Today I would like to interview someone special - my five year old niece Mischa, who decided she wanted to make her own felt book. I sent my sister, Mischa's Mum, some questions for her to ask Mischa from me. She has clarified my questions in places below and sometimes I have included these remarks. I have tried not to do too much editing whilst making it flow well for reading purposes.
Carissa D: Mischa, you have made my heart swell with your desire to make a felt book, and it has turned out incredibly sweet. Why did you want to make a felt book?
Mischa: I thought it would be nice to have a look at it myself, at the pictures of it.
Carissa D: Can you tell me about the cover page?
Mischa: The front cover? Oh, a rainbow!
Mischa's Mum: Does it have any writing on it?
Mischa: "Mischa's Felt Book".
My sister informs me that Mischa kept saying "Mischa's Felt Book - no writing" when they were titling the book. She thought that is what Mischa wanted to call the book, but thought better of it and left that part out, checking that she was happy with the end result.
Mischa's Mum: Yeah, "Mischa's Felt Book - No Writing" (quoting Mischa from the labelling experience).
Mischa: It doesn't say no writing.
Mischa's Mum: No, but is that what you wanted it to say?
Mischa: No.
We'll come back to this topic later in the interview...
Carissa D: I see there are no bees on the bee page. Why is that?
Mischa: 'Cause I didn't want to make one.
Mischa's Mum: Too hard, or take too long, or just don't really like bees?
Mischa: Don't really want to make a bee.
Mischa's Mum: Yeah, were you worried that it might sting you?
Mischa: No!
I have offered Mischa two bees that Remy's Nanny made when we were making Remy's Quiet Book - My First One (but then decided against using them and opted for a bee button instead) to put in her felt book. She loves them, and who wouldn't!
Carissa D: The flowers are all beautiful. What do you like best about your book?
Mischa: Maybe the owl - it's cute. It looks cute when it's winking.
Carissa D: Which parts did you sew yourself?
Mischa: The stars.
Mischa's Mum: Oh yeah, you did, didn't you. How was that?
Mischa: Fun.
My sister says that the stars are a special stitch setting on her sewing machine. She says Mischa also hand sewed the buttons on and that she cut out half of the owl, but that the flowers were already cut. Mischa did some of all the sewing (except the rainbow), either guiding with her hands or pushing the foot (not both at the same time).
Carissa D: The other pages were inspired by things you found in Mummy's stash, but the owl was made from scratch. Why did you want to make an owl page?
Mischa: Cause I thought it would look nice.
Mischa's Mum: Yeah, what do you like about owls?
Mischa: 'Cause they look cute.
Carissa D: I really like how you paid attention to detail on the owl's eye and chose a sun patterned felt to get the effect of a real eye. What gave you that idea?
Mischa: Well, I didn't really get the idea of it, I just found it. It would be the right thing for the felt book, for the eye for the owl.
Carissa D: Why did you want the owl to be winking?
Mischa: 'Cause I thought it would look cute.
Carissa D: I have also noticed that there are no activities in this book. Is that for a reason?
Mischa: No.
Mischa's Mum: No, no reason?
Mischa: It's just I don't really want much writing in it cause I don't really know how to read.
Mischa's Mum: Oh, I understand, she doesn't want much writing in it cause she doesn't know how to read! That makes sense. Um, and what about things to do, like you didn't want the bee lacing thing or anything?
Mischa: Yeah, I didn't want the bee lacing. No.
Mischa's Mum: Why didn't you want anything to do in it?
Mischa: 'Cause I can't read it, what to say.
Mischa's Mum: Yeah okay, so you think activities have to involve writing?
Mischa: No, I just don't really want... (Here they get interrupted and we will all have to wonder what the answer to this question might have been).
Carissa D: Which ways are you thinking about using to bind your felt book and do you have plans for any more pages?
Mischa: No.
Mischa's Mum: Nup, it's finished is it?
Mischa: Yep.
Mischa's Mum: And how did you want to join it together? (This was before we joined it). Do you like the way we joined it, or would you think another way might be better?
Mischa: I thought another way might be better.
Mischa's Mum: Oh, what way did you think to join it would be good?
Mischa: Well, like we don't have the right wire around through the button holes.
Mischa's Mum: Put wire around through the holes? Oh yeah, do you like the rings on the other ones, or just wire?
The "other ones" are the two books made for her sister Vashti and herself by my sister and I (and some friends in some cases). You can see some of the pages at Vashti's Quiet Book - Front Cover and Crown Pages, Vashti's Quiet Book - My Sister's Pages, (I haven't posted anything on Mischa's one yet) and an example of how I bound them in my post How To Ring Bind Felt Quiet Books - Free A4 Buttonhole Guide.
Mischa: I just like the rings on the other ones.
Mischa's Mum: So you did want it to have rings on it?
Mischa: Yeah, but it's too late now, isn't it.
Mischa's Mum: Oh no, you could still put rings in them. Instead of the - just take the ribbon out and put rings in, couldn't you?
Mischa: Yeah, but it doesn't really matter.
But of course I have given her some rings so she can change it over.
Carissa D: Thanks so much for sharing your adorable felt book with us Mischa. I look forward to seeing your next creation.
My sister tells me Mischa has said that next she would like to make a dressing gown for toys - an actual one, not a felt page.
