Quiet /Busy book For Big Boy

Finally I can share with you my quiet book or busy book I made for my big boy.  I made one for his little sister and finished it just in time for us going to Florida and after realising I had spent so much time and effort on his little sister's book Finlay thought he would like one for himself (he can't see green cheese!)  I did include some superhero figures in Eliza's which I knew he would love so I transferred these to his and got to work on ideas for an older boy's book.  He will be 9 this year so he is beyond learning to do buttons and laces etc  - he is beyond the whole idea of the book actually but I felt bad that he wanted something like Eliza's and I loved making hers and seeing her use hers so I didn't mind making another one.

The front cover I decided to go with superheroes.  Finlay is obsessed with heroes - you may remember his Superman obsession - there is something wrong when Finlay is not in some hero dress up or another and even if he doesn't have the outfit he can be found in a vest that is too small with a headband of his sister's round his neck and a coat hanger hanging down his back = Hawkeye!! Resourceful :)   So incase you don't know these badges are Captain America, Superman, Spiderman, Batman and Green Lantern

As usual I spent LOTS of time on pinterest looking for ideas for big boy quiet books but at the time I looked there weren't many - I looked again recently though and there were lots more!  I was nearly finished though so I stuck to my original plans.  

Finlay like a lot of 8 year olds loves video games of all kinds.  Since I had the felt heroes from Eliza's book I went from there.  The first page of the quiet book is "Choose Your Character" like when playing the wii... 

A little hero city scene

 I made a mini book for the characters to stay in

Each attached with a little bit of velcro so they can be removed to fit on the little Finlay 

                                                 Spiderman

 Mario and Captain America

                                             Batman and Iron Man

And a little zipped pocket on the inside front cover for hero accessories like masks, capes, hats and moustaches :)

I hand sewed and glued the heroes using felt - Spiderman was the most intricate with lots of sewing but he is also my favourite :) 

Next page I went with was "Choose Your Country" - again when playing video games you are often asked for your country or language so I thought Finlay could learn the European country flags - or even just their names for a start :) 

Lift the flags and you find out the name of the country - pretty dodgy handsewn country names but he can read them so they will do :) I just used felt and glue for the little flags and sewed across the top of each flag onto the page so they could be lifted up to see the name of the country.

The next page is similar - "Choose Your Continent"

Under each lift the flap is the Continent name.  I plan to add the names of the seas on here as well - possibly loose so he can place them where he thinks they should go - and also some animals/mountains etc of note for each continent.  I saw this felt map but I had the idea before searching for this - I didn't see it used in another quiet book - I'm sure someone somewhere has done this but I've not seen it. 

My next thought for the "video game" book was are you right handed or left handed but couldn't think of anything suitable that would teach Finlay anything for this so I came up with the skeleton page 

Each name is attached with velcro so he can take them off and start again labelling the skeleton - I did sew on the little pocket but it is far too small for all the labels so only a few could stay in there - there is always the zipped pocket at the front of the book though.  Again I looked for a felt skeleton to copy online and found this one which I really liked but I knew I wanted to make a skeleton before searching - I didn't copy this from another quiet book.

Next I gave up on the video game lay out because I had no more ideas :) 

I put on a multiplication table because Finlay is learning all these just now.   

I called this "Multiplication" because this is one of the songs Finlay and Grandad danced to all the time when he was a little boy =) (by Bobby Darin)

Next page I did see a pin for (and here)

X and Os.  These have little magnets to keep them on both in the little X and Os and on the page - but they are not good :( They fall off when you lift the book up - they are good for playing the game but not for transporting - so these also stay in the front zip :) 

I also looked up felt fractions and came up with these

I was fed up of sewing writing by this stage so I used a paint that is actually for candles but I really wanted this finished so I just tried it out!  I then sabotaged it by leaning in it without meaning to oops - typical me really.

These are all attached by popper buttons so they can be removed and put together.

And that's it!  I could have done more I had more ideas but I spent so long on it - these things do take months!  Even though I worked on this at least an hour or two most nights.  

