When we got back from the Outer Banks last June, I was already dreaming about returning 51 weeks later. But since our little ones would hardly remember the beach, let alone who was there, I decided to give them a tangible way to look forward to seeing each other again.
The text was created on Word ...
and printed along with the pictures on a commercial color photocopier.
All the photocopies were coated front and back with Mod Podge to make them reasonably water-resistant (but certainly not water-proof).
The pictures and text were cut out and arranged on flannel pieces cut approximately 5.5" x 11" for the interior pages and 6" x 12" for the covers.
The carefully collated pictures and text were attached using the zig-zag stitch on the sewing machine (after some testing to determine the best stitch length and width).
Then the individual interior and cover pages were stitched together with two runs of zig-zag stitch. Cover stock was slipped into the gap between the pages to give them some body, after which they were trimmed to size with pinking shears.
The last step was sewing the interior pages onto the cover pages.
The books were completed in September and have held up to the tender mercies of the toddlers depicted therein.
Now all we have to do is count the days until we get back together in June. I can't wait!
