Hannah Schleef, Bringing Gospel to Babies: Evensong Baby Books

There are some things you read and promptly forget. Maybe important things, even. And other things that make you nod vigorously and ‘mmm-hmmm’ and you can’t believe there is an author out there who shares your exact thoughts. It’s a connection made, even if you’ve never met the person. Whether it’s the subject of the book/blog/(or even meme) that hits home, or maybe the author themselves who make that brain-spark happen, you immediately want to tell other people about it. Forward the article, link to the blog, lend the book or (in this case) TELL PEOPLE about this amazing Christian/woman/artist/bookmaker/mom/wife and her one-of-a-kind baby books! We invite you to meet Hannah Schleef, designer/maker/creator of Evensong Baby Books. (Plural books, sewed together one at a time.)

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Children and adults alike are called to grow in grace and knowledge.

Hannah Schleef

History

I’ve been writing all my life.  I have very vivid memories of filling notebooks with story outlines and brainstorming names for new characters in my grade school years. Every school report or paper was always twice the required length. 

I haven’t had an opportunity to write fiction consistently since my second daughter was born last September.  When I do get a chance to write or work on writing and designing new books for Evensong, it’s usually during naptime. I come up with ideas at times when my mom brain is at rest, like in the shower or in the car. I try to keep a notebook handy if I do come up with new ideas at random. I’m a really messy person when I’m in a creative mindset. I let everything go (apart from keeping my kids alive!) in order to focus on my work. The kitchen table is my workspace, and it gets very quickly piled high with fabric. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time studying in the English department at MLC and grew the most as a reader and writer while studying to be an English teacher. I’m not currently teaching anything beyond singing the ABC’s and reading aloud with my toddler, but our family moved away from the called worker life in favor of nurturing and growing in our own home and couldn’t be more happy with the decision. My husband and I strongly believe that God calls us to serve and worship in our homes first. We respect God’s calling to first Himself, then our spouse, then our children and finally our church/ministry. As a result, we strive to create worship experiences and stewardship opportunities for our daughters together in our home.

Catalyst

I struggled to find gospel-centered books that were also developmentally appropriate to incorporate into our daily routine and grow our daughter’s faith. Most books that are commercially available for babies and toddlers tell Bible stories but ignore the gospel message and the story of Christ.  Those that do mention Jesus are often not developmentally appropriate for the littlest children of God. 

I set out to create something that I could use to worship with my daughter. I wanted to give her ways to make visual and tactile connections while singing our favorite gospel-centered songs (My husband and I met working at Camp Phillip and some of my books are based on Camp Phillip favorites.)

The birth of Evensong Baby Books

My hope is that Evensong can help to foster a deeper appreciation for the faith of small children and that my work can help parents and caregivers as they raise their children to know Christ. 

One of my books, in particular, has proven to be a huge blessing for families who have struggled with and overcome infertility or loss: “For this Child We have Prayed.”  It was designed for my sister who waited and prayed for years a baby.  Her little miracle is due this summer, and the book was made with her in mind, but it has since blessed many families with comfort, reassurance, and promises that come straight from scripture. 

Evensong is also a creative outlet amid life as a stay-at-home mom of two little ones and, a way to make some extra income, meet other like-minded artists and makers, and Lord-willing, to spread the Gospel.

A maker’s influence (from all over the place)

My favorite type of book is the one that’s in my hand.  (So, right now, Laura Numeroff’s 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster.)  My favorite genres are narrative nonfiction and fantasy, if that gives you an idea of the breadth of my taste in books, though I am also a sucker for the volumes of classic literature with pretty covers. 

And this is a really Millennial answer, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that Instagram is a huge inspiration for me as a creative. It is so fun to peek into the lives of other creatives, especially other Christian moms who work as artists and makers. 

