Showing posts with label Tahlia's favourites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tahlia's favourites. Show all posts

Friday 12 January 2018

Psalm 46 - Be Still and Know that I Am God Tea Set Quiet Book Page

Psalm 46 tells us to "be still and know that I am God".


Memory Verse: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10.

Materials needed to create a Be Still and Know that I Am God Tea Set quiet book page:

  • A4 felt background sheet. I used mid blue.
  • about 4 sheets of brown felt
  • thin brown and cream ribbons
  • clear vinyl/plastic scraps
  • small button - I used one with a shank (loop at the back)
  • printed herb material
  • wadding / batting scraps - ask your quilting friends
  • white felt
  • stiffened white felt (for the teapot and tea cup handles)
  • light blue felt scraps
  • light blue ribbon to match the light blue felt (optional but easier)
  • light blue embroidered flowers etc to decorate
  • sewing thread to match/contrast
  • hot glue gun and glue
  • printer to print the templates and the words "tea chest" in a nice font to use as a template - I used Cooper Black in size 120.
  • I used the following colouring sheets as templates for the teapot and teacup - they may need shrinking to a size you are happy with. I think I printed the teacup to fit about four on an A4 page.
  • a cup or glass to use as a tea bag and teapot cutout template. Check that it fits inside the teapot and tea chest pocket when you print it out.
  • my free tea chest template (minus lettering)

Tea Chest: First cut out some lettering that will fit on your front tea chest pocket. Sew it onto the front single layered pocket piece. Next, cut out the base of the tea chest and sew it down onto the same coloured felt to double and strengthen it. Do the same with both pocket pieces. Cut them all out and sew the doubled pocket pieces in position on the base.


Cut out the lid from your vinyl and edge it with the brown ribbon. Start a little off the midpoint of the bottom edge and end back at the midpoint, overlapping your starting point. Form a loop at the end by folding the ribbon back under itself before finishing. Stop sewing before you get to the end of the ribbon to leave a loop of ribbon. You will use this ribbon loop to hook over the button and close the lid. Re-enforce the stitching here several times as mine is already starting to pull off.

To enable easier movement of the vinyl through your sewing machine, you can do several things. I wedged a piece of paper between the sections of my sewing machine so it would slide properly and not stick to the plastic on my machine. You can use scotch / frosted sticky tape on the bottom of your sewing machine foot for the same reason, but I found I didn't need to as I was sewing on top of the ribbon.


If you want to store your tea pot in the tea chest like I did here, you may need to make some hinges. This allows for a gap at the top which you may need if your teapot is too tall like mine was. I have made two versions of this tea set - one for the Quiet Book Bible Project, and one for my niece. Since I want everything to fit on one page for the Bible Quiet Book Project, I needed to store the teapot and cup in the tea chest - one of the reasons there is only one cup featured here. (Also, the Bible verse is rather conducive to one cup - it can be hard to be still at a tea party)! The version I made for my niece didn't require everything to fit on one page so she has a double page spread. My sister made her a storage pocket to keep her teapot and cups in.


Create two ribbon hinges for the lid by cutting two small strips about 8cm long and melting the edges with a match to prevent fraying. Fold them in half and sew them to the top of your lid. I put my machine on zig zag stitch with a stitch length of zero to go backwards and forwards over the same spot. I did this twice in an 'x' shape on the top of the folded ribbon hinges.

I used a ruler to make sure the angle was 45 degrees.

Pin the other end of the ribbon hinges underneath the top edge of the base and sew the base down around all sides except the right or left slanted side. That will create a secret pocket to store extra tea bags in if needed.

If you are not using hinges, sew the base down to the page leaving the same gap on one of the slanted sides to form a secret pocket. Then sew down the lid on top of the base along the top edge only.

You should be able to fold this little corner back so you can sew the tea chest
onto the page without sewing over the top of the upper pocket.

