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Pick the Flowers (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 6)

December 16, 2011 by girlinspired 9 Comments

We’re getting there! Just a few pages left and today’s spread is a quick one!

Picking flowers makes me happy and this quiet book activity is no different. For this page, you will need:

6 snaps (the kits include size 15 snaps), felt for flowers, green fabric scrap for grass, fabric scrap for vase, lightweight fusible web, ultrahold fusible web

First, apply Heat’n’Bond ultrahold fusible web (the small piece of web in your kit) to a small scrap of green fabric. Sketch blades of grass in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. Cut them out.

Apply lightweight fusible web to a scrap of fabric for the vase. Trace or draw the vase and cut it out.

Iron down the blades of grass on one side of background fabric and iron down the vase on the other side. Be sure you leave enough room for the flowers above the grass and vase (and 1/4-1/2″ seams on the sides).

Now zigzag stitch around the vase. You don’t need to stitch around the grass.

Now, you need to make your flowers. I used a Sizzix to cut my flowers, which works beautifully with felt. You can make yoyos, rolled fabric flowers, stacked felt circle flowers, whatever you like. You’ll just need to be able to attach a snap to it somehow. For kit users, I intermixed the three flower colors, so do that now if you like. Next, we’re going to put snaps on the flowers. Since the prongs for the snap piece aren’t real deep, you can only put them through two layers of felt.

From the top of the flower, press in the pronged piece. Use an eraser to poke from the bottomside until the prongs are all the way through. Set the other snap half (I used the male side on the flowers and the female side on the pages, but I don’t think it should matter, just be consistent) over the prongs. Using a snap tool, hammer and set the snap. If you don’t have a snap tool (get one!!!), you can supposedly place a spool of thread over the male end of the snap and hammer the spool. Check to be sure the snap is secure. Use hot glue to attach the smallest two flower layers over the top of the snap back. Repeat for three flowers.

Next, attach the opposite snap onto the background fabric. Mark your spots ahead of time and lay out your flowers so they all have enough room (again, remember to leave 1/4-1/2″ on the sides for seam allowances). So that the snap has more support on the background page and to prevent it from tearing out, I cut two small squares of scrap fabric (approximately 1/2″ by 1/2″ and placed them behind the background fabric under each snap. Does that make sense. So that each snap goes through three layers of fabric (two scraps + background fabric). Since you already have your batting cut, you could probably just layer your background fabric and batting and put the snaps through that if you want.

Any questions on the snaps? If you’re new to snaps and have more detailed questions, let me know.

Hang the Laundry (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 5)

December 15, 2011 by girlinspired 2 Comments

Did you finish your princess hair pages? How are things coming along? Someone asked about seam allowances for the pages – thank you so much for reminding me to talk about that!!! You’re going to need about 1/4″ on each side – you might allow up to 1/2″ for the seams that will fall in the center of the book, just to be sure.

Also, some questions about IF I’ll be putting together additional kits. If you want them, then yes, I’ll put together more kits….let’s talk more about this after Christmas!! And boy quiet books? So out of my area of comfort, but I will make it a goal for next year. Let’s say before next Christmas…sound good?

One of my favorite pages is next: the laundry line. We’re going to make a little set of clothes and a two-page spread with a laundry line stretching from tree to tree. The clothes can be stored in a little laundry basket and hung up on the velcro line.

SUPPLIES: You will need some brown fabric for the trees, a fabric scrap for the laundry basket, several fabric scraps for clothes, velcro (I prefer the Fabric Fusion, iron-on velcro), and green fabric for leaves if desired.

We’ll do the clothes first. I’ll show you how I did a set of pants and you can apply the same concept to complete a set of clothes. Use your imagination for the clothes – if you’re using the templates, please note that the overalls are not symmetrical on each side – you might want to fix that up before cutting your fabric – sorry!! Okay, onto the clothes. Take two scraps of matching fabric. Apply fusible web to the back of one scrap.

Trace or draw your piece of clothing onto the paper backing and cut your shape out. On the OTHER piece of scrap fabric, place a small square of velcro in the position which will become the top back section of the clothing piece (place velcro on right side of fabric). And I am SO sorry, but I don’t have any pictures of the velcro, so we’ll have to pretend, okay?

From the wrong side of fabric, iron the velcro in place – the directions say Cotton setting, with steam, for 90 seconds. I found that it does not take 90 seconds to secure the velcro on. Be sure that your fabric doesn’t burn. Let velcro cool and check to make sure it’s fully attached. Next, take your other piece of clothing and set it on top of the fabric with velcro, wrong sides together.

