A New Fabric Heirloom Book

A few months ago a lovely woman named Kimla contacted me about making a fabric book for her baby daughter. She had seen the one I sold on Inspire Co. and wanted one of her own. So we chatted back and forth and almost right away, I knew she was one of "those" people...someone I feel like I've always known and who I immediately feel close to. A kindred spirit! I peeked at her blog and realized I had seen it before and admired her work in the past so I read back in her archives for a long time, enjoying every word. Little did I know that by the end of this process, Kimla would be a very dear friend!

Kimla sent me a box FULL of incredible vintage treasures she wanted to me include in the book. I seriously got teary as I pulled each lovely card, millinery flower, ribbon, lace, trim and lovely treasure from the box. So many gorgeous items and what do you know...all in my favorite color combination: ivory and sherbet pastels. Yum.

Creating this special book for Kimla's little girl was an honor and a pleasure. It was one of those amazing experiences that happens rarely but is always special: it felt like the book was already meant-to-be and I was just the hand to help it come to life. Do you know this feeling? It's as if each piece and element was always meant to be part of this book and had spent many, many years crossing, many, many miles to come together to form this beautiful new whole. Being the person to help these elements become what they were always meant to be is sheer JOY and feels....well, SPIRITUAL, in a funny way! If you've felt this, you'll know exactly what I mean and if you haven't, I hope you will at some point. Such an amazing privilege.

Kimla recieved the book and loves it, which is all that I hoped! So now I get to finally share it!
The front of the book....

This amazing velvety rosette is from Andrea at One Hundred Wishes and I added in some yummy hand-dyed silk ribbon from Heather at Pretty Petals Boutique.

Here's a side view of the pages...

"A" is the baby's first initial. I combined several vintage embroidery motifs and "made up" my own from them. Accomplished on vintage linen, it looks as thought it could have been embroidered long, long ago!

Moving on to the inside pages...what a beautiful baby she is....photo swathed in tuling and trimmed in incredible lace from an antique buodoir pillow I found a few years ago and was saving for a special project! I made the lacey rosette at the corner.

Kimla asked me to incorporate paper pages in her book. This is something I had never done and was honestly a bit nervous about! But it really "pushed" me artistically and worked out so well. The paper pages are SEWN INTO the book just like the fabric pages are. The effect is "seamless" and I love that this allows for journaling, fixing actual photos, etc., and is much more functional than my all-fabric books have been in the past.

Lacey pocket on the first page and then a piece of vintage wrapping paper Kimla sent with a poem from an antique book on the next page. This baby was much-anticipated, so this page is about the thoughts/dreams that Kimla had as she was planning for her arrival.

Left-hand page is vintage wallpaper with a doll baby shirt I've had for awhile, an old baby button card from Kimla and a snippet from an early-1900's love letter I've gotten a lot of mileage out of! So special. Right-hand page is also vintage wrapping paper with a gorgeous vintage baby girl card, both from Kimla. I covered the inside of the card with plain paper so Kimla can journal inside of it. The little "carriage" was part of a parcel from Ginny in the UK that she sent me in a swap! It "lays down" when the page closes and then stands up when the page is opened! I can imagine Kimla's daughter enjoying this when she pages through it as a bigger girl.

The little dress opens to reveal blank pages on which to write something special!




Left-hand page is a precious vintage baby card from Kimla and a little snippet from the inside of the card.

Lots of room for journaling and photos...

Right-hand page is also a vintage baby card with a pair or lovely feather "wings and some yummy white organza trim.

Another INCREDIBLE vintage baby card! Look at the little pink netting! EEEK! I love it.

Another fabric "signature." The crepe paper "rosette" is something Kimla sent...made by fleamarketstudio on etsy. The floral "raggy page and pocket is from a vintage sheet.

Isn't this aqua fabric amazing? I used some aqua lace from Analise at Sugar Sugar and some vintage tatting on the edge of the pocket. The little lamb card, from oneripepeach, is stitched to the page, but it opens up so that Kimla can write a little something inside.

Vintage card Kimla sent, as well as more yummy new papers, more aqua lace from Analise and a precious vintage button card!

Another sweet vintage card and a cutting from an old book about childhood development.

Kimla sent the dearest old children't book pages that I used for the next two pages...

She also sent this fabulous vintage embroidered square that I made into a pocket and framed with this great blue tatting.

Yummy vintage millinery flowers...


Kimla sent this precious antique felt doll coat but it had a few holes here and there and seemed to just be "missing something." I added some fun vintage pink trim to the wrists, bottom edge and collar and then used some lovely old millinery flowers at the neck. The coat is layered on top of a wondeful piece of vintage wallpaper from Heather.

Looking at this precious doll layered on doilies that Kimla sent along! She came just as is, already sewn on. I think Kimla may have done this herself. The color combination is just delicious!

The next 2-page spread are my favorite of the "paper" pages. It's "doll"-themed and I used some of my favorite colors and some dear little nostalgic touches.

The little phrases are cut from an old book. Vintage photos printed on paper of girls and their doll and teddy.



The opposite page is framed in some of my very yummiest trim from my own stash! This pastel-colored tatting is positively DELICIOUS.


I found this very old poem and printed it on paper. The little "bouquet" is millinery flowers from Kimla, wrapped in scrumptious hand-dyed silk from Heather.

Kimla sent this fabulous set of vintage paper dolls...Mary Lou, who is a darling toddler! I wanted to use them in such a way that still allowed Kimla and her daughter to "dress" the paper doll, so I made little slots from vintage wallpaper for the doll and her pets to slip into and out of easily. A wallpaper pocket on the opposite page houses all the extra clothes!

This is one of those pages that sort of "happened" and I loved the result. Yummy juxtaposition of cardboard and rhinestones, smudged sheet music and vintage tatted lace. I smudged the page with some of that incredible "Distress Ink" that I just love using.

Some very fun vintage gift wrap that Kimla sent...

Here's another cute couple of dolls that Kimla sent!

This next page has a gorgeous old cabinet card holder with the original cabinet card removed....ready for a photo of a sweet little one! I added some velvet ribbon and a rhinestone-covered button.

Aren't these old millinery flowers incredible? And you can't see the dilapidated but still incredible trim the flowers are sitting on very well, but the effect is really amazing together.

The next two-page spread is my favorite of the fabric pages. This quilted heart bit is a wonderful piece from Ginny in England that she sent in a swap. It made a perfect pocket on this page. The floral fabric that the page is made of was also in the same swap package from Ginny...meant to be in this book!


The opposite page is the one I love most. The doll dress is one Kimla sent, as is the grubby ivory trim on the pocket. The FABULOUS doll tag is another treat from fleamarketstudio. Positively magical, don't you think? I sewed it to the pocket.

And the last page...a darling little kitty pocket that Kimla sent that looks like it may have had a previous life as a clothespin holder! Now it will hold sweet treasures!



So that's it! I hope you enjoyed having a little (o.k.....maybe not little!) peek at my newest creation! I have now started working on another new fabric book - a custom order for another very special little girl. I hope to show it to you in a few weeks!