~quiet book~

When my Mom would bring a new baby home
from the hospital she would be sure to
have a special gift for the rest of us kids.
These gifts were always hand made.
To this day I remember what they were and I
still have one of them.
It's a stuffed dog named Fido.
It's got a stitch mark going
around it's entire head because my older sister
ripped his head off once when she got mad at me.
Mom sewed it back on and it has looked like a
post-surgical patient ever since that day.

I wanted to carry this tradition over for EJ
when we bring the baby home from the hospital.

I decided to make him a quiet book.
Had I known the amount of time and work I
would put into it before I started,
I most likely would have gone with something else entirely.
TONS OF WORK!

Turn the pages and have a look:
Keep in mind a couple things....
1) I do not claim to be a professional photographer.
2) This was my first time working with fabric paint
and the first quiet book I have ever made.
3) In some of the pictures the pages look crooked,
they aren't really...it's from the thickness of the book once
you start folding out the pages.

Here is the front of the book....obviously.

First page: I blurred his name in the pic
for privacy but I think you can tell it's blocks
with the letters of his name that he can take off
and put back on to spell his name.

2nd page: pizza he can build and take apart.
I think this will be one of his favorites!

3rd page: a little doll he can dress.

Mom and I may have gone a bit overboard on the wardrobe.
Thanks for your help with these Mom.

4th page: a clock with hands that move.

5th page: a rocket that goes to the moon with "Lunar Jim".

Lunar Jim and Rover come out of the rocket too.

6th page: a mailbox with letters for him.

He can take the letters in and out and put the flag up.

7th & 8th page (the center of the book): a train track

The train can go through the bridge and the signs stand up.
The little pouches hold the trains.

9th page: a fishing pond.

The little fish eyes are metal hooks and I
attached a small magnet to the end of the "fishing pole"
that picks up the fish.

10th page: a Christmas tree to decorate.
The ornaments come on and off.
This was the very first page I did....
I know the writing is sketchy.
My Mom insists this is what gives the book
character and makes it special.
I think I agree.

11th page: build-a-bot.
robot body parts that allow him to build
different types of robots.
These were from a sticker book that I took
and laminated each individual sticker and
put Velcro on the back of.

12th page: a tool box with tools.
I wish I would have moved the tool box
down a bit. Initially I thought I was going
to put writing on the bottom too but decided
against it. I still might.

The tools come out and the pliers even open and close.

13th page: pictures of our family.
I left a spot for the baby's picture and a
family picture of all of us once the baby arrives.

He can take the laminated pictures off and put
them back on according to shape. I thought this would also
be a good way to get him familiar with the
way our names are spelled.

14th page: a pocket with some sticker books and/or
a tablet and pencil/color crayons.

The back cover of the book.
I traced his hands on a separate sheet of paper, cut them out
and then traced with fabric paint.
I thought this would be a cute way to document how
small he was when I made this and also help him
to learn his right and left sides.

I was hoping that the book would be thin enough
to just make a cover that was self binding in some way
(zipper, Velcro, etc.) but once I got the pages all together
and put the Pellon in between each page.....
it was way too thick!
So-I made a bag for it....messenger style
with his initials on the flap.
The bag is made out of some red corduroy that
I've had for years (and years and years) and
the strap is made out of denim, which I've also
had for years (and years and years).

I think EJ will love it and I CAN'T WAIT to give it to him.
Truth be told, I had a blast making it.
Once I started thinking of page ideas, I went wild and
couldn't stop. I have enough ideas to make about 2 or 3
more books....but I probably won't.