You are going to fuse the two pieces together and then cut around your shape so that you have a two-sided piece of clothing with Velcro on the back. Place your two pieces together so that the velcro will be in the correct position once you cut the shape. Does that make sense?? Fuse together (use a press cloth) and cut out.

That’s it! Repeat for other clothing pieces. If you want to add a little scalloped edge to the bloomers or the dress, I would suggest you do that on the finished piece of clothing.

Now for the main part of the page. Take a large piece of brown fabric, apply lightweight fusible web and sketch or trace a tree and branch outline. If you are using the template, extend the top and bottom of the tree so that your tree will reach the full vertical length of the background page.

Cut the tree out.

Then cut it straight up the center to divide it into two halves.

Align each half on the outer edges of your background page and iron them down.

Zigzag stitch all the way around.

Now take another scrap of fabric and apply fusible web. Cut out a laundry basket and an additional “pocket piece.”

We’re going to do this much the same as the purse on the princess page. Working on the laundry basket, cut a horizontal slit in the laundry basket as shown. Place your pocket piece on the laundry basket, wrong sides together, with the top of the pocket piece aligned at the base of the slit. The tackiness of the web should hold them together for now. Stitch a horizontal line (or zigzag) along the bottom of the slit.

Place the laundry basket in the lower right side of the background pages and iron down.

Zigzag stitch around the laundry basket. Next, stitch a “laundry line” from one set of branches to the other side. You will want the bottom of the drape to flatten out for a bit so that the two sides of the line will match up once the seam is sewn in (about 1/4″ on each side).

Apply leaves to the page, if desired, iron, and stitch down however you’d like. I cut my leaves using the Cricut so I can’t share that template, but I’m sure you can draw a leaf if you don’t have a kit.

Almost done….

Space out your velcro pieces on the line (be sure you use the opposite side of velcro from what you put on your clothing pieces) and iron them down from the backside. Attach the clothes and you’re done!!

How are you doing? Ready for the next page? Want to slow down? You tell me!

Braid the Princess Hair (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 4)

December 14, 2011 by girlinspired 2 Comments

First off today, we’ll do the princess two-page spread. Please excuse the picture quality throughout this post, but sewing and taking pictures as I go does not lend itself to ideal lighting. Hopefully, you can still see what I did!

Braid the Princess Hair

Supplies: scrap fabric, brown yarn for hair, two types of lace, brown felt, tan felt, one shank button, elastic or elasticized ribbon, hair clips

We’ll start with the left side of the spread, the princess.

Apply lightweight fusible web to scrap fabric and a small piece of brown felt and tan felt. Cut a dress/gown shape from scrap fabric and two “hands” from tan felt. Layer the hands and gown onto the background fabric (centered) and iron down.

Use a zigzag stitch (or straight-stitch) around the perimeter of the hands and the gown.

Cut a small piece of lace the length of the bottom of gown. Turn under each side slightly and stitch two parallel rows to secure the lace at the base of the gown.

Cut a “head” oval from the brown felt. Cut four long pieces of yarn and place them like hair on the felt head.

Place one additional piece of yarn over the center “part”

and zigzag stitch to secure all of the hair in place.

Take another piece of lace and wrap it over the top half of the head and around to the back.

Iron over the lace (with a press cloth) just a bit to secure the lace on the back of the head.

Apply another small piece of fusible web to over the backside of the lace

and set the entire head ensemble onto the princess gown/background fabric. Iron to fuse in place (you may need to iron from the backside of the background fabric).

Zigzag stitch around the head. You will need to maneuver around the lace “crown” so that you don’t stitch over it.

Braid and clip the hair. You are done with the left-hand side of the spread.

On the right-hand side, we are going to make a purse to keep the princess’ hair accessories. Apply lightweight fusible web to a larger scrap. You will need to cut a main purse piece, two flap pieces, and a small partial purse piece which will help to form the pouch.

Place the partial purse piece on the backside of the main purse piece and fuse the two together as pictured below. (Use a paper towel or press cloth so that you don’t get glue on your iron).

Next, zigzag around the top portion of the main purse.

Set the purse on the center of your background fabric and iron it down. Zigzag stitch around the perimeter, but NOT around the top edge (which you have already zigzagged).
Next, take your two flap pieces and cut about a 1/2″ off the top of one of them (this will allow you to adhere the flap to the background fabric in a minute; you can also just add a small strip of fusible web to the flap once you’re ready to iron it down). Set one flap wrong side up in front of you.
Place a small piece of elasticized ribbon in a loop at the bottom center of the flap

and sandwich it in by placing the other flap piece right side up on top.

