Baby's First Cloth Book ~ Peter Rabbit and Friends

I was reorganizing and unpacking some of my craft and sewing stuff and I ran into these adorable cloth style book kits of Peter Rabbit and Friends ABC's and 123's.  I had bought them and put them away for a rainy day and thought that maybe I'd make them as nice gift someday! 

Wow... I forgot that I had even bought these little cloth book kits, I have had them for many years, so it is now time to make these little books!  Miss Gracie (my granddaughter) will enjoy them, she is already trying to get to our paper books with much fascination and inquisitiveness.  Maybe this is a sign that she will be a reader... we will encourage this by reading to her and giving her books with interesting content to spark her little  imagination!      

Peter Rabbit ABC's Cloth Book & Peter Rabbit 123's Cloth Book

This is the process that I used in making these  two real cute cloth baby books.



Instead of using batting like the kits suggested... I decided to use fleece fabric so that when I washed these little books that the batting would not separate on the inside of the books and get lumpy and ugly.

This is a real easy beginner sewing project.  I started by cutting out the pages in cloth book kits, then I laid the pages out on the fleece fabric, then pinned the pages in place on the fleece fabric.  The next step was to cut out the pages that were pinned to the fleece.  

I used the cloth fabric kit directions when I first started but quickly changed up to a faster and more efficient way.  If you are a beginner you should follow the directions it will be less confusing to you.  It started by saying to baste the first page right side up onto the batting/fleece and then take the corresponding page and pin it right side down on top of the already basted piece.  I followed the direction on the first one and then switched up to an easier approach to this project.  This way would be okay for a novice, but that I'm not!

baste the first page right side (print side) up onto the fleece, leaving a 3inch opening to turn inside out/right side out later (seen on bottom left side)

corresponding page, pin it right side (print side) down on top of the already basted piece, then baste it right over to the already basted page, leaving a 3inch opening to turn inside out/right side out later (seen on bottom left side)

 turn inside out/right side out thru the 3inch hole that was left 



pin all the way around the outside edge of the fabric book, even across the 3inch opening that was left earlier for turning inside out/ right side out

 sew all the way around the outside edge, now first page is completed, continue this process until all pages are completed



Here I'm going to show you how I completed the project using the easier method. 

The first page in this picture, I took my fleece fabric laid it on the bottom, the laid my first page right side up (print side), then took the cooresponding page and laid it right side down (print side) on top of the other pieces.  Then I pinned it all the way around leaving the 3inch opening on the bottom.


The second page in the picture, was where then I basted it all the way around except the area of the 3inch opening left for turning inside out/right side out. I also cut the courners to get rid of excess bulk in the corners.


The third page in the picture, is the page turned inside out/right side out and ready to pin for final stitching, where you would even close up the 3inch space. 

Then you will lay all the pages of your book flat and in there correct order, one on top of the other. Then you will sew them together sewing down the middle of all the pages together as they are laid out flat.   When you are finshed sewing... fold your book. 



Ta Da or Walla... You have just completed your cloth book!   Just perfect for a little one's  enjoyment, to inspire and incourage many hours of reading.

I wanted to share..... that Miss Gracie really loves these little books!  The next books we will introduce to her are the board books....

 (you know the ones.. the big thick cardboard page ones). 


I have just the right little stories pick out and I now I just need to see if they come in board books for toddlers... I sure they do!