THE FREE PDF template is coming soon!
Making quiet book decorative edges or bias hemming means making a decorative fabric edge around your quiet book page. It has an aesthetical purpose – it looks beautiful and attractive. It will give your book a look of wholeness.
You can also make decorative edges on your single- or double-sided activity cards.
In a quiet book, use this bias hemming when you will bind quiet book pages with eyelets and rings or elastic.
You can make quiet book decorative edges with the sewing method only. All the measurements are for 21×21 cm (8 ¼ x 8 ¼ in) activity pages.
For making quiet book decorative edges, you should prepare fabric page bases for activities as described here. You can also use felt page bases.
In these instructions, I will use the temperature, steam, and time conditions for the fusible fleece, which you can find in our store. If you are using another fusible fleece, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you just started planning your quiet book, I suggest you read the Quiet book Guide, where you can find out the general procedure of making a quiet book.
QUIET BOOK DECORATIVE EDGES
SEWING INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1
If you haven’t already, first, create quiet book activities.
If you want to make decorative edges on a single-sided activity card, you will need one finished activity page and one fabric (or felt) page base.
If you want to make bias binding on a double-sided activity card, you will need two finished activity pages.
If you want to make quiet book sheets for a ring or elastic binding, please follow the instructions here.
In these instructions, I will describe how to prepare fabric for bias binding and demonstrate how to make it on one sheet.
Download and print the FREE PDF template for Quiet Book Decorative Edges and cut out the template. You can find the pattern at the bottom of the page.
THE FREE PDF template is coming soon!
Put the paper template on a light cardstock, transcribe it, and then cut it out.
STEP 2
Take the long strip of dotted fabric, 86 x 3.8 cm (33 ⅞ x 1 ½ in), and iron it. Don’t worry about the rough edges.
STEP 3
Iron the strip on half across the long side (1.9 cm; 6/8 in).
Fold one long edge to the inner fold that runs in the center of the fabric and iron it (0.95 cm; 3⁄8 in).
The bias strip is ready.
STEP 4
Iron the fusible fleece on one of the activities.
STEP 5
Put two activities with the wrong sides together. If there are any removable parts on activities, put it aside. Please make sure both of them are orientated the same. If you are making a one-sided activity card, put together one activity and fabric page base.
Use sewing clips to prevent the pages from moving.
STEP 6
Mark the center of the (left)* edge of the activity card or quiet book sheet. If you are making a one-sided activity card, start on the plain fabric page.
* Left edge is important while making these edges for quiet book binding with eyelets. If you are making an activity card, just pick the left or right edge on the first or second activity, it doesn’t matter.
STEP 7
Put the bias stripe on the page and fold the edge so that the new short hem will be aligned with the mark. Align the long strip edge with the page edge.
STEP 8
Sew the strap on the page. Align your sewing foot with the page edge. The needle is in the center.
STEP 9
When you are coming near the first corner, use the template (you align it with the bottom book page). Sew to the template, then make a finish towards the corner. Do the backstitching and cut the tread.
STEP 10
Fold the fabric, as shown in the photo. Make sure the folded edge of the fabric is aligned with the book page.
Also, check out the folded strip edge is alignet with the upper activity edge.
STEP 11
Align the template with the upper book edge and align the sewing foot with the right book edge. Start sewing on the spot where the needle is almost touching the template.
STEP 12
Take the same procedure when you come to the next two corners: use a template aligned with the bottom book page, sew to the template then finish the stitch towards the corner. Fold the fabric again. The folded edge should be aligned with the upper book edge. Sew to the next corner and repeat the process.
STEP 13
From the last corner, start sewing the same as before: align the template with the upper book edge, the sewing foot with the right book edge and start sewing right next to the cardboard.
STEP 14
Put the end of the fabric strip over the sewn part of the strip. The overlap of the strip should be about 1 cm (3⁄8 in) wide. Cut off the excess of the fabric.
STEP 15
Sew the remaining strip over the sewn one.
STEP 16
Cut off the excess threads on both sides of the sheet.
STEP 17
Turn the fabric strip on the other side of the page sheet.
STEP 18
Use the sewing pins to fasten the strip on the other (activity) page. Place the edge of the strip 1 mm (1/16 in) higher than the seam you made earlier.
STEP 19
For the corners, use the procedure as in the photos.
STEP 20
Sew the strip on the page. Align the center of the foot with the edge of the strip and move the needle to the left position. Sew approx. 2 mm (⅛ in) from the edge of the strip.
Sew all around and put the sewing pins out. Put all the removable parts (if any) back to the activity page.
You made the sheet with decorative edges. Congrats!
