WOYWW - busy book grand finale!

Morning all, and welcome to my What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday post!

The last week has involved much grumbling (and some swearing tut, tut) in pursuit of a finished busy book. The primary cause...bias binding. I decided it would give a professional finish to edge each busy book page with bias binding but soon discovered that my enthusiasm exceeded my skill! Undeterred I battled on and, after burning the midnight oil last night, I have finally finished my busy book project.

The busy book, entitled 'Ben's Jungle' is the star of the show on my workdesk this week...

I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. Each page will offer Ben something different to fiddle with and every one incorporates an activity which will grow with him too. Hopefully hours of fun will be had.

I couldn't leave the book anonymous so I stitched a little maker's mark on the back! The last innovation to be added to the book was a bookmark. We happened to notice that Ben was very interested in the ribbon bookmark on my Husband's A4 work diary so I thought it would be nice to incorporate one in Ben's busy book so he could be like Daddy.

A massive thanks goes to mum (a.k.a. Twiglet) for keeping Ben occupied while I've whirred away on the sewing machine, not to mention her technical advice!

Also on my workdesk this week is my ideas book with... yes you guessed it, my plans for the next busy book. Glutton for punishment perhaps!

I've collected together all my nautical bits and bobs and have found a cute little bear that my Aunty Annie (a.k.a. Wipso) made for me some years ago. The busy book will be called 'Bear at the Beach' (not to be confused with 'Bare at the Beach', a naturist's guide to the coast tehehe...) and will see the little bear doing lots of seaside activities. Watch this space!

On the subject of the seaside, I'm taking Ben to the Welsh coast today with my best friend so will stop by a few workdesks later on this evening. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy crafting x x x

WOYWW - busy books encore!

Well I can't quite believe a week has passed since I blogged to share all the little creatures sat on my work desk waiting to get together in Ben's busy book. Thanks so much to everyone who dropped by to look at my work and leave lovely comments.

I've been spurred on to keep the project going at a pace and this week my desk has once again been invaded by jungle animals as the busy book pages near completion.

With the main creatures complete, this week I've been focussing on all the tiny creatures which are hiding behind flaps for Ben to discover. Here is a sneaky peak at some of them (just don't tell Ben what you've seen!)

Hiding in the bushes on Zebra's page are a pair of toucans and a snake...

Behind Monkey's ear hides a little ladybird...

Pottering through the long grass away from Lion's view is a little snail...

This little unsuspecting fly will sit on the water lily, where hungry Froggy is waiting for his lunch...

Hope you've enjoyed seeing my latest busy book characters. Stop by soon to see more! I'll try and visit some of your desks today too!

Happy crafting x x x 

WOYWW - busy busy busy

It's been a busy few weeks at Tilly Tea Dance Towers. Now my little man is nine months old I have been planning lots of sewing projects that will help to keep him occupied.

In September we've got our annual holiday and Ben's first trip on an aeroplane.  So I'm busy making a busy book to keep him... well... busy!

Among Ben's favourite toys are a set of jungle animals at his Nanny Twiglet's house. This gave me my inspiration for a busy book (sometimes called 'quiet' books, but I'd rather think of my boy being busy rather than being quiet).

I swiped a lovely piece of jungle fabric from my mum for the bag I'll make to contain the busy book. This gave me lots of ideas for colour scheme and creatures...

So I thought up lots of ways to use fabric animals to keep Ben busy including textures to stroke, buttons and beads, ribbons to pull, zipped pockets to open and puzzles using velcro.

These parrots have velcro bottoms to stick them to their nests!

  

 

These ribbon snakes can be pulled through the button holes... 



  

 

Here is my zebra finger puppet in the making...



 

 

While playing with another busy book made by Nanny Twiglet, we discovered Ben loves looking under flaps. I've incorporated this idea in the book and each page has a little creature hiding under a flap.

 

Behind Elephant's ear hides a little bird...

 

 

Behind the bushes on Froggy's page hide some of his little friends...

  

 

Up in the tree high above the parrots' nests is a hungry caterpillar...

 

 

Lots of happy faces to play with in the busy book...





 

 

Ben has been very good sitting in his high chair and watching me sew. It looks like Lion and Zebra are already a hit with my No. 1 customer! (and those of you keen-eyed followers of Nanny Twiglet's blog will see that Ben is playing with the completed Hungry Caterpillar high chair tray cover that appeared on Twiglet's WOYWW post back in June)

  



 

It's quite an ambitious project which has grown in complexity as I've been working on it. I've been juggling the job with other demands...baby yoga, baby singing classes, play dates, ironing (urgh) so I'm anticipating this is a long haul project but I'll hope to have completed it by our holiday!

Hope you've enjoyed my preview of the busy book! Come back soon to see the finished one.

I'll try and visit a few desks this week on WOYWW :-)

Happy crafting x x x

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