Sew your button to the middle of the front pocket that says "tea chest" and use the ribbon loop to close the lid.



Tea Bags: Use your cup or glass to mark circles over the printed herbs on your material. Cut them out in a square shape leaving plenty of room around your circles.  Then cut another square the same size from each of the herbs as well.

Sandwich a piece of wadding or batting between the two squares of material, right sides facing out. One of the squares should have a circle traced around one of the herbs. The other side should be the same herb but without a circle traced around it.

Cut as many 20cm lengths of ribbon as tea bags you are making. I made twenty tea bags because that is how many different printed herbs there were on my material. Melt the ends using a match to prevent fraying.

Pin the sandwiched tea bags together around the circle. Slip both ends of a length of ribbon between the wadding and the side with the circle traced on it and pin it in place. This will form a ribbon loop for your tea bag. Set your sewing machine to zig zag and a stitch width of just under 1 (like you would when sewing a buttonhole). Sew around the circle shape. Cut out your tea bags ensuring you do not cut off the ribbon loop whilst doing it.



Tea Pot: Cut out your teapot template from the colouring page. You will need to print it out several times and cut out the teapot handle with extensions at the ends to allow it to be sewn in place between two layers of felt. Also, cut the teapot bodies a slightly smaller width and slightly taller at the top to allow it to fit underneath the lid so it can close properly.

Cut your handle from white stiffened felt. Cut two teapot bodies and two teapot lids from white felt. If your child is right handed, draw around the cup or glass on the inside of the front teapot body. Cut out the hole. Lay a piece of clear vinyl over the space and sew around the circle to form a window into the teapot. That way you can see which type of tea you are pouring each time. Trim the excess.

There are tips for sewing with vinyl listed above in the tea chest section.

I purposely used a thread in the contrast colour so I would not have to keep swapping colours on my machine so frequently.

Cut out your strips of ribbon and contrast felt sections (the knob at the top of the tea pot and the edges of the teapot and tea cups). If you are using felt you will have to print out a couple of copies of the templates and eyeball some of those sections from that. If using ribbon (recommended to reduce the thickness when sewing it together), melt the ends with a match to prevent fraying. Sew all sections in place. If using ribbon, only sew along the bottom edge of the ribbon at the edge of the teapot body where you will be joining on the lid. This will enable you to fold back the ribbon and allow you to put a split pin through without damaging the ribbon.

Pin the teapot bodies together and sandwich the handle in between the two layers. I chose not to sew the spout closed. Pin the lid together too. Sew both together. You may need to use the hand knob on your machine to get through the thickness of the stiffened felt when sewing through the handle.

Use a darning needle to make holes for the split pins and insert them. I used one on each side.


Hot glue your embroidered flower embellishments in place.

Tea Cup/s: Cut your template from the colouring page in a similar manner to the teapot. Cut your handle/s from white stiffened felt.

Cut out your strips of ribbon or contrast felt sections. If using ribbon (recommended to reduce the thickness when sewing it together), melt the ends with a match to prevent fraying.  Sew in place.

Pin the tea cup/s together and sandwich the handle/s in between the two layers. If you are only making one tea cup, remember to put the handle on the opposite side to the teapot so you can hold one in each hand and still see the pretty decorations. I put both mine on the same side and had to undo it later and swap the handle to the other side on my tea cup to please Tahlia. She wasn't happy she couldn't see the decorations on the tea cup while pouring her cup of tea. I did four tea cups for my niece, so I did two of each side for her.

Sew the tea cup together. You may need to use the hand knob on your machine to get through the thickness of the stiffened felt when sewing through the handle.

Hot glue your embroidered flower embellishments in place.

Finished!

Difficulty Level = Difficult.

I have suggested a few changes to make it a little easier. I wish I had thought of them earlier!

