Kaitlyn's Name Quiet Books

I love quiet books that spell out a child's name on the pages. They're such a cool keepsake - fun to look at and play with when the child is little, and a tender reminder of someone's love for them when they're older. Today's post features two name books made by Kaitlyn of Creatv.ly - and they are stunning. The detail that she put into each page is really just beautiful, and I find myself wishing that I had such talent. : ) I think my very favorite page from these books is the hummingbird one - I just love the bird and the flower! But it's hard to pick a favorite when there are so many awesome pages here. Enjoy!

Mason's Name Book:

Charlie's Name Book:

Interview

What's your name? Describe yourself in one sentence.
My name is Kaitlyn. I'm a wife, a mom of two young boys, a photographer, a crafter, a minimalist, and a CrossFit-er.

Who did you make these quiet books for? How old are they?
I made both felt books during my pregnancies for my two boys. Mason was born July 2008 and Charlie was born September 2010. They still like to look at the books at ages 4-1/2 and 2-1/2.

What's your level of sewing experience?
My mom started teaching me how to sew when I was about 8 years old. I sewed costumes, dresses and doll cloths throughout my adolescence. In my late teens I learned how to sew quilt tops. I often use patterns, but I have also been known to make my own patterns as well. I learned how to embroider when I was about 12, but didn't really get into it until later in my teens when I made my first crazy quilt. The fancy embroidery was my favorite part and reminded me of my great-grandmother.

How long did it take you?
The first quiet book I made took several months to complete. Mostly because I had to take a lot of breaks. I used fabric glue to tack all the felt pieces down before I started embroidering, and later learned that fabric glue plus several layers of felt is almost impossible to hand-stitch through. I ended up using a pair of pliers to push and pull the needle through the felt, and bent several needles in the process. It was so difficult to finish, I swore I would never make another one.

When I found out I was pregnant with my second son, I decided to make another quiet book. By then I had learned about fusible webbing (aka Wonder-Under), and I was able to work much faster. I completed the whole thing in about two weeks, working on it a few hours each day (mostly during nap time).

Did you use any templates? Where can they be found?
I made my own templates for both books. I drew my designs out on printer paper, and then cut them up into pattern pieces. I never had any intention of turning them into actual patterns, but after I finished the second book, I started getting inquiries about my patterns, and eventually I was persuaded to complete the alphabet and turn all my hand drawings into digital patterns. My patterns can now be purchased on my website at http://creatv.ly/shop/.

How did you bind your quiet book?
First,  I blanket-stitched around the edges of my pages. Each page is made up of two single felt sheets placed wrong sides together. Once all the pages were stitched, then I sewed through the blanket stitching of all the pages on one side to turn it into a book. It's kind of hard to explain in words, so a few years ago I made a video tutorial. It can be found at http://creatv.ly/felt-book-binding-tutorial/.

What material are the pages made out of?
I LOVE felt, and used it for all the pages!

What other materials did you use?
As I mentioned earlier, I started using Wonder-Under to fuse the felt pieces together. I also used cotton embroidery floss for all my stitching; and buttons, beads, yarn, sequins, and ribbon as embellishments.

How much did all the supplies cost you?
I don't remember the exact cost, but we were poor college students at the time, and I tried really hard not to spend a lot of money on it all. I used the cheap Eco felt you can find in precut sheets at the craft store for 25 cents per page. I also had a lot of stuff on hand, but I did have to buy some of the embellishments and embroidery thread.

What's your favorite page?
In Mason's book, my favorite page is probably the giraffe. I have a thing for buttons, so it was fun to get to use so many on one page. In Charlie's book, my favorite page is definitely the crab. The bubbles and beading on the sand are just so eye catching.

To see more details of Kaitlyn's quiet books or to find the patterns in her shop, check out these links on her blog:

• Mason's Felt Name Book
• Charlie's Felt Name Book
• Felt Alphabet Patterns, Animals (Basic)
• Felt Alphabet Patterns, Animals (Expanded)
• Felt Alphabet Patterns, Objects
• Felt Alphabet Patterns, Combination Pack

Kaitlyn, thank you so much for sharing your quiet books, templates, and tutorials with us!

Have you made a quiet book that you'd like to share? Click here for instructions on how to submit your own quiet book!