I work hard to only follow artists and makers who inspire me and avoid accounts that might leave me feeling covetous or unimportant.  Two mamas I follow on Instagram whose work I admire are Haleigh at @sweetsequels who creates beautiful literary & religious art, then creates fabric from her designs and sews home decor and baby items. And Marcy from @marzipantzshop who creates gorgeous little literary and religious dolls.  I also recently found D’Lacey from @homeandhoopco who does custom ultrasound and wedding bouquet embroidery.  All three of these women are advocates for their faith and for the pro-life cause, which also resonates with me deeply. 

Seeing others living this life and finding balance, peace, rest, and beauty in simple moments keeps me motivated and helps keep my heart in check. 

I am also heavily influenced by friends and mentors who both inspire me to be brave and remind me to keep my focus on Christ amid the craziness of parenting little people.  It is a blessing to look to those who have “been there” and are stronger and more firmly rooted in Christ as a result. 

Also, anyone who has lent me a book.  The lending and borrowing of books is, I think, a wonderful demonstration of friendship. (Especially since those who lend books so seldom see them returned.)  I think the following CS Lewis quote is a great example of my feelings on the topic:

My friend said, “I don’t see why there shouldn’t be books in Heaven. But you will find that your library in Heaven contains only some of the books you had on earth.” “Which?” I asked. “The ones you gave away or lent.” “I hope the lent ones won’t still have all the borrowers’ dirty thumb marks,” said I. “Oh yes they will,” said he. “But just as the wounds of the martyrs will have turned into beauties, so you will find that the thumb-marks have turned into beautiful illuminated capitals or exquisite marginal woodcuts.

C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock

One of my favorite fantasy authors is Brandon Sanderson.  He writes some of the best epic fantasy I’ve ever read. 

Hard-earned wisdom to share

As far as having a handmade business, the biggest thing is to be confident enough not to undervalue your time.  It’s easy to underprice your items in an effort to sell them more quickly/easily, but if you don’t value your time and unique skill set you have you won’t actually be paying yourself for your work.  Also, I do a lot of events. In the short time I’ve been in business, I’ve found that paying more for a booth fee is ultimately worth it.  Small “church basement” craft fairs are great for the occasional crafter, but for serious business with “boutique” style items you’ve got to find people willing to spend a bit more to buy handmade.

When it comes to writing, find a group to keep you accountable so you’re writing as often as possible.  On this front, I really ought to take my own advice.  When I had a writing group and weekly prompts/deadlines I was much better at keeping sharp and coming up with new ideas.

When it comes to reading, I love Goodreads to keep track of what I’ve read and find new things to read.  Also, I find time to read mostly by taking advantage of my library’s free audiobook app, Libby, so that I can “read” while I go about my day with my girls.  I love using a kindle because then my kids can’t rip the pages or pull out my bookmark and I can read and turn pages one-handed.  My husband and I love reading out loud to one another, too.  Before we had kids our typical “date” involved finding a coffee shop or a restaurant and taking turns reading aloud.  We also read aloud to one another or listen to audiobooks on long car rides.   

So, my main advice is to give yourself grace and recognize that not every hobby can have a consistent place in your life depending on the season of life you are in. 

I attempted NaNoWriMo (National November Writers’ Month… essentially you make a goal to write a novel in 30 days) when my oldest daughter was six months old.  I failed miserably.  I just didn’t have the extra brainpower for it.  Writing is a skill and a hobby that I will always have and I can work at writing more consistently and at greater length when I don’t have small children underfoot.  Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of journaling and have been chronicling the moments with my girls that I don’t want to forget. 

The side-benefits of creating

Hands down– when I have a creative outlet and can pour energy into something meaningful outside of my home and family I am a much better mother and wife.  When I take time for myself during my daughters’ naptime as opposed to working on household chores I find that I am more patient, loving, and engaged when they wake up.  (This is both a blessing and a curse because little people make a LOT of messes and I’ll likely never have a handle on the laundry situation.)  

All the fun links to see more:

Evensong webpage Instagram Facebook

Sign up for the Evensong Newsletter

Yay! Bread for Beggars is excited to have Hannah as a regular writer (maybe semi-regular, as nap time dictates all). Watch for her book reviews and fiction writings.