Storybook Quilts Rocks! » SQ themes

Butterflies, Magic Boots and the Contest

Nancy — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:00:08 +0000

Have you been checking out the daily contest clues on our Facebook Page? If so, you know that our fascination with butterflies has shown up as characters in our stories and fabrics in our matching quilts.

If you’ve lived in an area with Monarch butterflies, perhaps you know how fascinating they are. Each year, they migrate thousands of miles — to warmth for the winter and back again in the spring. What makes this even more amazing is that it takes several generations for these migrations to be completed. And the female butterfly must find milkweed plant as a place to lay her eggs — the caterpillar is a fussy eater and that is all it will eat!

This is a hauntingly beautiful video of the Monarch.

What kind is the talking butterfly in Magic Boots and Wild Horses? (Opps. We just gave away the answer to #8!) Well, you’ll have to make up your own mind about that. We haven’t named the butterfly yet — any suggestions?.

Up, Up and Away!

Nancy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:34:51 +0000

Summer. Hot air balloons. Seeing colorful balloons floating through the air on a sunny summer day is relaxing and exciting at the same time!

Did you know that hot air balloons have been around just about as long as the United States? The first unmanned flight was 227 years ago today — June 4, 1983 — in France. The first manned flight was later that year in Paris – Benjamin Franklin was there to see that. In the US, George Washington watched the first flight here in 1793.

If you want to watch the beauty of hot air balloons yourself, visit one of the many hot air balloon festivals that take place around the world every year. To find out when there is one near you, check out this excellent list. There is one near us in just two weeks – we’ll be there!

The romance of hot air balloons has crept into our own stories here at Storybook Quilts. It’s a ride in a runaway hot air balloon that creates such an adventure for Emily in our Maurice the Cat Storybook Quilt. In our red sportscar Storybook Quilt, a hot air balloon helps Dad warn David about the dangers on his exciting drive to the game with the star player.

Of course, you don’t have to be a character in one of our Storybook Quilts to take a hot air balloon ride. HotAirBallooning.com lists dozens of companies in the US that offer rides.

Have already ridden a hot air balloon? Tell us about it!

Not Just Another “Storybook Quilt”

Nancy — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:15:06 +0000

We’ve noticed some confusion about just what one of our Storybook Quilts is. It seems “storybook quilt” is now a descriptor for several products.

Enjoying our cat theme Storybook Quilt

Our Storybook Quilts combine a quilt designed and handmade by us with a original story that we weave around the fabrics in the quilt. Both the quilt and the story are entirely original. The process is intense and can be lengthy – the quilt has to be visually pleasing and it also has to fit perfectly with the story. We often need to look more than once for the right fabrics; the story has to be adjusted to fit the fabrics available and be fun to read out loud.

Other types of storybook quilts exist — all different from ours. Some are quilts designed around an existing, separate children’s story. A few are quilts made to echo the story a child has written. Some are made from fabrics commercially printed with the characters from an existing story.

Our Storybook Quilts are unique in several ways.

First, no other “storybook quilt” pairs an original story with an original handmade quilt.

Second, our quilts are created so that the patterns in the fabrics can be the basis for any number of stories – a great way to tickle a child’s imagination.

Third, our Storybook Quilts offer a range of personalization and customization options. The Storybook Quilt can be built around
your child, not a fictional character.

We specialize in customizing both the quilt and the story. An embroidered square can be included in the quilt that is personalized to fit the giver and the recipient. The story also can be customized. We can include a message and photo from the giver — and we can alter the story itself to include the child’s name and other information, making the story their story.

Here’s what one mom has to say about the Storybook Quilts her two daughters received from their grandparents:

“The quilts themselves are really beautiful and obviously made meticulously by a talented artist. I absolutely love the different printed fabrics–really vivid, unique patterns and just so interesting to look at even without the story line to follow. A real feast for the eyes!

“About the stories: [my two daughters] loved that their names are in the stories. Their eyes lit up when they heard the stories were about them. They also really like listening to the story and looking at the quilt so they can point out when I am reading a part that matches a quilt square.”

