So much to do....

Oh so little time...

You may or may not recall, I had a four day holiday weekend at the beginning of this month. I was agitated for most of it because I didn't have many projects to work on. After a trip to Jo Ann's I was restocked with ideas and sewing supplies. Since then, however, I just haven't had the time.

I started to work on making quilted crib bumpers. They look super easy, but because I'm quilting them, they are taking forever. Coupled with the fact that I am dead tired when I get home in the evening again, I haven't felt like sewing except on the weekends--while I'm trying to catch up on the cleaning I've been neglecting because, oh that's right, I'm exhausted in the evenings.

The other problem keeping me from getting crafty projects done is my ability to keep thinking of more projects I want to do. I started a list. These are in no particular order, but my plan is to prioritize the list and knock off the things that will be most useful.

Finish crib bumpers: not the most useful, but I would rather complete it than leave the pieces scattered about the apartment.
Froggie crib quilt: So I bought this super cute froggie fabric at a local quilt shop intending to whip out a cute simple quilt I could lay on the floor. The baby already has two crib quilts I made, but neither go with the "theme." Non-essential, but if you saw the fabric, you'd want a froggie crib quilt too.
"heirloom" blanket: We have a piece of fabric from our childhood we'd love to see turned into a crib size blanket. The more detail I take with this the better it will turn out, but the more time I take, the less I have for other ideas.
Hanging Wet Bag/ travel wet bag: This is an essential for my plans to cloth diaper. Ever since I discovered that Jo Anns now carries PUL in store, I figure I could make one or two of these to keep my initial cloth diapering expenses to a minimum. Shouldn't take too much effort, just time and yes, another Jo Ann's trip.
Paci holder: definitely non essential, but it's one of those frills that parents with frills seem to have in their diaper bag repertoire. Super easy project that will probably be a good use for scraps, but when time is of the essence, this project is not.
Travel changing pad: A receiving blanket would work just fine, but as above, those with frills can't live without this. I probably have most of the supplies laying around, just lacking the energy.
More wall storage (pails/shelves/pocket hanging): Storage is definitely at a premium around our converted dining room turned nursery. I'm thinking of either adding a craft shelf with pegs or create a new wall hanging filled with plenty of storage pockets (similar to the crib caddy). I'm thinking of hanging decoupaged pails from the shelf pegs. While storage is necessary, I'm not sure I'm gaining enough space justify the effort.
Bibs: We don't have many and this will be useful... probably higher on the priority list than some other ideas.
Burp cloths: I have made some already, but not sure just how many I'll need. Not exactly the most glamorous project.
Bib strap: Essentially, two mitten clasps on opposite ends of a wide ribbon. Turn napkins, burp cloths and washcloths into instant bibs. I'm waiting for notions to go on sale for this one.
Shopping cart cover: This has been on the list for a long time because I received a pattern for one with a package of patterns I bought long before we even knew Johnny was on his way. They look cute, but I'm not sure I'm germaphobic enough to remember to haul this to the grocery store with me each time. Also, Johnny probably not going to be riding in the shopping cart for several months yet.
Car seat cover: Essentially a fitted sheet/blanket that fits over a car seat with slots for the harness straps to go through. In the event of baby projectiles and bodily fluids coming into contact with the seat, this cover could easily be changed and washed. I think the car seat cushions are technically washable, but I think this would clean and dry a lot quicker.

In short, the next 8 weeks will go very quickly and the carpal tunnel will likely get worse before it gets any better. I'll post pictures if I ever get any of this done.

Saturday Adventure: Punch and Judy

I am a firm believer in supporting local business when possible, though admittedly lack the economic resources to do so as often as I would like. Savannah is a city filled with dozens of small boutique businesses, including those that carry the oober nice/ slightly pricey/ quality baby merchandise. Punch and Judy's is once such boutique.

I had read about them at least a year before and had been meaning to seek them out. An ad in the Savannah Morning News gave me the confidence to tackle this adventure last Saturday. When we parked outside it's Habersham Avenue location, Rich had to offer an obligatory reality check before we exited the truck. One look at the merchandise in the window and we knew we were out of our league. I noted that we were just there to look, and that they don't charge for browsing. Besides, some of my best ideas come from trying to imitate something really cute that only a boutique like this would carry.