Key Learning Areas and Skills

  • Psalm 46 - Learn to be still and trust God to help us through our problems
  • Imaginative Play - Practice relaxing, "let go and let God" while talking things over with Him over a cup of tea
  • Herbal Medicine - Get informed about what each herb looks like, which parts to use, and what properties they have
  • Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
  • Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination



Read the Chapter

Psalm 46

Devotional


Though the tempest rages around us, we can sit and confidently enjoy a cup of tea knowing that God is in control. We may be overwhelmed by the things we experience, but to God all our trials are like a storm in a tea cup. He can sort our problems and give us calm in the midst of the storm. Take a moment today to talk over your problems with Him over a cuppa. It will be time well spent.







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Do you find yourself praying while you sip on a cuppa?

Sunday 13 August 2017

Luke 12 - Where is Your Treasure? Quiet Book Page

In Luke chapter 12, Jesus talks a lot about possessions, and what they say about our priorities.


Memory Verse: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke:12:34

Materials needed to create the Where is Your Treasure? quiet book page:

  • A4 felt background sheet. I used pink.
  • felt scraps
  • ribbon
  • large heart button
  • trinkets for the treasure inside
  • sewing threads to match ribbon
  • the treasure chest template by Stephanie from Imagine Our Life
I'm not going to give a detailed explanation here because Stephanie has already done a tutorial on how to make the chest in her post. Of course you will need to make the loop of ribbon on the lid large enough to fit over your heart button, and sew the heart button in place on the bottom piece.

It is important to sew the chest pieces using a colour thread that matches the ribbon rather than the felt so that when you sew the pieces onto the page and you go over the ribbon it doesn't look funny. That's my opinion anyway.

Finished!

Difficulty Level = Intermediate

Getting the loop right is probably the most difficult section.

Key Learning Areas and Skills

  • Luke 12 - This page tells the story of how it is better to store our treasure in Heaven, because on Earth our treasure can easily get stolen or ruined
  • Imaginative Play - who doesn't like to find treasure!
  • Buttoning - Opening and closing the treasure chest
  • Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
  • Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination

Read the Chapter

Luke 12

Devotional

As I was reading this chapter and wondering what to write the devotional on, one thing stuck out to me.  A man asked Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance with him. Jesus doesn't. Actually, he reproves both men with one story. A man had a bountiful crop and no-where to store it, so he decided to build new barns so he could store it all up for himself and sit back and relax and not work anymore. Instead he dies that night and who knows who got to enjoy his bountiful crop. Jesus' point was that it is better to share what extra we have rather than trusting in our possessions to look after us. We can't look after ourselves by having lots of possessions anyway. For all we know, we will die tomorrow, and no amount of goods can change that.

The inheritance cannot save either of them, but God is the one who will meet their needs. And we can trust Him to because he values us much more than the sparrows, whom he never forgets. Life is about more than food and clothes, and God will ensure he looks after the basics if we stop chasing after them like madmen and take time to focus on the important things, like seeking the Kingdom of God and looking after others.

I used to be enthralled with the idea of self sufficiency. As I have grown older, I have begun to realize that self sufficiency is impossible. No one can grow and make everything they need. It takes too much effort and too much skill. Some climates are not suitable to grow certain things. We can do without a lot, but even so, I get exhausted thinking about everything I would have to do if I wanted to be self sufficient.

God created family and community so that we could support each other. We are supposed to need each other because that teaches us that we can't supply everything we need, and that we need to rely on God. The village baker and the village candlestick maker had very different jobs, but if you had a village full of butchers/bakers/candlestick makers (and every other job-ers), there would be a village full of hungry people with no working tools.

If we all focused on what God has given us that we could share with others and we would all benefit from the best of everything.


That man had a chance to ask the Lord of the Universe a question, and he blew it on "tell my brother to share the inheritance". I hope I would ask a more meaningful question than that, and receive an answer I could treasure.





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Where is your treasure?

Thursday 20 April 2017

Psalm 4 - Peaceful Sleep Quiet Book Page

In Psalms chapter 4, David acknowledges that it is God who keeps us safe.


