Friday, July 17, 2015

Shhhh, It's Quiet Time

 I finished just in the nick of time!
We're having a birthday party on Saturday and
someone is turning three.
 And I've made something special.

Of course, I have two super hero grandsons as well,
so that meant sewing X3!

I've been sewing snaps, button, zippers,
working with Velcro,  eyelets, 
buckle closures, cutting and fusing felt,...

Shhhhhh! I've been making
Quiet Books.

I had been collecting ideas from Pinterest
for awhile.  
There are a few websites that have free patterns.
Here's one:

This barn

complete with finger puppets,

or this mailbox 
are popular pages that have patterns available,
but very limited directions.

But most of the pages were ideas I saw
and then I designed and figured it out myself.

 I have to say,
it was a study
in sequencing, figuring out what 
needed to be done first and so on,
 so that the pieces are completed with
a professional look.

 
For example, on this color and shape recognition page,
the Velcro was sewn to the back of the piece first and
then the layers sewn together with the cording inserted in between. 
That way no construction sewing could be seen.

  Although the
pieces were fused, I knew that alone
wouldn't stand up to lots of handling.
So that meant free motion sewing around every piece
to assure they would stay.


This is an idea I saw and would love to credit
the person who designed it, but couldn't track that down.
This is for the kid's Italian heritage.

This block took quite a bit of  planning. 
The pieces needed to fused and sewn in place, but still needed to
keep the center open to allow the spaghetti to
be pulled through the eyelets.

Some pages required some
extra pieces to add to the fun.
Finger Puppets in sleeping bags.

Most of the pages try to teach some skill.
(Guess that's the x-teacher in me.)
Concentration ( Memory Game)
It's done with magnets and washers
and I included pockets to store the pieces.

Tic Tac Toe (Strategy)
Using premade felt animals found at JoAnn's.

Counting

Number Recognition.

 Of course, I had to add some pages with buttons.

That always requires some practice.


During this process my machine refused to make buttonholes.
That required a trip to the repair shop
to get my buttonholer recalibrated.

A few different pages for my youngest grandson.

 


Big jumbo snaps

I couldn't find a construction plan I liked so
 I opted to use pellon fleece and bright fabric for the pages.

 
After two pages were completed
they were sewn together around the outer edges
to make a single page.


Each page has 3 eyelets and 
the whole book is held together with 3" book rings.
There's also stiff interfacing in the covers to 
give it some stability.

I added handles and a
closure strap.
The letters on the cover come off
so everyone can practice spelling their name!

Well, my Nana project is done.
Now it's time for the kiddos to
have some quiet time and play.
Nana needs some quiet time too.
After she picks up the mess in the sewing room.

 Until Next time-

22 comments:

  1. Wow, what a fabulous Nana project that is! I'm amazed! They're going to love those quiet books.

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  2. Oh my! What a lot of work! How special they are. What a great gift!

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  3. Those books are just wonderful. Are they your own creation?
    My little granddaughter Evelyn turns three on the 28th it’s such a special time.

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    1. Yes, all three books are my creations with a few ideas pulled from here and there.

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  4. Your quiet books are just adorable and will be treasured for a very long time!

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  5. Spectacular!!!! So much work and I bet you enjoyed nearly every minute. Something the kids can treasure for years to come.

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  6. So much of your time went into those wonderful books, but that's what grandmas are for. The books are creative and colorful and filled with learning opportunities from the front cover to the back. I've made some in the past, but they pale in comparison to these. Hours well spent, Kyle. The little ones will LOVE their books -- and so will their parents, for the quiet time they'll create.

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  7. Cute, cute photos of those little ones, Kyle! You must be a proud grandma--and you are obviously a very kind one. Those books are amazing. You have really done an incredible job on them!

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  8. WOW KYLE! Wow - these are incredible! I made 3 quiet books 15 years ago for my daughter and 2 friends - they were fun to make but oh, so much work. Your ideas are so creative - I LOVE the spaghetti eating chef and the monster with all the eyes. Your grandkids are going to have so much fun playing with these!! I know ours was well loved by all 4 of my kids. What an amazing Grandma you are! I hope you enjoy some quiet time today :0)

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  9. Oh Kyle, these are just to sweet! I am sure they will be treasured. My Mom made a quiet book several years ago I think it was a Mc Calls pattern). I still see it in my Grandkids bookcase, it has lived on through two more little boys. Your Grand children have cute names :)

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  10. Your grands will love these!!! Lots of work getting them ready but clearly shows a Nana's love. Have a great weekend celebration with cake.

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  11. Ummmmm.......WOW!! What a GRANDMA!! Those are adorable as are the kids AND their names. Love them. I used to live on Oliver! HA Very lucky children to have YOU for a grandma.

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  12. Too cute Kyle! You made some really fun pages - and I love all the bright colors! I'm especially impressed that you made three of them cuz I made one 2+ years ago and decided that was enough - SO much work! You really made some big points with these! LOL!

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  13. Very cute, and a brain teaser for you to do all that sewing.The kids will love them…what a super NANA

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  14. What a fantastic gift for your grandies! Looks like lots of fun...and thinking trying to construct these books without a pattern...x 3, well done!!

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  15. These are SO amazing!! I know Everdeen is going to LOVE her quiet book...mostly because her Nana made it for her!

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  16. Great projects! There will be hours and hours of fun with those books. Very creative, and hours of work.

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  17. Wow!!! I want one! these books are so charming and fun and creative. Hats off to you Nana!!

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  18. I have never made a quiet book and don't have a child to make one for but these are adorable. Creative fun for the kids.

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  19. Your quiet books are just adorable! I bet you had as much making them as the little ones did in receiving them. So many fun pages for them to explore.

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  20. These books are absolutely DARLING - just like your Grandchildren!
    I'm sure these books will be cherished for many years to come.

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  21. What an adorable little girl your granddaughter is! You sure have some cute super heroes too! Oh MY! such a lot work making three quiet books. I made one for my oldest granddaughter years ago (she is now 21). I love all your ingenious ideas. I am sure your grandchildren will love them.

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