Getting Started

Hello,
Come with me and I'll show you how to make an awesome Quiet Book!
When you are ready to make a Quiet Book, think of the materials that you will use. Felt pages & pieces and hand sewing will not last. And muslin takes too much time to draw onto. Put your time and effort into one of my durable and beautiful Quiet Books. These photos and instructions can show you how to make a professional yet handmade book with my preprinted heavy duty pellon pages and pieces. Most Quiet Book pages are small. My pages are 9 1/2" x 11" and have more activities on each page. My books are also washable! Read my instructions to find out how. I recommend that you read these instructions all the way through before you begin your Quiet Book.

 General Materials Needed
#65 Weight Heavy Duty Pellon (this weight can be hard to find, I sell it by the yard), Heavy Duty Wonder-Under (I also sell this), #809 Decor-Bond (from pellon which I also sell), Fabric Markers (Marvy brand Bold Tip are my favorites and can be purchased at craft stores and online), Fabric Crayons, Iron, 3/4" Hook & Loop sew on Velcro, Threads, Fabric and Felt Scraps, Medium Rick-Rack, 1/4" Eyelets & Eyelet Tool and Hammer. USE YOUR COUPONS!

Choose Your Pages
Step 1 - Choose the pages you would like to make for your book. You can purchase pages from my web site in 10 page packets and/or individual pages. I currently have 114 to choose from. My Quiet Book Covers will hold up to 18 pages depending on the pages that you choose. You will need an even number of pages. If your pages have creases in them from folding, iron them using spray starch. I have chosen "Heavenly Father's creations" and "Look in my Tummy" as sample pages.

Outlining Pages
Step 2 - Outline pellon pages and pellon pieces using Fabric Markers. Note: fabric markers are wet and can bleed. Let different colors dry a few minutes when coloring next to each other. Also start coloring the page from the top and work your way down. This will avoid smearing the ink on your page with your arm. 

Coloring Pages and Pieces
Step 3 - Color pages and pieces using Fabric Markers and or Fabric Crayons. I like to test the color of the markers and crayons on a separate piece of pellon before coloring onto the page.

Heat Setting Crayons
Step 4 - If you use Fabric Crayons you will need to heat set the color. First brush off the page with your hand then place a piece of paper in between the pellon page/pieces and iron.
 Most Fabric markers do not need to be heat set. 
Look at the paper.You can see where I have colored the pages and pieces with Fabric Crayons.

Cutting and Fusing Pellon and Wonder-Under
Step 5 - Cut 51" of heavy duty #65 pellon. Cut three 20" pieces of heavy duty wonder-under. Place one of the wonder-under pieces onto the pellon as shown above with the glue side(webbing) touching the pellon. Iron onto the paper side of the wonder-under. Repeat with the other two wonder-under pieces. Let cool several hours or over night. Peel off paper backing. You should now have a large piece of fused pellon/wonder-under to reinforce page pieces, fabrics and felts.

Reinforcing Pages and Page Pieces 
(4 lacing cards and "Jonah" finger puppet)
These Instructions Have Been Changed
Read Carefully
Step 6 - Page Pieces - Place page pieces onto the glue side of the fused pellon/wonder-under. Cut a matching piece of pellon/wonder-under for each page piece. Iron the pellon/wonder-under onto the backside of the page pieces. I call this reinforcing. Page pieces should now have 3 layers, printed pellon page - wonder-under - pellon. Place the pieces (lacing cards) onto the glue side again. Cut a matching piece of pellon/wonder-under and iron on the back side. Your page pieces (lacing cards) should now have 5 layers, printed pellon - wonder-under - pellon - wonder-under - pellon. Most page pieces are reinforced twice.
If wonder-under (glue) is not sticking to pellon there are only three reasons why, either the pellon needs to be ironed longer, or there is no wonder-under in between, or on a very rare occasion you might have a bad batch of wonder-under. I sell a high quality of wonder-under.
Read page instructions to finish "Jonah" finger puppet.
Backside of Pages - Reinforce the backside of all pages with the #809 pellon.

Finish Lacing Cards
Step 7 - Cut away gray lines on all four sides of the lacing cards. Using a straight stitch sew around all edges of each card.
Punch holes into pellon cards where indicated on patterns. I like to use the 1/4" "Fiskars" brand hole punch.
Fold pellon corners where needed to reach holes. Then iron cards using water or starch to get creases out.

Lacing Card and Whale Pockets
Step 8 - Cut out paper pocket patterns. Cut a piece of fabric for lacing cards pocket and a piece of gray felt for whale pocket as shown above.
Reinforce the fabric and felt by cutting a matching piece of pellon/wonder-under and ironing. Iron the fabric pocket from the fabric side. Iron the felt pocket from the pellon side. Felt will melt if it is directly ironed onto.
Pin paper pocket patterns onto fabric and felt. Cut out. 
Using a zig-zag stitch, sew around all edges of the fabric pocket.
Using s straight stitch, top stitch the top of fabric pocket. Sew pocket onto page where indicated -----.
Back stitch pocket corners well.
Center zipper onto back side of whale pocket as shown. Sew zipper into place. Cut the top side of felt whale pocket for zipper as shown. Use a black fabric marker or sew a button on for whale eye.  
Sew whale pocket onto page where indicated ------.