Iron to fuse the two flaps together (don’t iron the top 1/2″ yet). Zigzag stitch around down the side, around the bottom, and up the other side of the flap – do NOT stitch around the top of the flap. Next, set the flap in place on the background fabric – match it up with the purse like you’re fitting two puzzle pieces together. Iron down that 1/2″ portion to attach the flap to the background fabric and zigzag stitch across the top to secure it to the page.

Sew a button onto the purse by hand and loop the elastic around to close the purse.

You can fill the the purse with hair clips, hair bands, ribbons, whatever you like. Your Braid the Princess Hair pages are done!

I know I said we were also going to do the Laundry Line pages today, but my computer keeps shutting down and this is pretty picture heavy already. I’ll try to put up a separate post Wednesday night with the Laundry Line. Until then, happy sewing!!

Front and Back Cover (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 2)

December 12, 2011 by girlinspired 11 Comments

Happy Monday! Did you all get your materials together and your main pages cut out this weekend?

Today, we’re going to work on the front cover and talk about finishing each individual page. Throughout the book, we’re going to be doing a lot of appliques and we’re going to use basically the same technique throughout. Here’s the breakdown of what you’ll do to put an applique on the page.

First, cut a piece of fusible web and a piece of fabric slightly larger than the object you’ll be making. Iron LITE fusible web to your piece of fabric. Follow the instructions on your fusible web packaging. For people who purchased a kit, you have Heat’n’Bond LITE fusible web.
With your iron on the WOOL setting and NO steam, quickly iron the web, paper side up, onto the wrong side of your piece of fabric – 2-3 seconds and then move your iron to another area. Allow to cool.
Next, trace your object onto the paper and cut out your image. Peel off the paper backing and your object is ready to apply to the background fabric.
Set the object in place, and iron down. For Heat’n’Bond users, apply heat for 10 seconds at a time and then move the iron to another area. Once your applique has cooled, check to make sure that it is completely bonded to the background fabric.
Then, you’re going to stitch around the entire perimeter of the applique to keep it in place (and to give a nice finished look). You can do a straight stitch close to the edge of the applique all the way around OR you can do a tight zig-zag stitch around. I used a zig-zag stitch throughout most of this book. On MY machine, I set the length of the stitch to 0.3 and the width of the stitch to 2.0. Use some scraps to determine how you want to set your machine.

SO! Now that you’re comfortable with the applique basics, let’s move on to the front cover.

You will need: 10″ x 11 1/2″ front cover and backside, scrap fabric for kitty body, pink and brown/black felt, embroidery floss, 1/2″ ribbon for bow, thin ribbon or yarn for tail, fabric letters for title (optional), lightweight fusible web

Set out your front cover background fabric. If you want a title on your book, now’s the time to apply it. For my books, I cut names using my Cricut. In order to do this, you will need to apply Ultrahold Heat’n’Bond (the red label) to a piece of fabric that fits your machine’s mat. Peel off the paper backing before applying the fabric to the mat. Be sure you have a nice, sticky mat or your fabric will not stay in place when the blade starts cutting. Cut letters to desired size.

Use a press cloth between your iron and the letters and bond them to the background fabric near the top center. Remember that you’ll be adding a binding to the finished quiet book which will come in a couple inches from the lefthand side. You do not need to stitch around the letters if you’ve used the Ultrahold Heat’n’Bond (and actually, it doesn’t sew pretty, so don’t do it!!)

Now we’re going to work on the kitty cat. Apply fusible web and cut a kitty body and two ears. Braid some yarn or a thin ribbon and knot the ends to make a little tail. Lay out the ears, body, and tail to determine positioning for the kitty.

Start with the ears and iron them down. Because of the thickness of the felt, you may need to iron from the backside of the front cover. Stitch around the perimeter of the ears.

Next, place the tail and zigzag stitch over each end and a couple spots in between to make a curved tail and hold it in place.

Next, iron down the kitty’s body and stitch around the entire perimeter.

Use a hole punch to make two black or brown eyes and a pink nose. Hot glue them in place. Use a disappearing ink fabric marker to sketch a mouth and whisker dots.

Using 3 strands of embroidery floss, stitch the mouth. Make french knots for the whiskers.

Place a 12″ piece of ribbon vertically over the kitty. Zig-zag stitch in place at the center of the neck.

Tie the ribbon into a bow. Your kitty is done! (and SO cute!)

Now, I know this is a lot for one day, but I want to also show you how to put the two page sides and the batting together. Since you won’t have anything on the inside cover, you can finish the front cover now. Lay your front cover right side up. Next layer the backside of the page right side down (right sides together with the front cover).

Place one sheet of batting on top and pin the three layers in place.

Stitch around the top, right-hand side, and bottom using 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave the left-hand side open.

Trim your corners and flip your page right sides out.

Press. Set aside!!

