Good morning! Happy Monday! I am so excited to share this awesome fabric quiet book my mom made my son. My mom has had this Vogue pattern since before I was born! She originally bought it to make the quiet book for me and my sister but never had the chance. Thirty years later and the book has finally been made! It turned out so cute! My mom did a great job and the background fabrics she chose are so bright and cheery – it gave the book a really nice up-to-date feeling!
The pattern, originally from 1978, features lots of animals with different quiet activities – perfect for little ones to work on their fine motor skills. Buttons, zippers, snaps, buckles, braids, bows – they are all so fun! This project was in no way a fast project, as my mom would be quick to tell you! Each page had applique work and hand sewing. You can really see the love put into this book on each page. I know both my kiddos are going to love playing with this and I hope to keep all the parts together so we can pass it down to a new generation of little ones.
Besides purchasing the background fabrics, all of the other fabrics came from my mom’s stash and my own. Between the two of us we tried to find lots of different textures, including leather, fur, fleece, silk, sequin fabric, and suede. Each page has an activity as well as touchy-feely fabrics.
A little joey pops out of the kangaroo’s pocket! Using a pattern that is over 30 years old proved a little tricky at times. There were several notions it called for that we had the hardest time finding. The kangaroo called for a 1/2″ self-cover buckle, which was really hard to locate! We found a few online, but with shipping they were pricey. On a trip to Joann’s, my mom found the perfect buckle that didn’t need to be covered at all!
The lion is one of my favorites, though to be fair, I love them all!
I love the way the book came together and I love its backstory in our family. I’m happy my mom could finally check this off her “to-craft” list, even if it took a little longer than she’d expected!! The pattern is still available for purchase online, if you do a quick Google search of “Vogue Pattern 1959 It’s A Zoo”.
This post includes affiliate links under the “Shop the supplies I used”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, at no extra cost to you! Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
Fabric Used:
For the background pages my mom used Fleurish by Maria Kalinowski for Kanvas Studio. You can purchase it from CarolinaCottonCo on Etsy by the yard or I have found it on Amazon, sold in a jellyroll and as a 10″x 10″ stack.
For the cover pages and elephants roller skates, my mom used “Art Class” designed by Greta Lynn for Kanvas Studio in Artist Dot White/Multi. I haven’t found this for sale online, but this link from Fabric.com may be useful.
Maryann says
I just Started making one with the pattern my mom bought over 30 years ago and never got around to making it . Now I’m enjoying it .
Maybe I adk What you use for the pages ,? They look so cheerful .
Kimberly says
Hi! My mom used a cotton fabric she found in the quilting section at JoAnn Fabrics called “Fleurish” by Kanvas Studio. I added links to the fabric in the blog post if that is useful to you. Have fun making the book! That’s awesome your mom saved the pattern! My kids love playing with it :)
Cheryl says
What kind of material is the background piece …such beautiful colors
Kimberly says
Hi! Thank you, my mom has a great eye for picking out fabrics! She used cotton fabric she found in the quilting section at JoAnn Fabrics, from the collection “Fleurish” by Kanvas Studio. I added links at the end of the blog post in case that is helpful. They are such vibrant color. I’m about to use her left over scraps for another project, I’m so glad she saved them! :)
Puppilalla says
How wonderful to find such a recent rendition of the quiet book. I found the pattern in a charity shop in Fleet, UK a while back and was just enamoured with how cute it is. Thanks for sharing your pictures and story with us. =)
Kimberly says
Thank you! I hope you have a chance to make one! It has been a few months now and my kids still love playing with it :)
Kathleen says
Hi! This makes me so excited to see this! I bought this pattern almost 40 years ago when I was right out of high school and working at the local fabric store in Mesa, Az. I knew one day I would make this for my own kids, and I did! In about 1985 or 6 I had a 4 year old girl and a 18 month old boy and I decided it was time to make this Quiet Book! And I did! All except for the last page, the hippo. We were in the middle of a move and I put the pattern and the last page in a box that a dog we had got into and tore it to shreads. I was sick that the pattern was wrecked. But the rest of the book was intact for MANY years, 3 more kids later and I still had it up until about 5 years ago when we moved again and it disappeared! This post brought back such wonderful memories. I would love to make it again for some grandkids! Would you possibly share the pattern? I would love to remake it! Thanks
My name is Kathleen.
Kimberly says
Wow Kathleen! Thank you for sharing your story about this pattern! That is so neat you bought this pattern before having kids and held onto it and then actually made it! That is so sad the book has gone missing!! My mom, who made the book for my kids, has the pattern. When writing this post, I did find the pattern on Etsy (sold from andthenYesterday) and Ebay to purchase! They were new and unused. I’m sure your grandkids would love the book if you ever made another one! :)