If you’re looking for a one-of-kind gift that will capture the hearts of the children in your life for a lifetime – contact us. We would love to create that special Storybook Quilt just for you!

A New Theme: Horses and Magic Boots

Nancy — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:54:33 +0000

We are well into developing the next Storybook Quilt. So, far we have the central character — magic cowgirl boots. We have a few of the fabrics selected and are auditioning others. The story line is not yet clear — we need to find other fabrics, it seems, to make one work.

Keep tabs on the development of this exciting new theme on our Design Board page on the Storybook Quilts website.

Enjoy Frogs! April is National Frog Month

Nancy — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:55:35 +0000

Like frogs? We do! Although kissing a frog is a bit more than anyone here is willing to do, even for a handsome prince.

Have you ever raised a tadpole or a polliwog? We have! We found a great website about how to raise tadpoles. Of course, you have to find them first. This is JUST the right time of year. Find a local pond and you likely will find tadpoles. On the other hand, this may be something that’s better to read about or do at school.

What else do you know about frogs? Here are some fun facts:

1. Frogs drink water right through their skins! This isn’t surprising since they spend so much time in the water. But they also can breathe through their skins, which is amazing.

2. Some frogs shout so loudly that can be heard up to a mile away. But they make all that sound with their mouths closed – except when they are scared and then they open wide. You can listen to some frog calls here.

3. Frogs are the best jumpers it the world and can jump up to 20 times their own length. That would be like a human jumping the length of two and a half big yellow school buses!

4. In Japan, frogs are considered good luck.

In any country, our frog Storybook Quilt could be very good luck! Create the winning story about our froggy friend in the Tell a Story Contest — or use one of the other themes. You could win a Storybook Quilt or even a cash prize. What could be better than that?

Hurry, though. The contest ends in just two weeks.

An Easter Gift

Nancy — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:00:26 +0000

DanZy wishes you a wonderful Spring weekend and, for many, a Happy Easter! His present to you is his new video. It’s a shortened version of the storybook half of his Storybook Quilt.

Grandma Starts a New Family Tradition

Nancy — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:08:20 +0000

This week, one of the Storybook Quilts we shipped off was to a grandmother with a great idea. She fell in love with the Storybook Quilts, Luna the Turtle in particular. With three grandchildren and another on the way, she struck on the perfect solution to please them all, including herself!

This Luna the Turtle will remain with “Babbie,” as she’s called. She’ll have it at her house when the grandchildren come to visit and she will take it with her when she goes to visit them. It will be a very special treat the entire family looks forward to, creating memories that will be cherished for the lifetimes of them all.

Any bets on how many readings of the story it will take before the grandkids know it by heart?

Today is Tell a Fairy Tale Day!

Nancy — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:00:06 +0000

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” Albert Einstein supposedly said that. He evidently was read a LOT of fairy tales!

Just what is a “fairy tale”?
A fairy tale is a fictional story that usually centers on magical tests or quests and often involves spectacular imaginary beings (not just fairies, but also dragons, trolls, women with very long hair, mice that turn into horses, wolves that can blow down houses, and so on). Originally, fairy tales were passed on orally at a time when only a few people knew how to write. Many of the traditional ones we still tell are literally centuries — perhaps millennia — old.

Are fairy tales just stories or is there something else behind them?
Fairy tales are one way that cultures endure. They teach children about what the culture values and about acceptable behavior. Take Cinderella, for example. From this, children learn that people who are cruel lose in the end and that honest, humble people reap the greatest rewards. In Snow White, the seven dwarves (can you remember their names?!) all worked together cheerfully; each had his own thing to contribute to society. The Three Little Pigs also has a clear message: work hard and build a strong foundation or you will be in danger from evil creatures.

