Havalah's Quiet Book

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good New Year's Eve and that today looks out on a bright year for you. I love the freshness of a new year and, like many of you, have some resolutions that I'm starting today. If you're trying to think of a resolution, might I suggest making a quiet book? Putting your ideas into action and actually creating this keepsake for a child you know could be a great project for you this year. :)

Going along with the freshness and brightness of the new year, I get to share a bright and crisp quiet book with you today! This awesome quiet book was made by Havalah from the blog Sisters, Sisters. (She, with her friends, also recently made a second quiet book in a quiet book exchange, which you can find here!) Her pages include activities based off art, scripture scenes, and nature scenes. And they are so colorful and fun! I know my own toddler would love her ocean page with all the different animals, and it makes me want to start making one right away. So enjoy Havalah's book, and be inspired!

Interview

What's your name? Describe yourself in one sentence.
Havalah. I love to sew, to be challenged creatively and make something that would make my little one smile.

Who did you make this quiet book for? How old are they? 
I made it for my little boy when he was 18 months but he is now almost 3!

What's your level of sewing experience?
 Beginner to intermediate, depending on the project.

How long did it take you?
I have no idea.

Did you use any templates? Where can they be found? 
I used a few, they are linked on my blog: Sisters, Sisters: Quiet Book Pages

How did you bind your quiet book? 
I did individual pages and made button holes then used big rings to hold it together.

What material are the pages made out of? 
Cotton fabric, heavy duty pellon, felt, and some fleece.

How much did all the supplies cost you? 
I'm not sure exactly; it took me some time to do all the pages.

What's your favorite page? Why?
I love my shape pages and maze pages.


To see Havalah's quiet book on her on her own blog (with more info and links to the templates she used), check out these pages:
the Beastly Sunday Quiet Book - Churchy pages
Quiet Book Pages: non-churchy pages
Shapes Quiet Book Page Tutorial

And to see the quiet book Havalah and her friends made in a quiet book exchange, click here:
Quiet Book Pages Take 2

Thank you so much for sharing your awesome quiet book with us Havalah!

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

Amy's Quiet Book

The quiet book I get to share with you today is one of the classics, one of the ones that started it all. Amy of the popular blog Serving Pink Lemonade made and posted her awesome quiet book almost three years ago, in January 2011. Very soon after she posted her templates and helpful instructions. And just a few months ago, she published her very own book on how to make a quiet book! Her book, Quiet Book Patterns: 25 Easy-to-Make Activities for Your Children, is available on Amazon.com and looks awesome.

When I was making my own quiet book back in 2011, Amy's was one of the first ones I found. The quality of it inspired me, and I loved her different activities. I based my barn on her lovely, clean-cut one. And my favorite page in her book is the seasons tree - I definitely want to make one in one of my future quiet books.

So enjoy Amy's awesome quiet book, and definitely take a look at her Quiet Book Pattern book on Amazon!

Interview

What's your name? Describe yourself in one sentence. 
My name is Amy.  I am a mother to three cute kiddos and a recent first time author of "Quiet Book Patterns: 25 easy-to-make activities for your children"--which are completely different ideas than what I'm sharing with you today.

Who did you make this quiet book for? How old are they?
I made my quiet books for my oldest two children when they were only two and four years old.

What's your level of sewing experience?  
I started sewing as a young girl.  I remember sewing simple straight lines to help my mom make cloth diapers for my younger siblings.  I made my first dress when I was ten years old and made skirts, handbags, and even my prom dress in high school.  I perfected my sewing skills in college by taking a few clothing constructions and pattern making classes.

How long did it take you? 
I worked on my quiet books for over the period of two to three months, a little here and a little there.

Did you use any templates? Where can they be found?
I used some of the quiet books my mom had made when I was a little girl for inspiration but I drew up each template from scratch for my own quiet book.  You can find the templates on my website: Serving Pink Lemonade: Quiet Book.

How did you bind your quiet book?
To bind my quiet books I punched holes through the Pellon Peltex pages with a single paper hole punch.  Peltex is strong and won't fray or tear so you don't have to worry about reinforcing the holes.  Initially I strung ribbon through the holes to bind the pages and then later replaced the ribbon with 1" binder rings.

