Carseat Canopy
Necessity is the mother of a trip to the fabric store and a one-hour sewing project.
{btw: 1 hour sewing project + a newborn = 3 day sewing project}
I needed a canopy for these occasions:
- Baby was 2 weeks old but I had to get out of the house – this helped me feel a little better about having a barrier between him and the world of germs
- It’s raining
- It’s chilly and a blanket or other traditional canopy would have blown off in the wind
- He’s asleep when we enter a restaurant and I want him to get a little more sleep
- It’s bright outside
I’m not selling these, and I didn’t make a pattern. I’m testing the waters to see if improvements can be made, but so far he likes it! Also, they are both the same dimensions, but I added a little extra velcro in case different car seat brands fit a bit differently.
{red fabric: Blank Quilting 5287 in Tomato and Free Spirit Meadow Lace in Peony}
{pink fabric: Free Spirit Sketchbook in Rose and Amy Butler Happy Dots in Grey}
Getting My Groove Back
Just when I thought this little newborn had slapped the chic outta me {a swing here, a bouncy seat there…} I’m reclaiming my territory from all things pastel! Okay, not really much you can do about all the baby junk, but here’s how I’m keeping it in check:
Luckily I remembered this cute “grass” drying rack from Making it Lovely. I got it at Target – and a hint in case you want to get it, it’s actually hidden in the baby aisles by the bottles instead of with the other drying racks. Go figure.
We needed access to the formula 8 times per day, so we were never putting it back in the cupboard. Enter disquising glass jar.
Yes, they notoriously end up all around the house, but before bed I do a roundup of pacifiers so we’ll know where we’re at tomorrow. I also have a little station of the things I may need in the middle of the night; Gripe Water, aspirator, etc…
Owen Nathan Hall {oh}baby
Owen Nathan Hall born on 4/09/10. 8 lbs. 8oz. 21 1/4″ long
In the words of the doctor: “big head”
In the words of the nurses: “good pooper”
… more to come, mom is sleepy…
Baby on The Way
I couldn’t stomach writing any posts here until I had some news… I have been QUITE distracted with a loooong week of failed expectations and emotions. HELLO! My poor husband has seen enough tears to store for emergency preparedness and has said all the right things and hopefully found an outlet of his own seeing as I was no comfort to him. Oopsie!
But a light peers at the end of the tunnel. Just as I suspected, my cervix wanted me to make it to my 44 week post and a little scientific intervention is needed. I’ll be induced tomorrow and then I can finally show my face around this blog again… stay tuned…
The Baby Room Reveal
He may not have a name yet, and he may not actually be spending any time in this room for months, but, well, it’s all ready!
So much of this room was a collaboration of friends and family, and over 90% of it is used or handmade. I don’t know if there has ever been a smaller bedroom recorded to date, but this would give it a run for its money.
wall stencil – HANDMADE – by me, tutorial here
changing table - USED – from Craigslist
chalkboard – VINTAGE – from the Alameda Flea Market
elephant – NEW – Ross $8
hamper – VINTAGE – from the Alameda Flea Market
hamper liner – HOMEMADE – by me, tutorial here
giraffe print rug – NEW – from Tuesday Morning $12
diaper basket - VINTAGE – from the Alameda Flea Market
diaper basket liner – HOMEMADE – with scrap pillowcase fabric by me, tutorial here
lamp – NEW – from Urban Outfitters Clearance $5
lampshade – USED – had around the house
metal awning – HANDMADE – by artist and friend Linda Raynsford
curtains – HANDMADE – by me, post here
rice paper lanterns – USED – by me for April’s shower
crib – USED – purchased from craigslist and painted by my husband
bumpers – HANDMADE – by my talented and ever-generous mother, post here
crib quilt – HANDMADE – by me, post here
burlap pillow – HANDMADE – by me, and used in our previous guest bedroom
wool rocking horse – HANDMADE – by my brother, post here {on the top shelf next to my mom’s brass baby booties}
shelves – USED – hand-me-downs from my sister
puzzle – HANDMADE – by my in-laws
wire basket - VINTAGE – from the Alameda Flea Marke
fabric baskets - HANDMADE – from Nestings Home Storage on etsy, gift from Susan
word posters - HANDMADE – by me, download here
air balloon poster – HANDMADE – by Sea Saw Designs on etsy, gift from Jessica
metal clip board – VINTAGE – from the Alameda Flea Market
rocking chair - VINTAGE – recovered by my mom, post here
high chair – VINTAGE – had around the house, post here
amy butler pillow - HANDMADE – by my mom, post here
umbrella image – HANDMADE – free download here
Here’s a little video tour:
Baby Room from Brooke Hall on Vimeo.
And in case you forgot, this was the before:
Rocking Chair Before and After
This is the rocker my mom used with all of her seven children; it is over 40 years old. She offered it to me and my husband when we found out we were pregnant {although me and several siblings have been diligently hinting at it for years}.
I scored at Joann Fabrics to recover it for $3/yard. My mom recovered the cushions complete with zippers and her custom piping {she’s “passionate about piping!”} and she added some scrap batting to make them more durable. My hubby sanded and stained it with gel stain, sealed it with varnish, and now it’s good as new! It’s tiny and perfect for the size of the room… and I had very little hand in the project: win-win!
One more little detail, and then I’ll reveal the baby room… almost done!
Crib Bumpers Done!