Like everything I do I just like to get on with it not spend time drawing it first and measuring it out so I just sit with my computer beside me and cut out shapes free style - the continents I just had a map on my computer in front of me (not the felt map I pinned - a real map) and cut the shape as best I could.  Not geographically correct I know and I apologise if I have missed some important nook or cranny out but I was going for the idea of the continent Finlay won't know if it is exactly right or not:) 

Same with the bones and the flags etc I just cut and stick I don't measure.  I don't have a printer so I can't even print templates out - I really need to invest in one and now I have bought myself some freezer paper I might just cut out some templates next time :) 

Finlay is really happy with his book and I am happy with it too - the pages this time are all felt and I didn't use my sewing machine once!  - I have a drama everytime I try to use it!  Combination of dodgy machine dodgy user I think.  I will practice - just not on a quiet book - they are time consuming at the best of times!

So what do you think of this "educational" quiet book? :)  

<<<<<<<<<<<<<More superhero felt creations >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

More sweet stuff

Another week has gone by without any real food to report on but more cakes and brownies :)

This time I made nutella swirl cupcakes.  I was ill and wanted cake but couldn't be bothered making icing - I hate that puff of icing sugar in my face everytime I make icing.  We make it all the time for cake orders so there is not much chance of me making it unless I am forced to these days.  Why is it soooo messy??

So I went with nutella swirl cupcakes so there was no need for icing - they are perfect without :)

I found the recipe from this pin but everything was measured in cups so I did what I could with that :) Recipe I used is below.  These cakes are made with a mixture of butter and oil - look how white the mix is!!

The nutella is added once the cakes are in their cases.  Melt the nutella slightly in the microwave to make it easier and swirl into the cakes - I don't think I put enough in I always want more nutella!  I didn't measure I just guessed as usual :)  

Here is one that came out with a nice swirl.  I ate them while still warm so they tasted amazing.  Cold ones later that night were also good the nutella stays soft in the middle and it is heavenly when you come across a big dollop :)


Another night I decided to make mini brownies.  My sister mentioned it and I couldn't get them out of my head so I had to make them.  Tiny little brownie bites.

These are the same recipe as I used on Christmas Craft night from this pin but this time I made them in the Pampered Chef mini-muffin tin. I didn't use cases this time because the mini muffin is non stick and works really well but these were not as good as the usual size ones - I will have to work on them :) Maybe baking them in a tiny case would help.

I love how small they are and a giant button fits perfectly on them

All of my posts have been about food recently!  I am still working very hard on my quiet book for my big boy since he wanted a book like his sister.  It will be finished very very soon.  I have worked on it almost every night of January and lots more before that!  They really are a labour of love.  I hadn't looked at pins for ages on quiet books but looked the other night and there are tons more ideas!!  I have my own ideas for Finlay's book but other people are so talented their sewing is amazing.  I wish I had more skill.  I have hand sewn all of this book because I can't face the sewing machine ever again!  One day I will look at it and see if it can be saved.  Until then I will keep on with my needle and thread....



Recipe for nutella swirl cupcakes (for non American cup users :) )
57g butter
56g rape seed oil
201g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
224g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup nutella - which I guessed :)

Beat butter oil and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together before adding half to butter. Mix slowly. Add milk and beat. Add rest of flour mixture and beat.   Divide between cases. Melt nutella in microwave in bursts until soft. Swirl nutella into cupcakes before baking at 180 ℃ for around 15 minutes.  Eat one or two (!?) while still warm you will love it!

Eliza's Quiet Book/Busy Book

I finished my quiet book for Eliza!!

After the palaver of learning to use a sewing machine I was on my way to making my quiet book pages:)

The "E" pops on and off

Little pocket on the inside cover for keeping bits and pieces

I will show you in the same order as the book but this was not the way I actually made the pages.  I did the simple ones first because I was scared of my more complicated ideas:) 

Little house on a hill with a tiny bell to ring

Open the door and take your shoes off

Inside the house are Finlay and Eliza 

I did mean to go back and give the little people faces but I only finished the book the NIGHT before leaving for our holiday to Florida so some things had to be missed out :)  The figures are attached with velcro and
                                             can be taken out of the house and moved around.  

