Bitty Books

Scrapbooking is one craft that just isn't in me. I've never had a vision or desire for it. But I do have lots of scrapbook paper! One thing I use them for is origami. What follows, bitty books, is another favorite of mine!

I said yesterday when I showed the bitty book that I made that I do not remember where I learned to make these. If I do ever find it I'll put the link here. So, not my idea, but they are really simple and quick to make. Possibilities are endless for what to fill them with!

Start with a 12" by 12" scrapbook paper.

Then fold it in half, crease well, and unfold.

Next fold the bottom edge up to the middle line, crease, and unfold. Do the same with the top edge to the middle line.

Rotate the paper 90 degrees and repeat above. (Fold in half and then fold the top and bottom edges into the center.) Now your paper should look like this.

Cut as shown. You'll end up with an M shape.

Now start at the leg of the M on your right and fold the first little square back over the second square.

Next fold that back and under the next square.

Then fold it back and over again.

At the top of the M fold it under to the side.

Continue folding it over and under like you've done...

When you get it all folded, you have as adorable little square book...

Each page is a double thickness and you will want to glue the insides of the two thicknesses together for each page. I just used a glue stick.

The front cover is white but you can fold it around to the back making a spine with it (after all the pages are glued.)

Then decorate it using your imagination. That's the most fun... dreaming what to fill the little pages with and who for.

Bugs in My Pocket

I made a little book for a little girl that is a friend of ours. It was her birthday. We had such warm weather a while ago that all I could think of was gardens. I guess that's where this story came from. I had so much fun doing the artwork for it and coming up with the story line. The kids had fun making little books to. Drew's is a flap riddle book and Israels is a glue-whatever-he-wanted-to-into-it-book.

Tomorrow I'll show how to make a 12" by 12" scrapbook paper into a mini-book. I don't remember where I learned this from but it is easy and very fun so give it a try. The blank books make great gifts too... or sticker or writing books for little kids too.

cover

page 1

page 2

page 2-flap open

page 3

page 3-flap open

page 4

page 4-flap open

page 5

page 5-flap open

page 6

page 6-flap open

page 7

I love teaching my kids about nature. And we always love to grow sunflowers! Here's my own little girl tending her sunflower garden a few years ago.

And a sunflower we grew worthy of a prize!

And our sunflower garden from 2 years ago.

I plan to give the book I made with a little sunflower planted in a pot. Now, sunflowers don't transplant well because they don't like their roots disturbed but they do well started in a peat pot then put straight into the ground peat pot and all.

Dolly

After what seems like a long time (but was really only 2 weeks) I'm back to crafting! The wood floors are done... ish. We still must put on the trim and figure out thresholds. But, I dug out my sewing machine yesterday and here's one of the things I'm so happy to get back to!

My littlest one turns 1 year old in 4 days! I've been working on a very special present for her. I have very little time to make hair and a sweet face for it. I actually like her as is though and think she's very cute faceless. What do you think? Are faceless dolls creepy or sweet? Oh, and I love the dolly's little turned up thumbs, because Serenity always goes around holding her arms out palms forward and thumbs up daintily like a princess.

If you want to make one of your own, here's how I did it.

I traced a doll shape making it much wider and more bubbly than I wanted it to turn out. You have to compensate for the stuffing and the seam allowances. Here's my shape by the finished product so you can get an idea of how sewing and stuffing changes it. (Do you like my new go-to background?) :)

So cut out two dolly shapes from the fabric of your chose. I chose a soft linen from an old shirt that was in the giveaway pile.

Then, I cut up my pattern to make a little romper. I wanted to attach the clothes permanently to the doll. Nothing worse than a naked doll. No I take that back. There are many things worse. But a naked doll is inconvenient. So I cut the arms off the pattern leaving a curve, cut part of each leg off, and cut a neckline. I traced this onto two scraps of fabric and cut them out.

Then I folded under the armhole, leg, and neckline edges (snipping at the corners of the neckline) and hand-sewed them.

And added a sweet bit of lace to the front.

Then layer the pieces together for sewing. Body piece (right side up,) front of romper (right side up,) back of romper (right side down,) remaining body piece (right side down.)

Double check you've got them right!

And pin. I may have excessively pinned... :)

But make sure the edges of the romper and body are all in the right place... lined up correctly.

Then sew CAREFULLY! I sewed very slowly and guided it with both hands. I gave it the littlest seam allowance I could, with the fabric edge at the edge of my presser foot the whole time. This is a perfect project for an old straight stitch only machine as there's not as much space for the fabric to get eaten in the machine when sewing a bitty seam like this. Leave a hole for stuffing and sew around it twice to make it stand up to all those things a little girl can put a doll though.

I did mess up. See her bitty hand where I got one stitch out of place? When I did my second lap I fixed it though.

I went forward and back a few times over the straight line I wanted.

Then I gently ripped out that one stitch I didn't want.

Then I notched around the head and hands and feet. Also cut slits at the neck, crotch, arm pits, and thumbs. But make sure not to cut through the seams. If you don't cut enough slits and notches it will mean puckering at the seams later. I thought I went a little crazy with notches around the head but actually I could have done more.

Next I turned it inside out and stuffed and hand sewed the hole shut.

See the paint on my finger from painting baseboards last night? And that's a marker and basketball hoop on the floor. Life is real over here. :)

And there behind dolly is my wall that needs baseboard. :) Better get to it so I can really get back to crafting...