Do cultures share fairy tales?
Interestingly, the same fairy tale may appear in different cultures, but with slightly different twists. “Dr Jamie Tehrani, a cultural anthropologist at Durham University, studied 35 versions of Little Red Riding Hood from around the world. Whilst the European version tells the story of a little girl who is tricked by a wolf masquerading as her grandmother, in the Chinese version a tiger replaces the wolf. In Iran, where it would be considered odd for a young girl to roam alone, the story features a little boy,” according an English newspaper. Amazingly, it appears that the common ancestor of all these fairy tales is 2600 years old!

Are all fairy tales “old”?
No, new fairy tales appear constantly. One great resource I found in writing this post is another blog — “Once Upon a Blog . . . Fairy Tale News.” It’s a fun collection of ideas and information about fairy tales old and new.

Michael with the Winnie the Frog fairy tale Storybook Quilt

Does Storybook Quilts create fairy tales?
Oh, yes! Several of our stories involve quests. A good example is Winnie the Frog, whom Ryan accompanies on his quest to obtain fairy cakes from the fairies — supposedly to cure Winnie’s sick mother. Their adventure is a quest to find what the fairies demand as a price for their cakes and it takes them to magical places. In the end, Winnie disappears and leaves us all wondering whether he really was a frog or a little boy . . .

One wonderful thing about Storybook Quilts is that children make up their own fairy tales based on the fabrics in the quilt — just as I did when I designed them.

Wouldn’t your child or grandchild love a new fairy tale, complete with cozy quilt?

Valentine’s Day, Gumdrop Day and Amos the Bear

Nancy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:30:40 +0000

Did you know that Valentine’s Day is just one day before National Gumdrop Day? Valentine Amos, a very lovable teddy, is a special edition of our Amos the Bear Storybook Quilt – which always features gumdrops.

Amos the Bear is all heart. In fact, his heart is soooo big that it shows on the outside. He’s the best friend of a little boy named Josh, who’s the best buddy of his Grandpop. They both love gumdrops and Grandpop always carries a bag – hidden away somewhere.

Love and gumdrops feature prominently in the story that accompanies our Amos the Bear quilt. Josh goes to the zoo with his Grandpop and Amos, where Amos mysteriously disappears! The search takes forever. Impatient Josh goes off on his own to find Amos, asking the animals for help. A slightly scary leopard sends Josh rushing back to Grandpop for safety. The two of them then find Amos in a most surprising place! Reunited with Amos, Josh is now ready to share Grandpop’s gumdrops – he finally can enjoy them.

Valentine’s Day 2010 can last a lifetime for your child or grandchild with this one-time edition of Amos. He’s available, at a special price, through Tuesday, February 9th. Our usual Amos always is available!

As the World Turns – Too Fast!

Nancy — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:21:13 +0000

Has your 2010 begun like mine – full speed ahead? For many of us, it’s been a jolt back into days in which every minute is consumed by an obligation. This isn’t good, for adults or for children.

Our minds need to get off the Merry Go Round. We all need to make a point of scheduling in quiet time. This can be any number of things. For an adult, it might be reading, sewing or needlework, playing the piano, listening to soothing music, waxing the car, praying or meditating, light gardening, walking – just about any activity that requires focus and/or slow and methodical action.

Schedule quiet time

For children, quiet time is even more important than it is for adults. The whirl of activity in which they are engaged is more extensive than ever, with organized activities of one kind or another taking a huge chunk of a child’s day. Quiet time can easily get lost. Unstructured time alone — daily, not just once in a while — helps children learn self-reliance, enhances their abilities to make decisions, encourages independent thought, and fosters their imaginations. (Quiet time does not include outside stimulation, such as electronic games, DVDs or television.) Some parents say that quiet time makes their children both more thoughtful and more adaptive.

Adia and Luna the Turtle

Quiet time doesn’t necessarily mean idle time. Play is an important part of a child’s quiet time. Parents and grandparents can help by ensuring children have ready access to the right “tools” – a Storybook Quilt, for example. Making up a new story based on a Storybook Quilt would be a great way to spend quiet time – the fabrics in the quilt enhance an appreciation of color and making up a new story builds imagination. It’s also something the child can share, if he or she choses, when quiet time is over.

To see all our themes, visit our website at www.storybookquilts.biz