Eliza's bedroom 

The cupboard doors open and the chest of drawers is a pocket for storing clothes.  The little curtains can also be opened and the little doll Eliza can go for a sleep under the covers.  There is also space under the
                                                   bed for any secrets she wants to hide there.

Next is the weather chart and flowers page (from this pin and this pin)

The bee button moves up and down to feed from the flower

The flowers can all be unbuttoned and colour matched to their button.

I hand sewed this page with the little felt pockets for
all the weather symbols to go into

 The weather can then be velcro-ed to the flowers page

Next page is the kitchen.  

Lots of this is machine sewn on.  All the cupboards open as storage for cups and plates and the drawers under the mixer is a little pocket to keep more little items.

The bowl from the mixer can be removed as inspired by this pin and Eliza can mix cookies and cupcakes for going into her oven

The toast comes out of the toaster and the washing machine opens so all the little outfits can be washed.  The oven opens for trays of cookies and cakes to be baked.

  

The fruit in the bowl can also be removed for the little dolls to get their 5-a-day

The fridge opens and there are little pockets inside and the milk velcroes to the door.  There are also little magnets inside and I plan to make fridge magnets to stick on the door but I don't want to make these too little that they could be swallowed.  I also need to make more food for the fridge - so far mummy needs to do a big shop she only has milk and tomatoes!


Next we head outside to the garden

 The shed door opens and the tools stay in here - a spade and a fork.  The wheelbarrow comes off and fits some vegetables inside..  There is 1 corn on the cob, 2 tatties, 3 leeks, 4 onions and 5 carrots to help Eliza learn to count when she is planting them or pulling them

Now it's time to hang that wet washing out...

  In the spring with new green leaves on the trees...

In the summer with flowers on the trees...








In autumn with orange leaves falling from the trees...












And in the winter with the snow on the trees.

All of the little flowers and leaves stay in the clouds

These ideas came from this pin and this pin

Next comes the alphabet page..

 Under each letter is a button beginning with that letter.
Some dodgy ones like "N" for numbers???  I couldn't find an N :(

Or a U/V/X/Y or Z :(:( Still on the hunt...

And finally the numbers page...

 Under each number are buttons corresponding to the number...

 8 little mice, 9 teddies and 10 flowers...

5 happy faces, 6 doggies and 7 pairs of shoes...

I did make a few little outfits for the little Eliza and here are some for her big brother Finlay...

 Spiderman

 Superman - his FAVOURITE  hero

 Batman

 Iron Man

 Captain America

Super Mario

So I finished this the night before we flew to Florida - it took a good few months and lots of patience mainly with my sewing machine.  Eliza loves the book but I was not ready for her to lose all the tiny pieces on the plane!  I was panicked every time she played with it.  Really the bits are too small for her she is only 2 and she can't do all the parts but she will grow into it.  Now we are home I let her play with it without supervising as closely as I did on holiday!  

Here she is putting little Eliza to bed before she gets put to her own bed

Finlay is jealous of his little sister's book but it is far too babyish for my big boy so I have some plans in the making for a big boy busy book.  I don't think I would do it the same way though.  This book is really thick with the batting in between each page and my sewing machine skills were really not up to that!  Don't look too closely at the pages they are really dodgy.  My thread broke every 5 minutes and now my machine is not working at all so a lot of the book was finished by hand after all.  So Finlay's book is going to have felt pages with no batting in between.  Hopefully that should mean it will be less work and much less stress!  I will keep you posted if I ever finish it but I have now got a blog to write as well as pins to pin and Christmas crafts to complete so that could be a while yet :) 

Thanks for reading...anyone else made a quiet book or busy book?  Mine doesn't really keep Eliza quiet but it does keep her busy!  And it keeps me busy collecting all the tiny pieces once she has finished with it :)