Friday, August 6, 2010

Page 22 & 23: Counting 1-10

*Sorry- for the hiatus in posting- I had a new baby and moved across the country!*
This is a page I copied from my mom's original quiet book. Here's some other links to cute numbers pages in other quiet books: Homemade by Jill's 1-4 (I love how her numbers have that cute stitching on them!), or a different approach to counting with objects with Sew can do's rendition with objects, and lastly my little sister, Sara Jean, made a really cute numbers page complete with a place to do MATH (her husband is into numbers, so this is perfect for their kids).

Items needed: felt in various colors for the numbers, felt or material to make a pocket to place numbers in, velcro pieces (I used 14 teeny squares, cut from a strip to make mine), thread.

Teaches: numbers 1-10, matching, color recognition, working with velcro.

Cut out the following pieces: cut out each number 3 times (1 for applying to the page, 2 for sewing together and becoming the removable number pieces). My numbers are roughly 3" tall. You are going to want to originally cut out the numbers a bit larger than the final product, as you will trim them down a bit after doing some sewing. You can also use the template below if you'd like:
Then cut out the velcro in square/rectangle shapes (if you are using velcro from a strip). I used 1 square piece of velcro on most numbers, except for the 2, 5, 0 (on the 10), where I used 2 pieces on the number.
Then cut out the pocket pieces. I used pinking shears on my bottom rectangle and on the bottom lid part of the upper rectangle so it wouldn't fray/be extra sturdy. My rectangle pieces for the pocket measure: 7.45" x 1.25" (pocket lid), and 7.45" x 3.5" (pocket bottom).

Directions: First you are going to want to sew the velcro to the numbers pieces. First apply the soft velcro piece to the backside of just one of the copies of numbers you just cut (so for instance, you should have three number 4's cut, just take one of these number 4's, flip it over, so you are looking at the number backwards- and from the backside, sew the velcro piece on). The picture below shows the number already sewn to the page (I took pictures after the page was finished), but at this point you are going to just be sewing the velcro onto just the number (not the muslin too). Sew the corresponding "prickly" piece of velcro to the number 4 piece that will be applied to the muslin page- this time sewing on the velcro to the right side of the number four. Be sure to sew the velcro onto these pieces so it matches up to the velcro sewn onto the number pieces. (Number 1 piece shown below- once again, this picture was taken after the page was finished- at this point, you will just be sewing the velcro to a single number (not 2 numbers sewn together).One thing to take note when applying the velcro and even cutting the velcro rectangles, is you will eventually be trimming down these numbers just a tad, so don't have the velcro go all the way out to the edges.
don't mind my messy stitching above :)
Next, you are going to want to make your number pieces (the removable piece) double thick. Do this by taking the number copy that has the soft velcro attached to the backside and the number copy with no velcro attached and pin them together. Sew these 2 pieces together by stitching around the edges. Once you've stitched them together, take a pair of scissors, and trim around the edges so that the stitch you just made is near the edge. Pick up the left over number copy (the one with the prickly velcro on the right side), and and hold it up against the number piece you just made and trim it down so it matches in size.

Next, place each "left-over" number copy on the muslin pages (I spread mine out over 2 pages), so you can get a feel for their placement on the page. On my page, the left page is numbers 1-6, and the right page is number 7-10 and then a pocket below those 7-10 numbers. You will also want to place the pocket pieces in place on the page before you sew the numbers on to make sure it all fits. Remember that you will be sewing the muslin page together to another muslin page in the end, so be sure to leave enough edge around the border.

Once things are in place, sew the single thickness numbers on the muslin page (don't sew the double thickness number pieces on- those will attach with velcro!) right side up, so the velcro shows. Then just velcro the numbers onto the page into place. Then sew on the pocket- mine is really simple. I just first sewed the pocket bottom on (just sewing around the left and right edges and bottom (leaving the top open), and then sewing on the pocket lid (placing the lid so it's lip goes over the pocket bottom slightly) by just stitching on the left and right side and top (not the bottom).There you have it- a numbers page. Get counting!
*Next up- Tie the shoe page, and then we're done!


Nicki said...

I've been waiting for an update. New baby, cross country move. I guess that's a good excuse! : )

Ticia said...

This is awesome! I've been loving all the work you did and all the links. I'm about to make one for my friend who just adopted a little girl.

Michelle said...

Yay! I've been checking frequently--glad you're back!

Annie said...

I am not much of a sewer and so I was wondering how you sew things together. Like the numbers, and how do you sew things on to the pages?

Fowler family said...

Hi Annie-

I just use a basic straight stitch on a regular sewing machine (I actually use a really old Singer I inherited from my Grandma). You could try hand sewing if you don't have access to a machine. There are a number of places you can find little tutorials on such stitches like:
a blanket stitch (
back stitch:
or with a sewing machine:

Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions! -Anna

Annie said...

Thank you very much!

diedouchka said...

félicitation à vous , j'espère que vous allez tous bien.
grand merci pour ces jolies pages de livre. elles sont fabuleuses

Crafty Craftee Craft:>D WAHM said...

I've been thinking about making a cloth book for my grandson and was just surfing the net looking for ideas. Thanks! Can't wait to make one or two!

Adrienne said...

Anna, what a great job putting all of this together! I was excited to make some of these pages, and even more so when I realized a familiar face from my hometown! Congrats on the new baby and everything, and what a great quiet book! ~Adrienne

p.s. hi from the birds!

Randy and Gaye Lynn said...

Anonymous said...

Do you have a pattern for the stove and cupcake pages? They are my favorite

Anonymous said...

Do you have a pattern for the stove and cupcake pages? They are my favorite.

Fowler family said...

I don't have a pattern/template up yet. Let me work on it!