Make This: Let’s Go Camping Quiet Book Pages Tutorial

A couple of years ago, we made these camping themed quiet book pages for Riley Blake’s blog.  Since they have redesigned their website, the tutorial is not available anymore, so we thought it would be a fun idea to re-post the tutorial here for your reference!

Our quiet book pages today are a fun camping scene, with a bird in a nest, flowers, and a camper in a tent.  We used fabric from Riley Blake’s “Scenic Route” fabric line.  The buttons, ric rac, and cording are all from Riley Blake’s Sew Together line of trims and buttons.  Let’s get started, shall we?

Here are the supplies you will need to get started:

-Printable PDF Pattern Pieces: lets go camping pattern pieces page 1 & lets go camping pattern pieces page 2
-10.5″x10.5″ square of fabric (one for each page)
-Green solid fabric and green ric-rac for trees
-Brown fabrics for tree trunk and bird nest
-Blue fabric, yellow felt, and white cording for bird
-Yellow buttons, green ric rac, and orange and blue fabrics for flowers
-Orange fabric and blue buttons for tent
-Blue felt, cream fabric, and embroidery floss in red, yellow, and black for camper
-Matching threads
-Fusible adhesive (like Heat’n Bond lite *affiliate link*) and fusible fleece interfacing

Background

1. Cut two 10.5 x 10.5 pieces for page backgrounds.

(Optional:  Press fusible fleece or stabilizer to the back of each page.)

Page 1: Tree, Bird in Nest, & Button Flowers

-Tree trunk: Cut from brown fabric using pattern piece.  Turn the right edge under ¼” and press.  Line raw edges up with left page edge and topstitch all the way around with 1/8” seam.

-Tree top: Cut out from green fabric using pattern.  Press curved side under ¼” and line raw edges up with the top left corner.  Place green ric rac under the curved edge so that half of it shows.  Pin in place and topstitch the curved side, securing tree and ric rac.  Sew 1/8” along raw edges of corner to secure.

If you want to make sure the ric rac is secure, you can add another row of stitching just inside the tree top.

-Bird: Cut 2 bird bodies from blue fabric and cut bird beak and 2 wings from yellow felt.  Stitch wings in place.  Place beak and 4” cording in the seam of the bird, where marked on the pattern.  With right sides facing, sew pieces together, leaving a 1” opening.

Clip curves, turn right side out and stuff slightly.  Whip stitch opening closed.

-Nest pocket: Cut nest shape on the fold from brown fabric.  Fold in half with right sides together.  Sew around the curved part, leaving a 1” opening.  Turn right side out and press.  Place cording from the bird under the bottom of the pocket and pin.  Topstitch or zigzag the pocket to the tree along the curved edge with 1/8” seam, securing cord and closing opening at the same time.

-Button Flowers:  Cut 3 pieces of green ric rac 3.5”, 5.25”, & 4.25”.  Sew down the middle of each according to the photo below, and sew a 1” yellow button at the top of each stem.

Cut 3” squares of orange and 2 different blue fabrics, and 3 pieces of fusible fleece.  Press the fleece to each fabric square.

-Optional (as shown in photo below):  Cut another 3” square of each flower fabric and press to Heat’n Bond lite. Remove paper and press to the back of the squares with the fleece interfacing.  This will make a double fabric-sided flower.

Trace flower shapes onto the fabric squares.  Topstitch 1/8” – ¼” inside shapes all the way around each flower.  Sew a 1″ buttonhole in the center of each flower.  Trim each flower around the traced shape. 

You can used pinking shears on the circles.  Cut buttonholes open and button onto stems.

You are finished with page one:

Page 2: Trees, Tent & Camper

-Trees:  Cut three pieces of green fabric 4.5” x 6”.  Cut 3 coordinating double-sided fusible shapes slightly smaller.  Trace the evergreen tree shapes onto the paper backing and cut three tree shapes.  Peel paper backing, and place center tree on page center 4.25” from bottom of page. 

Press and zigzag in place.  Place left and right trees about ¾-1” lower with bases overlapping, keeping at least ¾ -1” from page edges.  Press and zigzag both trees in place.

-Tent:  Cut 2 pieces of cording 12” long.  Fold each in half, tie a knot on the folded end to make a loop (1-1 ½”) and trim to 5”.

Cut tent shape on the fold from orange fabric and cut a piece of fusible fleece not on the fold.  Press fleece to one side.  Place raw ends of cording in each top corner of the fold side of the tent.  Fold the tent, right sides together, and sew leaving a small opening for turning.

Turn right side out, press and top stitch.  Sew 1” buttonholes in both corners of the tent bottom and snip open.

Position the tent on the page and topstitch across the top (dotted line in photo below) to secure in place.

Sew 1″ buttons onto the page to match up with the corners of the tent and the ends of the cording.

Camper:  Using the circle pattern, make a perfect circle head from cream fabric.  The tutorial for the perfect circle can be found here on our blog.  Cut a 2” x 2 ¾” rectangle from blue wool felt for the sleeping bag.  Position bag and head under the ten flap and pin in place. 

Stitch face by hand and sleeping bag with machine zigzag.  Embroider face and hair.

You are finished!

We know your little ones will love to play with all the fun parts of these camping pages.  We hope you enjoyed our quiet book tutorial today.