We’re knocking them off the list one by one… while I was finishing up the quilt, my mom was sewing the bumpers for me. That proved to be trickier than I would have imagined, but thanks to my mom, they are perfect! The fabric is Medallion in Teal {part of the French Riviera collection by Patricia Bravo}. My mom made the piping in a brown polka dot, and ribbon ties. Last step is the rocking chair reno project, and then this baby is ready to join us in style!
Crib Quilt Done!
My holiday break was not without projects…
Here is the finished crib quilt for the little boy… so cozy! I used scrap fabric from the bumpers {coming soon}, 7 different fat quarters, and Moda’s sock monkey flannel for the backing.
‘Nother Surprise Package
Thank you SUSAN! I love that you took the time to match the nursery… these look ADORABLE. {more pics to come}.
For those of you who don’t know Susan, lemme tell you a little bit about her:
- She leaves the sweetest comments on my blog, always a joy to read
- Look at this gift – even though we’ve never met, she’s captured my style perfectly.
- She is genuine and supportive. She supports handmade, and if I ran a marathon, I’d bring her along to keep me going.
- Check out her blog, Whatsoever Things are Beautiful to learn more about the beautiful Susan!
{fabric boxes from Nestings}
Scrap Fabric Basket Liners
We got some new sheets {Yay!} and I always have to cut and sew the enormous king size pillowcases to make them standard size. This leaves you with two pieces of fabric this size:
I used one to make a little basket liner for the nursery, with non-matching ribbon scraps to tie it on. In a perfect world I wanted to make little white terrycloth liners, but when free fabric and ribbon is just sitting around, I’d rather use it. {You can get crazy holding on to scraps of fabric. I usually try to think of a use for the fabric before keeping it, or holding on to it for a month or two so I don’t become a clutterbug. – my husband is going to laugh at that comment}
Baby Room Posters – FREEBIE!
Inspired by some vintage school posters at the flea market, I made these posters for our nursery.
{download this 11″x14″ poster PDF here}
A Surprise Package Came in the Mail
… An adorable handmade quilt from Natalie Jost.
She made the quilt with her adorable Constellation fabric that she designed. And a keen eye I must say, having kept with our nursery theme: grey and yellow.
Although I’ve never met Natalie, this is what I know about her:
1. Talk about “irons in the fire”… these are a few things that Natalie does {and these are just the ones I know about}
2. As you can see, she is a BRILLIANTLY creative designer. I love everything I’ve seen of hers.
3. She has integrity – it emanates in everything she does.
4. She is quick to help others
5. She is adorable!
Thanks Natalie! We love the quilt!
Iron-on Vinyl… Where have you been?
How have I never heard of this stuff? I wanted to find some laminated cotton to make baby bibs, with little luck. My brother found this iron on vinyl and made bibs for me out of fabric scraps. MUCH cheaper {and cuter}! Thanks Lane!
Create Your Own Wall Stencils
I wanted to do some geometric shapes on the wall in the baby room, so I created a stencil. Start to finish on this project is about 1-2 hours.
Pick your shape
You can trace fabric, freehand, or create your own shape. I used one of Tristan’s Photoshop brushes.
Trace your shape
Trace your shape onto the stencil surface. I used leftover shelf-liner {contact paper}. It has a sheen on it, which means it won’t get soggy or ruined like paper would. You can also use posterboard to create the stencil.
Cut out your stencil
I added thickness to my shape. Remember that if you have a shape like mine, you need to leave pieces of the inner portion attached to the outer portion or you’ll have a hole.
Start stenciling
Tape your stencil on the wall with blue painter’s tape. You may need to use your fingers to hold parts of the stencil down to get a crisp line.
I’m using a mini roller cover I had, because I thought it would work best, but you can use a stencil brush, foam brush or sponge.
Get in the corners
I always think it adds interest for your stencils to round the corners. Just use your free hand to help lay the stencil flat in the corner.
If your stencil gets yucky…
Just wipe it off, let it dry, or make a new one.
Clean Up
You can always fix mistakes. Keep a wet paper towel nearby. If you pull your stencil off and see that the paint has bled, you can easily wipe it off. Once it’s dry, just touch up with the wall paint. You should go back and fill in the gaps that were left by the stencil, but in this case, I like how they look. I’m going to keep ‘em.
Making A Crib Skirt Tutorial
Measure the length for the crib skirt
I have the mattress at the highest setting for a newborn, but you should make the crib skirt to hit about an inch off the ground from the lowest mattress setting. Mine was about 12 or 13″ long.
Cut out your 3 pieces
{front and two sides, no need to do the back}, using the height you just measured and the width of the crib. I added extra fabric so I could do a pleat in the middle.
Cut out your crib skirt panel
This is the piece that tucks under the mattress. I pieced this together from fabric I had, no need to make it look fancy since it will never be seen.
Hem the bottom of the front piece
Making a pleat
Mark the center of the front piece.
Measure equal distance from the left and right and create a pleat by folding the fabric and pressing it with your iron, and pin in place. {I had lots of extra fabric, so I did this twice for a double pleat.} Do this equal, left and right.
Pin the pleat together so it stays in place while you sew.
Attaching the pieces
Cut and hem the ends of the front piece. Hem all panels to the side pieces {no need to hem the top}.
Sew right sides together of all sides and the main piece.
The finished crib skirt
Iron everything to make it crisp, and you’re done!