If you want to sew together the back cover and inside back cover (with batting), you can do that now, too. If you want to sign the quiet book on the inside of the back cover, “Love, Mom” or “Love, Grandma,” do that before you sew the page together.

Let’s Get Started! (Quiet Book Sew Along)

December 9, 2011 by girlinspired 19 Comments

Woohoo! Are you so excited to make your quiet books? I hope so – these will be gifts that your children or grandchildren will treasure and pass down to their children. As I mentioned in my quiet book post a couple years ago, we cannot find the one that my mom made for us when we were kids, but I loved it so much that I can still picture it in my head; I can feel the pages with my memory. The quiet book that I’m going to share with you over the next week is a combination of my childhood quiet book, the quiet books I made for my girls, and some little tweaks of things that bugged me when I finished the girls’ books. These are just my ideas, what I thought would be fun and pretty. Make this project into whatever you want. Change it, build on it, personalize it for your little one. Be inspired and have fun!

So, to start today, we’re going to gather materials. The first decision you’ll need to make is on the background fabric(s) for each page. This time around, I’m using coordinating fabrics from the same fabric line. In my other quiet books, I used totally different fabrics on each two-page spread. I prefer the cohesiveness of coordinating fabrics. You could also just use the same fabric throughout the entire book. I used cotton here, but you could also use a heavier fabric such as denim, if you wish.

Each page will measure 10″ by 11 1/2″. Since the width from selvage to selvage is usually around 43″, you should be able to get four pages out of each 12″ length of fabric (1/3 yard). Does that make sense? You’ll need a total of 14 individual pages which calculates out to approximately 1 1/3 yard of fabric total for the background pages (estimate a little more to give room for trimming.) You will probably want to use the same fabric on each two-page spread, so think about that when deciding on fabric.

You will need some batting to pad each page. I like Warm and Natural cotton batting. I do not like polyester batting. ever. That’s just me. Buy what you like – it should be thin. You’ll need to cut seven pages sized 10″ by 11 1/2″ from the batting.

You will also need a pile of scraps. You can dig in your scrap bag or purchase extra bits with your background fabric. Be sure that the scraps will stand out a bit on your background fabrics. Included in the scrap fabric, you will want:

a brown print (trees and armoire)

a black print (ladybug spots)

solid pink (ladybug)

a green print (grass and leaves)

variety of pink prints

brown felt (armoire)

black felt (ladybug)

colored felt (flowers)

Other bits and pieces that we’ll use in small quantities include:

1 black or pink zipper – 4″ preferred, but 6″ is fine, too (the 4″ are harder to find, I discovered)

10″ piece of jumbo ric rac

ribbon

lace

1 shank button (the kind that has the knob on the back where you sew the button on)

brown yarn

brown embroidery floss

elastic (elasticized ribbon preferred)

interfacing (just a small amount)

6 snaps (size doesn’t really matter, I used size 15)

10″ length of Velcro (I strongly recommend the iron-on Velcro v. sew-on)

heavy duty fusible web (you will not need much of this, I use Heat ‘n’ Bond – ultrahold)

crayons

small notepad

hair clips/small hair accessories

Sewing Machine Thread: white, pink, brown, and black

For those of you who did not purchase a kit or a doll kit, I have identified a source for the “paper doll” fabric and clothing. You’re never going to believe it – FABRIC.COM. I seriously had NO idea it was there, but it is, in large quantities. I’m ordering more because it’s one of those fabrics that I just have to have sitting on my shelf. And I sent my whole supply to YOU! (which really actually thrills me to know that you love it, too!)

Okay, the final item you will need, is a lightweight fusible web. I used Heat ‘n’ Bond LITE for this project. I also like Steam a Seam. You will need a decent amount of fusible web. Buy a big roll, it’ll be handy to have around. ( Please note that you will also need a small amount of ultrahold (no-sew) fusible web).

Over the weekend, you have two assignments. First, SHOP and gather all your materials in one place so they’re ready to go. This will make the quiet book assembly SO much easier.

Second, CUT your background pages and your batting. Remember, a total of 14 pages of fabric (seven two-page spreads) and 7 pages of batting. Cut to 10″ by 11 1/2″. If your fabric is directional, you will want the page to be 10″ wide and 11 1/2″ tall. Okay? Any questions?

I will try to answer most questions within the comments section so that everyone can see answers. You can also email me if you prefer. Have fun and be sure to let me know how you’re doing!! We’ll pick up on Monday with our first set of pages.

Pick the Flowers (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 6)

Hang the Laundry (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 5)

Braid the Princess Hair (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 4)

Front and Back Cover (Quiet Book Sew Along, Part 2)

Let’s Get Started! (Quiet Book Sew Along)

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