Animal Heads

 I love this page.  This was the first hard page that I did and part way through I started to wonder what did I get myself into.  It really wasn't that hard but I got worried about how it would turn out because I had such high hopes.  Well is was all for not because it turned out way cute I think and I've played with it with my sunbeams and they loved it.  I found a lot of different animal patterns while looking and I couldn't make up my mind while planning so I prepped both.  I decided to go with the one that had the most animals.  I chose this because I love the whale and the snake and the dinosaur and all the variety.  I thought all that variety would be the most fun to switch around.  But it was a lot of work and they ended up being pretty small.  I explained all this to my friend when she was starting this page and she decided to do the set with fewer animals.  I love the way hers turned out and she loves the way mine turned out.  The grass will always be greener...  The choice is yours.

1. Trace the bodies on to the pages.
2. Color the bodies keeping in mind the animals, it's easy to get mixed up without the heads.
3. Sew the velcro in the middle of the dotted lined circles.
4.  Trace the animal heads onto the spare fabric.
5. Color the heads.
6. Cut heads out
7. Pin the heads to another piece of the spare fabric and cut out another head.
8. Sew the other half of the velcro onto the back of the uncolored animal head.
9. Next you need to attach the two head pieces.  I sewed mine together with black thread keeping the stitches on top of the tracing around the head.  My friends used wonder under to attach them.  I think the wonder under is faster and easier.  It's up to you.
10. Lastly, put some words down.  I chose a simple "Mix 'n' Match" on both pages.

 

 

 

 

 

Flowers

This is another one that was in my childhood book.  Which also means that it is one of my favorites.  It is super easy to do so have fun with it.

1. Trace the above page on your fabric page.  I used colorful sharpies for the stems and flowers.  I would suggest tracing the vase on a little smaller then the one shown.  You'll need to know where to place the felt but you don't want it to show from behind.
2. Make a stencil of the flowers and the vase.
3. Cut two flowers of each of the five colors of felt.  Although you wont be using velcro you still need to add thickness.
4. Sew the two pieces of flowers together.
5. Make a button hole.  Most machines have this feature.  If you don't know how to use it take your machine to a sewing machine repair shop or ask a friend that sews so they can teach you how.  It is a great thing to know how to do and believe it or not, you will be able to do so many other sewing projects after learning how.
6. Hand sew the shank buttons onto the page where the small circles are inside the flowers.
7. Sew on the vase.  I did a tight zig zag stitch to apply but you can do a simple strait stitch close to the edge as well.
8. Trace the words on the page.  This is my Mother's day page so I wrote, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue.  Flowers for Mom means I love you." 

Football

This is one that my mother had made and put in my family's book.  I loved it when I was young and I just know my kids are going to love it, that is when their old enough to play with it.

1.  Trace the pattern on a paper, don't forget to cut out or hole punch the holes.
2. Cut out of fabric.  I went to the Home Decor fabric section of JoAnn to get some brown fabric that looked like real football hide.  I waited till it was 50% off.  I think the fabric was originally $35 a yard but with the discount and then the fact that I could get the least amount that I could get which was 5".  I only paid $2.43 for the 5" strip that I have been able to share with my friends that I am making it with and we will even be splitting that price.
3. Put eyelets in the holes.  
4. Sew the football on the page.
5. Lace the football up with a shoe lace.
6. Trace the words on.  You don't have to use the words that I did, but if you want it's, "Can you tie the football to play catch with Dad?"  I'm trying to do a page for each holiday and this is my Father's day page.  Enjoy!