Learning Our Colors

So I am sure it is pretty obvious by now that I LOVE making fabric books! I would almost say that I love making them more than Jack enjoys playing with them (well eating right now- he is teething after all!)

I love the idea of children playing and learning all at the same time. And I truly believe that it is never too early for a child to start learning!

So I decided to make him a book to help him learn his colors (hopefully he isn't color blind like his daddy). I also wanted him to be able to learn concepts like shades of colors, pattern, texture, and shapes with this book. Each page is devoted to a different color. I used different patterned cotton fabrics, felt, ribbon, silk, ruffles, fake leather, stuffed shapes, and some fuzzy fabric.

So here it is...Jack's COLORS book...

If you would like to make a fabric "Quiet" book here are a few blogs you should definitely check out....

How to Make a Quiet Book

Homemade By Jill

and Hippos and Dinosaurs has an adorable ABC quiet book...that I definitely see myself having to make in the near future!

And He Played With The Box!

Parents go through a lot of trouble to pick out just the perfect present for their little one. The perfect birthday present...the perfect Christmas present. You look and look and look until you find it...the PERFECT present...sure to thrill your precious child!

You wrap it up all fancy in special wrapping paper with a big bow, then excitedly present it to your child to open. You watch as your child squeals in delight, they tear apart that fancy wrapping paper and utterly destroy the bow you so carefully tied. They finally get to the toy...they jump up and down in delight...squealing even louder now. The exact reaction that you had been waiting for. They tear open the box the toy came in...play with the toy for about a minute..

then toss it aside and play with the box it came in instead...for hours!

it never seems to fail....babies and kids alike are so fascinated with the most simple of things.

And my son is no exception!



He spotted this box in his bedroom the other day and immediately was drawn to it...he played with it, on it, and in it for a good hour and a half!

I really do love that he wanted to play with it though...I think things like this are great to help develop a child's imagination.

I finally put him inside of it and began pushing him around the living room in it like it was a race car....and...

HE LOVED IT!

he was squealing and laughing like crazy...and when I would stop he would do this cute little grunt as if to say 'do it again mommy!'

So I started thinking...how cute it would be to actually make it into a race car for Jack. -now I am sure that at nine months Jack probably doesn't care if it actually looks like a car...just as long as I still push him around in it...but I just couldn't resist!


So I decided to make a slip cover to go over the box that would resemble a race car....



The front of the car has a bumper... and big head lights...

and the sides have tires and racing stripes :-)




Vroom Vroom! Go Jack!



I decided to add a pocket on the inside of the car to hold Jack's toys...after all you can't go driving with out your dinosaur buddy by your side!

I am still planning on adding a steering wheel to the inside so he can pretend to drive the car. I also may eventually take the bottom out (when he gets too big to sit in it) and add straps to go over his shoulders so he can stand up and pretend to race the car :-)

So go grab a box and let your little one's imagination go wild!

Time For A LITTLE Girly Moment

There are so many adorable ideas out there for craft and sewing projects for little girls! However, since I don't have a little girl of my own there wouldn't be any point in trying them out right now.

But since these projects I have been seeing lately are so stinkin adorable and I don't want to just wait till I have a little girl of my own...

I have decided to start trying them any way...and give them to my wonderful girl friends who do have little girls. Remember the summer dress and the little blue dress...proof that I just can't wait any more!

So when my good friend's little girl Zoe turned 1 I jumped at the chance to make something a little more girly!

I have been very much in a quiet book making mood that I decided to make a more girly version of it for Zoe. :-)

So here it is...Zoe's Quiet Book...done the girly way...


PAGE ONE...
...lift up the flowers to see..

Mommy, Daddy, and Zoe looking at me!

PAGE TWO...
....lets fly...

...up...up...up...to the the pretty sunflower!

PAGE THREE...
....hello again to our barnyard friends!

PAGE FOUR...
...pick the apples one by one and count them as you put them in the basket. Do you have enough to make a bushel??

PAGE FIVE...
... untie the ribbon to revel...

Clothes! Time to play dress up :-)

When you are done put your clothes away and practice tying the ribbon!

PAGE SIX...

....Do you know how to spell your name?


That's right...Z...O...E! Button the letters on as you say each of their names :-)

FRONT AND BACK...


Once again I got a ton of ideas and inspiration for this quiet book from Homemade By Jill's blog...here and here is where you can get some more ideas from her...plus templates!

It was so fun to get into the girly groove for a little bit...now back to thinking up some new pages for my little man's book :-)

The pages and covers are made of cotton fabric and all of the details are made out of felt. Plus a couple of buttons, velcro, and ribbon. For the photos on the flowers I simply printed them out on my computer, cut them to fit, and modge podged them on to the felt. I am hoping they hold up okay. If I do something with pictures or paper again I think I am going to laminate them and hot glue them down.

Have fun creating your own girly version of a quiet book!!

FINALLY FINISHED...THE QUIET BOOK

I finally finished Jack's quiet book! Yeah!!!
I loved putting this book together. I was pleasantly surprised that I also LOVED all of the hand sewing parts of it.

The pages are made of cotton and all of the little details are made of felt. I also used book rings to hold it all together so I can add more pages later.

Most of the concepts in the book are a little...okay a lot over Jack's level...but I just couldn't wait that long to make this for him! Besides...he still loves the book...mostly to chew on it - he is teething after all...what else would you expect him to do with it ;-)

If you want some more ideas for quiet book pages and even templates for some of the pages go to Homemade by Jill's blog. Her blog is amazing!!! Tons of ideas and inspiration! and definitely where I got the inspiration and ideas for Jack's quiet book :-)

So here it is for your viewing pleasure...

PAGES ONE AND TWO...



Is that a little red bird up in that tree? He wants to say good morning Jack!



Lift up each ray of sunshine to discover a surprise...time to learn our shapes and colors!

Oh...and don't forget Jack Jack...
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE!

PAGES THREE AND FOUR...



What is that hiding being those barn doors???

...it is our friends the cow, chicken, and pig!

Time to put on a puppet show :-)

What sound does the cow make??? MOO!!!
What sound does the chicken make??? CLUCK!!!
What sound does the piggy make??? OINK!!!

...now it's time to feed our barnyard friends...

Lets go to the garden and pick some veggies...

You can pick corn right off the stalk, carrots right out of the ground, and lettuce leaves.

Oh and don't forget to say hello to that cute little red bird again!

PAGES FIVE AND SIX...



count it down...3...2...1...

BLAST OFF!
Fly all the way to the moon and back...and practicing counting forward and backward while you do it :-)

Time to play with fishies...

Play peek a boo with some friendly goldfish and a playful turtle. Move them around in the fish bowl...

All of the fish, the turtle, and the numbers are attached with velcro. Go ahead...move them around where ever you want :-)

PAGES SEVEN AND EIGHT...



Okay buddy...daddy needs help fixing up the house...

Get out your tools!

With a hammer, screw driver, and saw my little man can fix just about anything ;-)

Time to check the mail box....

You've Got Mail!!!

Can you read your mail to mommy?

and look...it is little red bird's friend...blue bird :-)

FRONT AND BACK COVER...

Quiet book front cover...kept it simple for now.

Back cover has a pocket to hold any little extras I decide to make for the book -extra puppets, numbers and fishies for the fish bowl, tools for the tool box, and letters for the mail box!

I am really excited to start thinking of more of my own original ideas for pages to add to this book and maybe even make another one!

Coming soon....a girly version of the quiet book...stay tuned!!