Memory Verse: "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 NIV

Materials needed to create the Peaceful Sleep quiet book page:

  • A4 felt background sheet; I used mauve
  • felt/material scraps, velour is good for the blanket
  • embroidery floss (optional)
  • small rope dolls (I bought mine from a dollar shop)
  • sewing thread to best match the page
  • a bed template - I used the Five Little Monkeys pattern by Stephanie of Imagine Our life
Sew a large scrap of felt to fill the bottom third of your felt background sheet.  I cut off the excess mauve so I could use it for something else. You could simply sew a strip over the bottom third of your sheet.

Cut out the bedhead and sew it down, followed by the pillows. Be sure to line it up properly so that the bed base does not allow wall coloured felt to show through, and that the pillows are visible above the blanket.

I used velour material for the blanket. It was from a baby suit given to Tahlia. The velour makes a lovely soft blanket for the dollies and adds a touch and feel aspect to the page.  Cut out two blanket sections so they can be sewn right sides facing out. Use the embroidery floss to add an authentic touch to the top edge of the blanket. Sew the blanket in place to the bed base.

Sew the bed base down to the floor/wall on the bottom and sides.

Put the dollies into bed.

Finished!



Difficulty Level = Easy.

Blanket stitch is easy, don't be off-put. If in doubt, You Tube it!

Key Learning Areas and Skills

  • Psalm 4 - This page tells that God keeps us safe, and we can sleep in peace
  • Imaginative Play - The dollies can play at all sorts of things. These three dollies are meant to be Tahlia and her cousin, and her friend enjoying a sleepover.
  • Touch and Feel - The velour blanket is lovely soft texture, and it runs in a grain - you can rub it with and against the grain and feel a big difference in texture
  • Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
  • Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination

Read the Chapter

Psalm 4

Devotional

Financial stresses seem to be the focus of this Psalm. They can certainly keep you awake at night. The basic message is that if you resolve to do the right thing, and you decide to put your trust in God, His listening ear and attentiveness is worth more than financial security.

The Easy-to-Read Version is more of a paraphrase, but it puts this Psalm so beautifully, and brings out such meaning that it is WELL worth the read.

Despite my worried nights, He has always seen us through. I pray you have a peaceful sleep tonight.






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Does this quiet book make you feel safe enough to sleep resting in the arms of the Almighty?

Wednesday 19 October 2016

Tahlia's Quiet Book - Brush Your Teeth Pages

A Brush Your Teeth quiet book page is a tonne of fun! A toothbrush was one of Tahlia's first Christmas presents, and she absolutely loved it. This page has also been a hit. It used to be her favourite page when she was about two and a half. It stayed her favourite for a long time.






I made the toothbrush, toothpaste and cup using part of Stephanie's Brush Your Teeth quiet book template from Imagine Our Life. At the time I was just getting into quiet book making and sewed a plastic piece from a folder cover in between the two felt layers for the toothbrush and toothpaste in an attempt to strengthen them. It worked OK, but I have since discovered thick stiffened felt from Spotlight. I would definitely use that instead if I ever make it again. I would also use that for the white brush bristles as our toothbrush has unfortunately fulfilled it's purpose in Tahlia's own mouth quite a bit and become a bit sad and soggy. A small price to pay for the amount of fun she was rewarded with!

Mum and I made the mouth together. I did the teeth freehand on the machine, but I gave an example to give you an idea of what I did (or what I would try to do if I did it again and wanted a new improved version) plus my Mum's template for the mouth. As you can see in the picture, my teeth are very uniform unlike the example I gave in the template. Once you have followed the instructions on the template, cut down between the teeth and turn them inside out before pinning them on the page and placing the mouth over the top to get the positioning right. Sew them down and then sew the mouth on top to cover the gummy sections. Thanks heaps once again Mum!!







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Who is glad you don't have teeth like this mouth?!!