Although, I'm kind of selfish, so I might just save it for my own children one day :)
I also entered this in our class art show and I was one of three winners, so I didn't have to take the final! It was a major stress-reliever, to say the least.
This is the cover. I spent 10 minutes trying to rotate this photo and nothing was working for me, so I got pouty and frustrated and left it this way. :)
I need to add something to the front of this book. I was thinking "Shh..." in the same baby blue color as the strap, which had a velcro circle on it but fell off during my move home. I will be replacing that ASAP. The fabric for the book cover and the strap was just something Granny had laying around, and I picked these fabrics because as you all know, I'm obsessed with pattern mixing!
The first page of the book will help children learn their shapes. There is a velcro circle on the back of each of the shapes, which I cut out of felt. I outlined them with a permanent marker on the muslin. I free-handed the word "shapes" and cut it out from the same fabric I used for the strap. Things I need to change about this page: outline the word "shapes" with a black permanent marker.
Isn't this page adorable? The tree, apples, and background are all made out of felt. I found images of cartoon-y apples on Google and then traced them onto felt before cutting them out. The leaves of the apples are attached with fabric glue. Each apple also has a velcro circle on the back of it so that children can pick an apple off the tree and put it in the basket, which has a pocket and is made of burlap. I'd like to add a little bow or something to the basket, just to dress it up a little bit more.
This page will help children practice weaving. Oh, and the eggs carton? Check this out:
One dozen eggs. Which are brown and white because children need to know that brown eggs are just as normal as white eggs (in fact, brown eggs are better).
The eggs have velcro, so they can be mixed up by another person and the child can practice putting them in numerical order. The folds of the egg carton are just a simple zig-zag stitch so that they will stay creased and folded. I think it would be cute to add "One Dozen" to the top of the opened egg carton.
This page is just a notebook and crayon holder and a tic-tac-toe board. There are velcro circles on the back of the x's and o's and in between the squares.
And, my favorite page:
The barn. Oh, do you see that little fluffy thing sticking out of the pocket? Here's what's in there:
FARM ANIMAL FINGER PUPPETS?! A chicken, a sheep, a duck, a pig, and a cow. Seriously, just precious. These are hand-stitched.
Whew! This book was a lot of work. I don't recommend saving it to get done in one weekend. Oh well, we got it done! When we finished, Granny said, "We better get an A."
:)
Love,
Kalli
