I know I can use when I start the pages.

 A minor haul, I think! I got the 24x36 self healing matte for my sewing. I have been wanting one that large for some time, but didn't have the money, but this week they went on sale for 50% off...so it was $30. I know I will use the daylights out of it!

What I plan to look for whenever I go out... is these sturdy felt pieces. They come usually at holiday time so these are all ducks and bunnies, but I can make a out door theme page and use these as pieces. Add a piece of velcro to the back and they are good to go! The bag of beads...they look like dice. I plan to use them in a counting page, not only to count the beads, but also, count the dots on the dice!

The packages of 25 felt pieces...$7 and I had a 50% off coupon so I got 2 packs for $7. It was also on sale for 5 sheets for $1 and I wish now I had looked for some other unusual colors, but.. I can always go back!  The book will be filled with "all things felt" so I know it will get used! Felt can't be washed, so first tip....make the book pages in fabric and use NO felt on it.. that way you can toss the pages into the washer if you need to. Any individual felt piece...if to dirty, just make another one. 

 

Next is the notions. I already have plenty of velcro which is probably the most used notions in a quiet book! But.. snap and hook/eyes are the second and third most popular notion so I picked up a few of each.  I also get a new bottle of Aleens Tacky glue for gluing things onto felt. I hear it works better than Elmers.  Plus,.,,the exciting part... GLOW IN THE DARK THREAD!!!!! I bought it last year and used it on the pillow cases I made my grand kids and it worked great so I thought I'd have it on hand for some things for this little guy. It was "buy one get one free"...so I got 2! Granted, he probably won't be playing with the book in the dark, but I will think about making something that goes with the book, but comes off...that he can take into the dark area to play with a bit. And a package of wiggle eyes, I know those will come in handy!! 

          

However,  can't start anything without a pattern.  Coloring books are the best place to find patterns for things like this!  I stopped at the Dollar Store on the way home, looked through them and chose two that had a few pic I could use as patterns.  

This one of the sundae....I will make the bowl attached to the page, and then different colors (for flavors) of the various ice cream scoops. He can learn colors, creativity and  

This page has some shape patterns. Matching shapes, colors or use the bird in a page theme

 I plan to do a bubble gum machine page for matching colors..so here's my pattern!   And what little boy isn't going to all but expect a dinosaur somewhere in the book!!!







So now... I have to decide on the size of page to make. In all the blogs and pinterests I have looked at, not a single one mentioned how large they made the pages, so I am going to consider certain sizes and make a decision on my own. I am thinking cutting 10x10. That will be quick and easy to work with.

PAGES

Also something I didn't read about was what fabric everyone used for their books. 35 years ago when I made them for my daughter... I used a heavy canvas that I didn't like, but didn't have anything else. I used some cotton on later ones.  I know know more than I did then, so I am going to use my fabric stash of Kona solids, with a iron on interfacing and then have a very thin batting in the center. I have some left from my quilts...and it is the perfect "thinness".  I want the page to have some definition and not just flat.  I will make the pages in all different colors!  So.. here I go... first step...choose the cotton, cut the fabric, cut the interfacing and iron on, cut the batting and have it ready to be placed in the middle.   So, here I go!

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

A Quiet Book for my new Grandson

MANY years ago, I made 2 Quiet books for my daughter. She loved them. I kept them as "travel/special" toys...meaning, she didn't play with them while at home, but they went with us when we'd go somewhere where she had to sit, be quiet, wait etc. Like a doctor appointment, church, restrurant, someone else's house etc. This way, not only was it entertaining to her as it was new and fresh and not "over played"....but it was easy to carry for me!

Well, now that she has a new born baby of her own.. I am getting an early start! Grayson is only 2 weeks old, but I am starting now. I have not idea if I will even be sewing in 2 years when he is old enough to play with it, so I am getting it done now...just in case! It will be all hand made, hand sewn by his grandma. And it will have activities to do, things to make, educational and just alot of fun.

So, if interested.. you can follow along and see how it goes. I am planning to make a page a week as I do have other things I need to get done to. I am also going to start the bed spread quilt I have intended to make for myself too.  Plus, I am hopefully going to be moving out of state this year, so.. I want to get as much done on both as I can.. hopefully get both done!

This is my Pinterest board I am collecting ideas on  
So many ideas, but first, I have to hit Joann's tomorrow and get some felt! Hopefully it is either on sale or regular price as i have a 50% off coupon! Then... the Dollar store for some coloring books to use as patterns.

If you are not already following my blog...up on the top left of this page...choose how you would like to follow and when I do an update..you will get an email!

If you are not familiar with "quiet books"...here is a blog that I have started following and have enjoyed the inspiration from. I won't be copying her pages, but.. I am collecting ideas for the activities and then will create my own pages.  I also just enjoy sharing along with others crafters!



Here's another one.....Quiet Book Sew Along




So join to follow Fabrics And Memories if you want to follow along! Maybe you can make one too!

Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE

The Quick Turn Tool that will save your sanity!

I discovered this tool one day and thought the sky was going to fall! I have been so happy with it since!  You know how hard it is to  turn the fabric pieces you make for straps or handles inside out?  Back in the day, we used scissors or a safety pin and fought it tooth and nail to turn it inside out! Other than working with knits...turning handles/straps was something I hated to do! And I loved making purses, totes and straps on my skirts etc! So I had to turn them!

Well, this little tool....literally changed my life (well, okay, not literally, but sure did a great job at changing my attitude!)

This Quick Turn tool, turns those straps  inside out in literally (yes, this time, literally!) in seconds! I was making book bags for the kids at church...needed 30 of them, and I made 60 straps and turned all 60 of them inside out in about 2 minutes.... or less!

Don't believe me? Here's a video I made showing how to do it. And no, I don't make you sit through watching me turn 60 straps! But you will want this tool after you watch!

I LOVE THIS TOOL!!!!! 

                     


Thanks for stopping by and...keep on preserving those memories! Want to read more at Fabric and Memories? CLICK HERE
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Greysons Puppy Blanket ( A baby blanket!)

My daughter just gave me my first and only grand son! And he is the final grand child to this grandmother, so he is a bit special! I am so excited to have him. I won't be seeing him to much as we live to far to see to often, and that breaks my heart, but I will love him anyway all the time! I made him this blanket and I hope he will keep it forever.

My daughter is rather picky. She doesn't like my homemade/sewing things. Never has. I made all her clothes until in the fifth grade, she asked for a store bought dress for Christmas! I have made everyone quilts, but the parents don't like them (the other grand kids love them! Parents, they are so odd!)  But I wanted a thinner, softer, more of a blanket than a quilt, so I picked a thin flannel, no inside batting and a thin, soft, pile fleece..similar to Minkey and much better than anti pile/Blizzard fleece, which is rather stiff and heavy. This fleece was $14.99 a yard! But....don't panic.. I used a 50% off coupon so I got it for about $8 a yard..which is my yard limit anyway! The flannel was "Snuggle Flannel" (at Joann's Craft store) was on sale for $2.99. My daughter had said she was going to do his room in dogs/puppies so I saw this flannel and thought is was perfect and got 5 yards intending to do other things with the rest. Now, that he is born she tells me she isn't doing a theme, and doing in greys, yellows and beige! Oh well, all those colors are in there and I think she will love the puppies anyway! I think if she doesn't like the blanket, she will let it be used as a decoration item in the room... let it hang over the edge of the end of the crib or on the arm of the rocking chair.....



This is also my first time using Satin blanket binding on a quilt. Usually I use the 100% cotton that matches the pieces in the quilt, but I thought my daughter will like the satin effect..soft and smooth and maybe help it to look "expensive" and less homemade! I bought the Wrights brand of polyester satin binding.  I had real trouble with it tho.. how do you know you are catching the back edge of the binding when you are sewing it on the front? You don't do it like cotton binding where you sew it to the back, then roll it over and can see the row of stitching you made and can follow that. No, with this binding tape....you put the blanket edge all the way inside to the fold of the tape..then sew and hope you catch the front and the back edge of the binding in the zigzag stitching! Some areas I did great, others, not so great, but can't do anything about it now! I just hope after a few washes, it will soften up!

I also got all these puckers in the binding. I am on a facebook group of wonderful ladies that are like the encyclepedia of sewing....great helps, inspiration, tips, tricks etc. Great group of ladies! I was told it looked fine and that it is not unusual for it to look like this!  So, I leave it looking like this! I hope my daughter will accept it!How she got so picky, I don't know! She was not raised that way!!!

I also did some FMQ'ing on it... a wide meander stitch. The wider the area between stitches is what makes the blanket or quilt more pliable, cuddley and soft. And yes,  it did work that way! That part worked out great!

 

And one thing I didn't find the answer to, in all the vids I watched about it...when you make those corners, easy enough to make, but...once with the binding on... those corner flaps can pull open!  I was able to catch the little edge of it in the sewing of the corner, but the flaps still were "open" so I just got out the old needle and thread and did tiny stitches to blind stitch it down. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't see it!

So.. here it is... all done and ready to give to my little grandson, Greyson. He was a premie.  He was due April 3 but he couldn't wait. She went into labor the previous evening and had him about 12:30am on March 14. Had some problems tho in that he didn't know how to eat, or suck or what to do with anything in his mouth so he didn't eat and his blood sugar dropped to 20...fortunately with lots of tries and work from his mommy and some eye dropper feedings from his daddy, he is doing fine now.


Oh, it is 50"x50". To big for him right now, but he will grow into it! It will be a good soft blanket for her to lay on the sofa and lay him down there..and heck, if she wants to toss it over her legs while she feeds him...she can do that and I will be just as happy!

             

The blanket binding I used was this.... single fold, 2 inch wide. It is 100% polyester, no shrinking!

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