Quiet Book - Finishing it Up

 

So now that my pages were all completed, I needed to some how make them into a book. 

I started out started out by fusing the backs of the pages together in the right order because I found that sewing is a lot easier when fabrics are fused together already.  Then I sewed around the edges.  

Next I used a 1/8 inch hole puncher to punch holes in each page.  I did one at 1 1/2 inches from the top and one the same distance from the bottom, and then one at 5 inches (right in the middle).  Then I used string to tie the pages together.  I actually had to use tape to tape the ends like shoe strings to feed them through the holes.   

Making the cover was quite a bit more challenging.  I picked out some adorable fabric and got a whole yard because I wasn't sure if I'd mess things up.  I'll have enough left to make her a cute skirt now :)  I measured the thickness of my book and it was about 3 inches so I cut a piece of Pellon that was 19in x 10in and using Wonder Under, fused it to my cover material making sure there was plenty of fabric hanging off of the ends. 

Then I used Wonder Under to fuse another piece of fabric the same size to the other side of the Pellon (so the Pellon was completely covered with fabric with lots of extra fabric hanging over the sides.  I sewed around the sides and then I sewed the borders of the spine so that it would fold easier.  

Then I folded the whole thing in half and punched holes at 1 1/2 inch from each end (measured from where the Pellon started) and then in the middle at 5 inches.  It was very thick, so I actually bent my hole puncher and had to use a screwdriver and hammer to finish the last one.  oops. 

Next, I cut where the spine was, folded it over (cut some extra material off) and sewed it down. 

Next I flipped it over to what would be the inside and sewed the corners like the picture below and cut the extra material off. 

This is what the corners look like when you flip it over and turn it right side out. 

After I had finished all of the corners, I folded the sides down so that they were only 1 1/4 inch long and pinned them, cut some of the extra material off and sewed it down.  I actually sewed once close to the end and another time closer to the book. 

Then I pinned in and the sewed in the zipper. I didn't do it the fancy correct way to do a zipper, I just sewed the zipper to the fabric.  It lined up just fine along each side, so it was a lot more simple than I thought it was going to be. 

I put the pages inside and pulled the strings through the holes and tied the knots on the outside.