Other Sample Pages 
Here are two other sample pages. Left page of "Now I know my ABC's" and left page of "Oh! Where is my head?" Color pages and pieces (animal heads). Reinforce the back side of pages as shown above. Pages should now have 3 layers, printed pellon page - wonder-under - pellon. Reinforce page pieces (animal heads and ABC letter fabrics) twice as shown above. Animal heads should now have 5 layers, printed pellon - wonder-under - pellon - wonder-under - pellon. ABC letter fabrics should now have 5 layers, fabric - wonder-under - pellon - wonder-under - pellon. Cut out fabric letters using paper letter patterns. Cut out animal heads leaving a 1/16"-1/8" pellon boarder (bubble cutting). Using a zig-zag stitch sew hook velcro pieces onto pages where indicated. Sew around all sides of hook velcro. Using a straight stitch center and sew loop velcro pieces onto the back side of animal heads and fabric letters.   

Decorate Pages and Page Pieces
Optional and Fun: decorate pages and page pieces using small & medium size buttons, baby rick-rack, 1/16" ribbons, fabric markers, scrap booking stamps, yarn, jute etc... Use your imagination! Note: after sewing buttons onto page or page pieces, hot glue the back sides of threads.

Sewing Pages Back to Back
Step 9 - Make sure all pockets and velcro pieces are sewn onto pages before sewing pages back to back. Cut away gray lines on pages. Pin pages back to back. Trim all sides again.
Place medium size rick-rack in between pages. Note: folded rick-rack at the beginning. Using a zig-zag stitch sew pages together with rick-rack in between pages on three sides.
                                                          Ease Rick-rack around corners.
At the end of the third side fold rick-rack inside pages as at the beginning. Sew fourth side with no rick-rack.

Punch Holes and 1/4" Eyelets
Step 10 - Place the paper templet onto the side of page without the rick-rack. Mark holes. Punch 3 holes.These page holes will match up to my Quiet Book Covers.
1/4" eyelets have two halves. A taller half and a shorter half. Insert the taller half of the eyelet into one of the holes on the "Heavenly Father's creations" page. This is the right page. 
Turn the page over to "Look in my Tummy". This is the left page. Insert the shorter half of eyelet over the taller half. Place eyelet tool into the eyelet and hit with a hammer. Repeat for the other two eyelets.



Insert Jonah finger puppet and a treat inside the whale.
Add a 36" shoelace for the lacing cards.

Look at your beautiful finished pages 
that will last a long time! 

Choose a Cover from over 50 Different Fabrics
Including 10 Different LDS Fabrics

The mirror has sticky back velcro onto the back of it. So it can be taken on and off of the page.
All of my star fabric is sewn onto the page with a zig zag stitch.
I couldn't find a baby mirror so I used a make up compact 
I added large star buttons so that I could have shooting stars.
Hope this photo will help

8 comments:

  1. Wow you have done a great job, your instructions were good and I read them carefully but the pics are great! I actually did pretty good! good tips for finishing up.

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  2. I have a quiet book I made for my children many years ago, made on heavy duty pellon. I have lost several of the pieces from a couple of pages over the years. One of my pages is very similar to your page "Heavenly Father's Creations" page. Mine says "What can you create?" above the same pic you have, but the pic is drawn on the pocket. Under the pic/pocket are the words "God's Creations." I'm trying to find the original pattern so I can make the pieces I've lost. Can you tell me where you got the pattern for the pic on this page, as it may be from the original pattern I used? I would appreciate it oh, so very much!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Richelle,
      I know the patterns that you are talking about because I have used them also many years ago. All the of Quiet Book patterns that you see on this BLOG or my web site are my own drawings.You can purchase the lacing cards pre printed onto the heavy duty pellon for $3.50. The pattern book that you are talking about has been out of print for many years. let me know if you would like to pruchase mine.
      Thanks,
      Linda

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  3. Trying to understand the directions on the heart in the reverence book. Not understanding what you cut out. I have 2 heart fabrics? I know this page is about braiding the legs and arms but where does the printed face go? I'm in Calif. So I couldn't take a class or I would

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    Replies
    1. LOVE ONE ANOTHER HEART,
      If I had a photo of this page I would send it to you. But I don't have one yet.
      Using pattern cut out a large fabric heart of fabric-wonder-under - pellon. Sew heart onto the page where indicated. Cut out pellon face heart, place over fabric heart, sew face heart onto fabric heart inserting yarn arms and legs as you sew.
      Thanks,
      Linda

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  4. Thanks that really helped me understand this more clearly. I have 3 of your kits and hope to make books for each of my married children with grandchildren. I am a little confused on the I am like a Star shining bright page? I have 2 star fabrics and a small mirror. Does the mirror shine through an opening or is the large star more like a pocket to keep the mirror in? Love your designs and ideas! I made a huge quite book for my daughter many years ago and taught a child development class where we also made them. Using pellon and wonder under is SO much better than muslin, felt etc than! That daughter is now 37! Yikes! Thank you so much for your help. Like I said earlier " wish I could take a class and learn more of your tricks!"

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  5. Look at the Star Page above. Hope this photo will help.
    Thanks, for your question.
    Linda

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  6. Awesome thank you so.....much for the picture. This really really helps!!!

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