The secret to stop ribbons from fraying and ruining your hard work is a very easy one.
This technique will work on most ribbons - anything with a polyester component. It will not work for pure cotton ribbons.
Simply melt the edges with a match or candle. Hold the ribbon close to the flame but don't let it touch or it may catch on fire. It will shrivel slightly so you need to cut the length ever-so-slightly longer than needed. Do this over the sink or a surface that will not burn in case you need to drop a burning ribbon!
Candles are great for when you have a whole lot of ribbons to do - otherwise you may use a whole box of matches in one sitting.
Do you need to re-size a template to fit your quiet book page size? There are so many ways you can adjust a printable download to fit.
1. Adjust the printing options from your computer.
Keep in mind that there are different ways to print from your computer -
Often you can print directly from internet file storage such as Google drive
You may choose to download an image or PDF and print directly from your computer image storage
After downloading, you can also choose to open your file in Adobe or your Word processor and print from there
Again, you can download your image and open it in Paint, Photoshop or another editing program where you can edit and then print
In the above example from Google Drive, by clicking on the more settings section, there are four ways to adjust the size of your file:
a) You can adjust the paper size by choosing another option - A5 will print on A4 paper at half the size, etc.
b) You can adjust the pages per sheet. If you choose 4 pages per sheet and also choose to print four copies, you will get four copies of your file - one printed in each quarter of your page.
c) You can adjust the scale using the fit to page box - this adjusts the size slightly and may prevent some edges getting cut off.
d) You can adjust the scale using the number box with arrows. This adjusts as a percentage of the original image and will allow you to reduce and enlarge the image (by going above 100). It is easy to adjust an image to the exact size you wish using this method.
2. Photocopiers often have a reduce and enlarge button which you can adjust using a percentage value.
3. Of course if you only have an A4 printer or photocopier and need to print in A3 or another larger size, you could take the image into a printing service shop and ask them to enlarge it for you.
I was inspired to write this post because someone in a quiet book sew-along I am running is making A5 sized pages. That is half the size of my normal templates, so I thought I might be able to make it easier with some instructions on how to change the size of your printables. I often use these methods when I use a colouring page as a quiet book pattern, such as when I made my Psalm 46 - Be Still and Know that I Am God Tea Set Quiet Book Page. I printed multiple tea cups at a reduced size on one sheet of paper adjusting the printing options on my computer using option b) above.
This time however, the instructions for gluing pockets on the reverse of the pages has been followed.
When the book is put together this means that all pages are stacked on top of each other facing up and then bound. The original instructions ask you to hole punch the felt and run string through the stack, but this book has been bound very wisely ignoring that portion of the instructions!
Instead, it looks like the stack has been hand stitched together first and then the tightly fitting hand stitched cover has been attached to the stack. This allows decorative stitching to be used on the outside and solid-hold stitching to be used on the spine underneath.
My other posts on how to bind quiet books include:
Use the template to cut out four pieces of felt in coordinating sun colours. If your page size is smaller than mine, you can cut the template in half and make a quarter sun or use the smaller four layers and leave out the largest one. To make this page for the sun of righteousness, you need four layers only. If you are making a sun page in general, feel free to use all five layers.
If you are making the Bible version, you need all four ends of the shoelaces but one long length will suffice for a general sun page.
Cut up enough coordinating ribbons to fill the top edges of each layer, leaving room for a shoelace at one end of each. Melt the edges of your ribbons to prevent fraying.
Pin the ribbons leaving room for the shoelace under the yellow layer first. Before sewing them down, thread the shoelace through the ribbons to ensure you cut it at the correct length. Melt the end of the shoelace to prevent fraying. Sew down the shoelace end underneath the layer before sewing down the felt on top of the ribbons which will secure them at the same time. Go backwards and forwards a couple of times in places where you are using thin ribbons to ensure they get caught in the stitching. Repeat this process for each layer, finishing with the smallest - alternate ends that the shoelace is located. Some ribbons thread easier from one direction than the other so ensure they are facing the right side for the shoelace location on that layer.
The first half explains how to sew this page and
the second half explains the spiritual significance.
Finished!
Difficulty Level = Easy.
Cutting the semi-circles straight across the bottom edge will enable you to line them up easier, however, it may add too much bulk to the lower edge of the sun where they are all piled up.
You may be able to use the sections cut out of the centers of the semi-circles if you want to swap the order of colours around and make a second page at the same time.
Using a lunch box with dividers can help you get organised for a TV pinning session on the couch.
Key Learning Areas and Skills
Malachi 4 - Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings, the tassels remind us of the commandments
Threading - thread the shoelaces through the sun's rays
Counting - count the number of rays on each layer
Fine Motor Skills - all quiet books encourage fine motor skill development
Hand-eye Co-ordination - all quiet books encourage hand-eye co-ordination
In Numbers 15, God told Israel to make fringes on their garments and to put tassels on the four corners. The tassels had to have a blue thread running through them - so the shoelaces are meant to represent the tassels and the sun's ribbon rays are indicative of the fringes. The blue thread was to remind them to keep the commandments - something which seems a little odd don't you think? How does a blue thread remind you of the commandments??
The rounded shape depicting the tablets of the 10 commandments was probably introduced in about the middle ages by Christian artists.
Aron de Chaves \ de Chavez. Painter at Amsterdam in 1700.
However, both the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds (Jewish commentaries on scripture) report that the shape was square. It was half as thick as it was wide and high so when both tablets were placed together they formed a cube. They were made from sapphire stone, which is why a blue thread is supposed to remind you of the blue stone of the commandments.
Jesus would have worn a prayer shawl similar to the one below. The word for the tassels in Hebrew is the same word used in Malachi for "wings". The woman who had an issue of blood in Matthew, Mark, and Luke must have known this prophecy and believed Jesus to be the Sun of Righteousness therein. So she figured if she could just touch His tassels she would be healed. She was!
A tallit, or prayer shawl with fringes and
tassels - like Jesus would have worn
There were many people in the crowd no doubt jostling Jesus, but her touch drew power. Faith made the difference. It wasn't fancy - I doubt she even told anyone her plans. Her faith was silent until she had a story to tell.
Not long after I had Tahlia, my good friend was having a baby shower. Mum had recently reminded me about the felt quiet books we had when we were kids - bought ones, but I remember them being lots of fun.
I decided to ask everyone at the baby shower to make a quiet book page which Mum and I would sew together at the end. We ended up doing a lot more work than that, but it turned out so well that I became a little obsessed with them... and that's how all this started!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY REMY - YOU HAVE TURNED 5!!
You are such a sweet, lovely girl and Tahlia loves having you in her life.
Thanks so much for inspiring Faith and Felt Obsession and The Bible Quiet Book Project.
Over 5 Years in the making...
The templates:
I can't remember where I got the birds for the front cover - it may have been a colouring page
Mr Potato Head is by Jocelyn from Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows
the palm trees are by Laura from the blog Bugs and Fishes
I also can't find the where I got the dragon from either - sorry
