Favorite Gift...Love, Grandma

BEST. GIFT. EVER.

Only...he wasn't in my stocking!

It's his stocking...and he didn't quite know what to think.

In fact, poor guy started crying right after this...

All summer I thought about a quiet book that I wanted to make 

little 'jelly bean'.  I 'pinned' all kinds of quiet book ideas to my Pinterest board.

But, after looking at all the beautiful & intricate designs, 

I decided to start with a texture book.

Since he won't be able to do any of the buttons, zippers, etc. for some time,

I'll make a quiet book later when he can actually use it.

It seemed smarter for now to make him a book that he could touch & feel.

With lots of interesting colors and textures.

I gathered all of my fabrics that I thought I may want to include...

threw them on the floor in color families and just looked at them

trying to brainstorm ideas for each page.

Whenever I make a project...I brainstorm on paper first.

I had lots and lots of ideas...but, I didn't know which direction to go or where to start.

I looked at those piles for days!

There were TONS of ideas on the internet for quiet books...

but for texture books....crickets...chirping...do you hear them?

I absolutely knew what I wanted to do for the cover,

so I started there.  I made it like I did the faux chenille quilt.

I finally decided to do Rainbow colors with shapes and lots of texture.

I used my cookie cutters for the 1st page, photocopied them

and then traced them onto my material to adhere it to the fabric.

Page one complete...conveying the overflowing LOVE I have for Jelly Bean!!

I was going to make the heart on the heart puffy...but I forgot!  bummer....

Orange pinwheels...easy peasy!

Since I didn't make the heart puffy, I decided to make the sun puffy!

It was fun to do.

The whole project was really challenging!

It was all coming out of my head and I had to figure out how to get 

the plan from paper onto fabric pages!!

When I ironed on the sun, I left some of the paper on so I wouldn't iron the whole thing down.

Stuffed it through the opening and then ironed it down the rest of the way.

And zig zagged around the edge of the sun.

Random baby shot!! 

He's so cute!!!!!

Preston went and got his cow to show him.

We were comparing it to the one Preston had given Hayden.

This page was my biggest disappointment.

I think I used too many gumballs...

Kind of blah...live & learn!

I was so glad that he didn't have a longer name!!!

I also knew that I wanted some ribbon tags on the outside of the pages.

I had to remember to pin them in the insides before I sewed the pages together.

This was a super fun page to do!!

While I was sewing down the 'u'...I panicked!

I had to sew certain colors on certain pages and they had to be going in the right direction.

I thought I had sewed the KSU on upside down...

But, I didn't.  Panicked for nothing...whew!!!

I also knew what I wanted for the black/white page.

Mini-quilt like page ...then the idea came to have ribbon surrounding the edges 

and separating the different squares.

This was and may still be his favorite page.

He was drawn to the K - S - U page!!

I knew I wanted to finish with a Rainbow...

seemed fitting.

I also wanted to use my machine to embroider a message to my grandson!

1st time I've ever done this!

I love the texture on the inside of the cover.

One of those pages that I think he will like to rub his hand over.

I think he liked it.

I had a hard time trying to get a picture of him not moving!

Note to self:  make the cover 1st, wash it and then cut out your pages!!!

All in all...for never having made a book like this before,

it didn't turn out too bad.

It was made with lots of LOVE...

so that makes up for any imperfections, right??! 

And this guy and his momma...

are coming to stay with us for a few days next week!!!

I CAN'T Wait!!

:)

Do you think my camera will overheat???