My Quilty World: Mairead's Quiet Book

I have a granddaughter turning one at the end of this year. That means another quiet book to be put together. For once, I have decided to get a head start on this and make some progress each month. Will that hold out? I don't know, but a start is a start. Here is a little(?) log of how this book came together. At the end of this post, I will give links to previous books as well.

New Year's Day --- Yep, January 1st and I've cleaned the solids tub and located fabrics for the page backings AND cut them all.

1/16 -- While cleaning batting stacks and cutting for various projects to be tackled this year -- all the batting for the pages is now ready. Not too bad for January.

2/20 - February is flying by, but I have all design pages drawn/printed. Tentative page order selected as well.

6/14 - What? It's June. Where did all my great plans go? Today, I have located all the required supplies for the book and purchased additional felt. It's time to get going on this.

7/2 - Let the cutting begin. I've given myself a 5-page goal for this month. The mess is rampant.

By the end of today, I have several page parts cut and pinned for hand sewing.

7/3 - The rest of the pieces cut and pinned.

7/13 - Hand sewing has commenced. One page ready for backing. The numbers are embroidered on before attaching the lower sides to the felt background by hand. YES --- this is a hand sewing project.

7/14 - Today is a good day to complete my five pages for July. A little hammer work came into play AND I did use the sewing machine to attach velcro to several pieces.

8/3 - August also has a goal of 5 pages. I'm making the front a back part of this month and that means lots of little letters to cut out.

Once the parts are all cut out --- LOTS of velcro go into this month's pages, so machine time is required and it turns out I have six pages ready to go.

8/4 - Since the mess is everywhere, I've decided to just keep cutting.

More pages cut, pinned and ready to go.

8/10 --- All fasteners applied to pages requiring them.

8/30 - It's almost month end and hand stitching on the pages to complete this month has begun. I try and move from page to page and complete all at the same time as I use the same color of thread. Yellow on this page, yellow on the next page, etc.

Background grids have to be hand stitched as well.

That's as far as I can get today.

8/31 - Last day of the month and the goal is met and surpassed - well the parts anyway. Each page still needs to be attached to the backings, but that's not the goal right now.

9/7 - September and more pages still needed. I'm so glad I cut so many last month as I was able to grab and go for out trip to Montana. While visiting with Mom, I am able to sit and hand stitch. Two more ready today. Notice how the counting fingers work. Super cute. Also the stethoscope has several layers of pipe cleaners inside to allow for it to actually be worn.

9/8 - I have spent an enormous amount of time on this so far and still have a very long way to go. Time is clicking past and I'm down to two months before it is gifted. Oh that path of good intentions. Early morning stitching in Montana has two more pages ready.

9/9 - Another early morning before the house wakes has another page ready to go.

9/15 - I thought the last page was ready, but upon returning home, I took a closer look, I had neglected to finish the face or place a hole in the tree. Now, it's done.

I have also finished the fastener page. That's six so far for this month.

9/17 - I REALLY want the pages finished this month. That means, it's back to cutting once again and per my usual modus operadi, the most difficult pages remain. Two pages down.

This means the den is once again a nightmare for my sweetheart.

9/18 - After two days of cutting, I have the final three pages cut and pinned.

9/20 - A TON of couch time has netted me a start on the backgrounds of the flower pages.

And the flowers are almost completed.

9/25 - Oh my, five days passed and I don't have five days to give. Today, total focus on the flower pages.

10/3 - It the first retreat of the fall season and this is one of my top priorities. After stitching the two bathroom/bedroom pages to their background, I have laid out the pages with the backings they will be appliqued to and still have three pages of detail handwork ahead of me. Now to attach to those backings.

Let's get to it --- Background completed on the last page and applique finished as well. I still have the animals and parts on the bathroom/bedroom page, but it's getting closer. I can now sandwich all pages.

10/5 - With just a few pieces that don't attach to backings, I have pinned all pages to their backing and then created sandwiches and pinned those as well.

I realized I didn't show the bedroom/bathroom pages.

10/9 - Home again and working on the remaining bits - I have the girl, her clothes, and the woodland creatures remaining.

Just look at the detail here. I've added the water from the faucet today.

All binding has been attached today AND the remaining bits are almost finished as well. Oh my goodness. This is becoming a reality -- it may just get finished.

10/10 - My last two bits. Done.

10/14 - Working on the binding. I'm seven pages in.

10/15 - taking inventory of the remaining grommets that are leftover from prior books. I think I have enough, although two colors will be used. It is what it is during a pandemic.

All the binding is complete and I'm poking holes in the front to use as a guide for the remaining pages.

All remaining pages marked for holes.

10/27 - Holes cut. This is always so hard for me to do. Work so hard and then cut holes in the pages. Argh.

11/1 With only a couple of days before I MUST mail, the grommets are going on today. Upon completing them, rings went in and this book is done!!

I've created a video to show how each page works. Here is the LINK as it is too large to imbed here. Also, here are finished pictures, page by page. (Keep reading as I've added pics of Mairead with her new book at the end.)