Felt Board in a Fabric Quiet Book

Last year I went in another quiet book swap. This one was outer space themed, and since I had previously bought a space themed felt board play set, I wanted to include it in the book.

The pages of the book are fabric. Adding felt pages would have posed a problem when putting the book together. Felt is rather thick and would have made turning the pages right side out difficult. So this was my solution: I simply cut felt squares slightly smaller than the page and sewed them onto it, allowing room for a fabric border and the seam allowance.

Since I wanted a larger amount of room for the felt board set than one page allowed, I repeated the process on another page. This created another problem of how to store the felt board set pieces in a pocket without creating a large bump behind the felt board. Also, I wanted to be able to access the pocket without turning the page and having all the pieces fall off whilst playing with it. I solved this problem, but it needed it's own post to explain, so stay tuned!

I used a striped fabric for the felt board pages, and I purposely laid the stripes in opposite directions on the border. I think it looks good that way. A plain felt page would have looked rather boring if I had not included enough space between the felt and seam allowance for a border. I don't think the border puts a border on the imagination. At least I hope it doesn't. I probably would not have liked it as a child. I was a very fussy child and liked everything to be as close to real as possible. Happily, Tahlia does not seem to share my quips about toys and realism.

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Do you think the felt board in a fabric quiet book works?

Genesis 7 - The Flood Quiet Book Page

In Genesis chapter 7, the Flood rages, but Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives, along with the animals are all kept safe inside the ark.

Memory Verse: "The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters." Genesis 7:18

Materials needed to create The Flood quiet book page:

• A4 felt background sheet. I used a bright blue.
• Betty Lukens Felt book 07 Noah's Ark available at Koorong.
• sewing thread to best match the page
• scissors!

Cut out all the pieces for this page, and the page itself from the set. Cut it out as it is, not in the shape of an ark as suggested in the instructions. The Betty Lukens FAQ section has posted a cutting tips PDF.

Sew the page onto the background felt along three sides, leaving the top edge open to form a pocket. Pop the pieces inside (or better yet, play with them)!

Finished!

Difficulty Level = Easy, plus No Sew version.

One of the easiest quiet book pages ever!
Just use hot glue wherever sewing is recommended for a no sew version.

Key Learning Areas and Skills

• Genesis 7 - This page tells the story of how Noah and his family were kept safe in the ark during the Flood
• Imaginative Play - Toss Noah's ark around on the wild waters and create a storm
• 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

Genesis 7

Devotional

What scientists teach about how fossils were created has always bothered me. When a sheep dies in a paddock or a kangaroo becomes roadkill, they don't become fossils. Very special circumstances have to exist for a fossil to form, and the fact that fossils are found all over Earth suggests that a global flood is likely responsible. Often, fossils will form of animals in the process of doing things, such as this fish in the process of swallowing another fish for dinner. They were caught completely unaware and buried instantly. Sounds like evidence of a catastrophic flood to me.

Image Source

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How would you have handled the trip in the Ark?

Pillowcase Quiet Book Closure

I am always trying to think of imaginative ways to keep a quiet book closed that don't take a lot of effort to sew. If it also helps to keep stray pieces inside it's a big bonus. So here is my next quiet book closure idea which I have named the "Pillowcase"!

It is easy to see that I got the idea from a pillowcase... I made a flap on the back page from rib knit fabric which folds over to enclose the pages and front cover and helps to keep small pieces from falling out (Heaven forbid). I used a folded piece of rib knit so that there would be no need for a seam along the turning edge that might impede the ability to fold it over (and might look unattractive). I did put a pin tuck close to either corner, but I don't think I would recommend it. Since the rib fabric was already doubled it made it rather hard to sew due to it's thickness, and because rib knit is stretchy and the whole reason I used it, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be necessary. Although if your quiet book is very thick, maybe it would be an idea to try. It might work better if you put a separate pin tuck slightly over from each other in the top and bottom layers of the rib knit fabric instead of pin tucking the two layers together like I did - who knows why.

This method is really easy for kids to open. That may be a positive or negative depending on the children you are designing a quiet book for! I don't like Tahlia to play with them without my supervision yet, so I store them out of reach.

I like the look of it and it saved me from having to do any decoration on the front cover. You could easily put the flap on the front cover instead so it folds over the back if you preferred.

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How do you like the pillowcase closure idea?

Vashti's Quiet Book - My Sister's Pages

These are the super cute quiet book pages that my sister made for her daughter Vashti!

A caterpillar...

There is a light green peek-a-boo leaf on the top...

And a pocket for the pieces behind the darker middle leaf...

A weather page... the cloud and hot air balloon basket are both pockets...

A rainbow page...

A sandcastle and bucket page - template from Imagine Our Life Sandcastle Quiet Book Page....

And lastly, some shoe laces to learn to tie... template from Pops and Podge Quiet Book Page 3 -  Tie The Laces...

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Which pages would you like to include in your own quiet book?

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?