Storybook Quilts Rocks! » storybook

What keeps you in your grandchild’s thoughts?

Nancy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:47:32 +0000

In today’s world, grandparents and grandchildren all too often live quite a distance from one another. Is this true of you? How can that distance be overcome?

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re keeping in contact using e-mail and possibly also Facebook. Maybe you have a webcam and mic so that you can see and hear one another “live”! Maybe you send things back and forth in the mail – cards or gifts or photos.

Is there something very special that you share that keeps you in your grandchild’s thoughts? Is it something that your grandchild will still have when he or she is a grandparent?

A Storybook Quilt can be the tie — and last for a lifetime. The quilt can be customized with a short message, names and dates.

The book can include a longer message from you and a photo – and even be specially rewritten to include family details in the story itself.

To make this even more special, your grandchild can help make the choices, so that it’s not just a surprise, it’s a special project and a lifelong connection.

Until July 4th, we are offering a chance to win a discount on any of our Storybook Quilt themes. Enter to create a wonderful summer memory for you and your grandchild!

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?

From the Customers of Storybook Quilts

Nancy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:21 +0000

No matter what we write or say about our Storybook Quilts in this blog, on our website, on Facebook or Twitter, or anywhere else, it’s only our opinion. “Well, they would say that, wouldn’t they?!” often is any reader’s or viewer’s response to any company’s claims.

So, to make it a bit more real, below are just a few of the unsolicited comments Storybook Quilts owners have sent in. We’ll include others in subsequent posts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This mother’s two daughters each received an SQ for Christmas last year from their grandparents. The quilts were Amos the Bear and Maggie the Dog.

“I think the idea of the personalized quilt and book is a great one. 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: Chloe and Hannah loved that their names were in the stories. Their eyes lit up when they heard the stories were about them. They also really liked listening to the story and looking at the quilt so they could point out when I was reading a part that matched a quilt square. (We have both quilts hung up in the nursery so they are looking at the quilt on the wall as I read.)”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An fully customized version of Winnie the Frog was made for a boy’s fifth birthday. In addition to the special square on the quilt, the story was revised to include family details and use his name for the main human character. It was a gift from his aunt and her family.

“I’ve been meaning to send you a note for weeks — Thank you for the beautiful quilt! It is really very lovely and Rafael enjoyed the story very much. I’ll remember to keep you in mind when friends ask about a special gift to give someone.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Most recently, we heard from Kelly, who won the contest this summer to name the turtle character in our Captured by Pirates Storybook Quilt.

“Nancy, I can’t tell you how fun it has been showing off your quilt and book to our friends and family. Everyone agrees that this is such a beautiful gift and we are so very fortunate to have this lasting representation of our summer with lunas. [The family raised luna moths, an experiment for their 4-year-old daughter.] Your book has been so fun! Our favorite part of the story is when the crabs come in to tell Adia a rescue is being planned. It might have *something* to do with the crazy whispery-voice-with-foreign-accent we’ve created just for them, but it sends the girls into giggles.

“I also love that you’ve ended the story with the question about whether it was a dream or real. This has been a fun discussion with Adia at each story’s end.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don’t you think it’s time you ordered a Storybook Quilt for the child in your life?

Orders are being taking for Hanukkah until mid-November and for Christmas/Kwanzaa/New Year’s until early December. Order now to be sure your SQ is in the production queue.

Contact us through our website or on our Facebook Fan page or on Twitter @StorybookQuilts. We look forward to making your Storybook Quilt!

Turtle Story: Summary of Part III

Nancy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:36:18 +0000

(In Part II, Sam had run toward the cave, where she thought she saw treasure shining, and was captured by pirates!)

Sam makes the biggest pirate so angry that he says she must “walk the plank” into the sea. While the pirates prepare to go to the ship, Sam does get to see the treasure—she is tied up right beside it! Crabs skitter into the cave and loosen Sam’s ropes and whisper that a rescue plan is in progress. But no rescue happens. The pirates take Sam out to the ship and off the plank she goes into the water!

What happens next? Do [Turtle] and Stanley save Sam?

Was this adventure real, or was it all just a dream that Sam had while she sat in her special resting spot in the cave?

Ah, for the answer to those questions, me matey, you will need to enter the contest to name [Turtle].

Fabrics that appear in Part III include those below, and more.

Turtle Story: Summary of Part II

Nancy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:45:40 +0000

(In Part I, Sam met a starfish who demanded Sam’s sandcastle in return for leading her to the pirate treasure.)

Sam decides she will trust the talking starfish, Stanley. She agrees to the deal and follows him to the beach. There he summons [Turtle]. After Stanley promises [Turtle] Sam’s room in the castle, they all set off with Sam riding on [Turtle's] back. With help from a friendly whale, they make the trip quickly. As they approach the shore, Sam sees a cave and something shining inside it. Treasure?! Ignoring [Turtle's] warnings, she runs toward the cave — and is captured by pirates who also are eager to make turtle soup out of [Turtle]!

What happens next? How does [Turtle] escape the soup pot and will Sam be rescued?

This portion of the story picks up several of the fabrics in the quilt, including the three shown here.

[Turtle] needs a name! Enter the contest — and win the Storybook Quilt — here.

Turtle Story: Summary of Part I

Nancy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:47:52 +0000

It’s not easy writing a story about a character with no name!

So far, Sam and her Auntie Jen have built the world’s biggest sandcastle, while Auntie told tales from long ago of pirates and caves full of treasure. Sam soon meets a very sassy starfish who insists that our heroine (or hero), Sam, give him the sand castle in return for a glimpse at pirate treasure. What would a starfish know about pirate treasure? Does Sam believe him?

Join the contest to help name the turtle!

This part of the story picks up on several of the fabrics in the quilt, including those below.