What material are the pages made out of?
The pages of my books are made of Pellon Peltex (a thick non-fusible interfacing).  I love it because it doesn't "pill" like felt and it is sturdy and the edges will not fray.

What other materials did you use?
I used a lot of still felt on my pages and ironed most of the pieces on using Pellon Wonder Under so I didn't have to do very much sewing.

How much did all the supplies cost you?
I didn't keep track of the cost since I bought the supplies a little at a time.  A lot the the supplies I already had on hand too.  Making a quiet book is a great way to use up small scraps!

What's your favorite page? Why? 
My favorite page by far is the car mat page.  I love how it turned out and my kids love playing with it.  I think the road signs add a professional touch.


To view Amy's quiet book on her blog, with helpful instructions, templates, and supply lists, click here: Serving Pink Lemonade: Quiet Book. To see Amy's Quiet Book Pattern Book, click here: Quiet Book Patterns: 25 Easy-to-Make Activities for Your Children.

Thank you so much for sharing your book, your templates, and your instructions with us Amy!

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

Myranda's Quiet Book

Hey everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! I have a really bright and cheerful quiet book to share with you this morning. It was made by Myranda of Myranda's Sweet Treats, and I absolutely love the green and white chevron-striped fabric that makes up the background of each page. It's so happy! All of the pages look really fun to play with, too; I know my daughter would love to play with all of these activities. (And isn't her weaving page cute? It's a heart!) Anyway, I'll stop rambling and let you take a look. Enjoy!

Interview

What's your name? Describe yourself in one sentence.
Myranda. I am a Stay at Home mom who crafts often and is currently in the local business of cake decorating.

Who did you make this quiet book for? How old are they?
My son Liam; he is almost 1.5 years old.

What's your level of sewing experience?
Intermediate.  I have been sewing for many years, have made a few (simple quilts) and other projects, but I don’t feel ready to take on a more professional quilt.

How long did it take you?
About 15 hours. I used lots of fabric and little felt as it was what I had on hand,  meaning most pages had to be sewn wrong sides together and turned inside out to reduce any possibly fraying in the future, where felt doesn’t fray you can make a book with a lot less steps. I also stopped to take pictures for an upcoming tutorial. I spread it out over 3 days of continuous sewing during nap times and long, late evening.

Did you use any templates? Where can they be found?
Yes, I used a few at homemadebyjill.blogspot.com and popsandpodge.com. I also drew a bit of my own and used Microsoft Word for letters and Paint for for any shapes. I will be including some at my blog as soon as the posts are done at http://myrandas-sweet-treats.blogspot.ca/.

How did you bind your quiet book?   
With large eyelets and key rings.

What material are the pages made out of? 
Fabric- a canvas cotton- it’s heavier and a bit more forgiving to years of use, and a few are from regular cotton I had on hand.

What other materials did you use? 
Cottons, fleece, chenille fabric, felt, buttons, zippers, belt buckles, paracord buckles, ribbon, bias tapes, beads, velcro, snaps, elastic, fabric markers, heat n bond, interfacing, batting.

How much did all the supplies cost you? 
Well all of the supplies I already had at hand in my craft room. But if I were to make another one it would be about $30-40.00

What's your favorite page? Why? 
The Puppy Dog and Flying Space Ship Page, I love the overall look and they are my son’s favorite!


To see Myranda's quiet book tutorials, check out these pages on her blog:

• DIY Quiet Book Step by Step Tutorial
• Tic Tac Toe and Activity Pages Tutorial
• Rocket Ship Puzzle Page Tutorial

Myranda also makes these quiet books to order. If you'd like to purchase one, visit the Facebook page Boy, oh Boy: Boy, oh Boy and check out the post on July 9th (or you can just click here: Boy, oh Boy: Quiet & Busy Books). Here are the instructions on how to order a quiet book: How to Order and Store Policies.

Thank you so much for sharing your quiet book with us, Myranda. It's awesome!

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

The Quiet Book Pattern Directory

Hi everyone! So, instead of a regular post featuring a quiet book today, I wanted to introduce you to a new page on the blog: the Quiet Book Pattern Directory. It's a page with a list of websites where you can find templates for full quiet books, and also places where you can find templates for individual quiet book pages.

This page will continue to grow as I find more quiet book templates to share. If you know of any that I've missed, feel free to comment and I'll add the template to the list!

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!