Ever so tactile... A cloth book.

Today I pulled out this cloth book I made for O (going to throw it in washing machine) to then give to J. I made this for O when he was six months old, the benefit of being the second child is that J will get to enjoy it from three months of age.

Both our kids, I suppose all kids, are so tactile! At the time I could not find the sort of tactile cloth book experience I was looking for - so I decided to make one. We weren't living in Marrickville when I made it and I went to Lincraft (doh!!) to buy all the bits = spent way too much on it! But now, living in Marrickville, which has several good fabric shops which are ripe for the making of such a wee book...

I made the pages in contrast - so one black page (cotton fabric) and one cream page (calico). It's easy - just sew all the pages up and then turn the seams inwards. Really you can put anything on the pages - wide ribbons with their silky feel, a big plastic button, velcro (the vertical and horizontal black strips pictured) for the soft and rough and great ripping sound too! You can add tassles and so much more. Just make sure it's all stitched on super well and can't be of harm to babes.

I used to tie this book to O's pram (with the the fluoro yellow elastic) when we went out, as it kept him amused for a while.

Note: I am going to update it, by adding a 'J' to the back cover (furry animal print).

Time taken: it did take me quite a few nights (once O was in bed) to make this book, it's not as quick as my craft has become with O these days. But if you have time, like sewing...then give it a go!