ABC Book (part one) -- TUTORIAL

Finally -- the tutorial for my ABC book! There are a lot of photos and details, so I will be splitting it into a couple posts over the next couple days.

Here's part one:

SUPPLIES:
~ 1/2 yard lightweight paper-backed fusible webbing
~ fabrics for the letters (you can do i-spy prints like in my example here, or other prints like the one I'm making today)
~ fabrics for page backgrounds (at least three)
~ lightweight batting or felt
~ clear monofilament thread
~ permanent marker
~ printer paper

STEP ONE: Create your letter templates. I found a font I liked in Word and increased the size of the font until the tallest letter, usually "f" if you are doing lowercase or any letter if you are doing uppercase, was 4" high. Print them out ("fast draft" version is just fine!) and trace around each letter on the WRONG side of the paper with a permanent marker. (Hold it up against a window if you have trouble seeing the letters.)

STEP TWO: Layer your backwards letters under your fusible webbing and trace around them with a sharp pencil. I like to use mechanical pencils for this.

You may want to draw little arrows to show which way is up on some of the trickier letters -- like "b," "d", and "p" -- to avoid confusion when you are ironing them onto your fabrics. I've ruined many an i-spy letter because I couldn't tell whether I was doing a "d" or a "p!"

STEP THREE: Roughly cut around the letters. Leave a little space around each one.

STEP FOUR: Press your fabrics right side down on your ironing board. You want them to be nice and crisp to start with. Then layer your fusible webbing on top of the face-down fabric, with the paper side up, and press. Up and down with your iron, not side to side -- you don't want to drag the iron back and forth across your fusible webbing.

STEP FIVE: Cut out each letter on the pencil lines. If you need to cut out a small hole, bend the letter gently and clip it as shown...

...then cut on the line.

Yummy Amy Butler letters!!


Next you will make a little mock-up of your book. This will help you determine background colors.

STEP ONE: Fold a sheet of printer paper in half, then in half again, and in half once more, until you have eight sections.

STEP TWO: Cut around all the folded edges. You now have eight pages, but only need seven, so ditch one.

STEP THREE: Fold your stacked papers in half and write in the letters. "A" will start on the inside cover so you see "A" and "B" on the same spread.

find part two of my tutorial here!