In case you have any doubts, Punch and Judy's carries very nice baby things that you won't find anywhere else. I'd always known I wanted a wooden high chair (not those flimsy plastic/aluminum jobs everyone carries that I know the dog could knock out with her tail). Had we not received an antique one from my father, I would have been begging and drooling. They carried several to choose from, which is impressive, since other than Amish Oak shops near home, I'd never seen anyone carry them. And, all things considered, they weren't priced that out of line.

For the most part, their prices in general weren't out of line for what you were getting. Everything was high quality and very well made. Sure it was more than we could spend, but I wouldn't think twice about it if I could. The furniture in particular would realistically last through several babies, and most would transition through childhood. Bedding displays were cute, colorful and imaginative. They were unique and unlike the generic commercialized themes that everyone else (ie babies r us) carries. They were also, relatively classic/traditional, which I personally loved.

Rich fell in love with an overstuffed upholstered glider. It rocked, swiveled, reclined, had a footrest and side pocket. He was convinced we could afford this chair. Visions of day long hockey marathons danced in his head. As the voice of reason, I pointed out how much more practical a gorgeous armoire would be for our storage needs. With adjustable/ removable shelving, a bar to hang clothes and several dovetailed drawers it could easily accommodate Johnny's wardrobe, blankets, toys, and still have room. Since neither piece would fit well in our small apartment, we were forced to decline.


They also carried Bummis prefolds. Since this is the first time I'd actually had the chance to feel the difference in person, it was nice. I gave Rich a pop quiz on which type of cloth diaper I was holding--he passed. He could finally understand the difference between a quality prefold and the birdseye gerber prefolds at Babies R Us.
Among the list of things I'd probably never purchase, but found charming just the same, there was selection of heirloom quality linen bibs and bonnets. They had french lace trims and beautifully detailed embroidery. Outfits featured smocking and high quality fabric. While Rich is right, I'd be heartbroken when Johnny puked all over a $40 sleeper they were still very cute.
I think the most amusing part about our adventure was overhearing another couple shopping for a car seat. The wife had clearly done her homework and knew she wanted an infant carrier, transitioning to a booster later. The husband, however, thought he wanted the convertible seat so he would only have to buy one car seat. The wife patiently prodded the sales lady to reveal the advantages of her plan, to which the husband gradually agreed. This really wasn't fair to the husband, but rather amusing to the observer.
So we loved the huge stuffed animals, the unique wall art, the hooked rugs, the elephant piggy banks, this stuffed chenille sheep that opened to lay flat and just about everything else we saw there. We'll definately be back to browse.
You can browse online too at: http://www.punchandjudysavannah.com/

Nursery: Nearly Done

Oh how I love tacky glue

And now for the latest installment of pictures of crafty goodness used to enhance the former dining room of a one behttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdroom apartment in our efforts to create an economically chic nursery. This week's topic: Wall Art.
Since we aren't supposed to pain the walls, and I'm not too keen on having to paint them back on the off chance the opportunity to move on presents itself, we've found less permanent ways to decorate.

Exhibit A: trendy fabric modern art display.
I used scraps of material used in other parts of the nursery, stretched over a a series of various sized embroidery hoops. Add thumbtacks on the wall, and voila. If I was ubber crafty, I probably could have covered the hoops with paint or ribbon, but I think they are fine as is. The hoops cost an average of fifty cents to $1.49 and are available at most craft stores (except the Jo-Ann's in town). The do make more colorful plastic ones, but I prefer the wooden ones anyway--not that I embroider or know the difference.

Exhibit B: Johnny's Fishing pond.

Rich's fear when I first explained the "grand plan" for the themed nursery was there would be too much green and not enough blue for a little boy's room. My compromise solution was to create fish for the wall behind the crib. Though I feel we certainly have enough blue, I do like the fish accents.
There are essentially 3 species of fish on these walls. Fish type A were made from cotton fabric. Two fish outlines were cut, sewn right sides together, flipped, stuffed and mounted with thumbtacks for eyes. Since I used scraps, I winged the outlines "on the fly" to best use the amount of scrap I had.
Fish type B were similarly created from felt. Since felt won't fray, I was able to sew right sides out, and provide more detail in the tails/fins. I also used some decorative stitching to create gills. The fabric for these fish was also scrap from another project, so my selection in color/size was limited.
Fish type C make up the majority of the school. They are only fabric on the outside. I started with fish "patterns" from online coloring sheets. I traced the outlines onto card stock (mostly display packaging material from the many shower gifts). I then cut a piece of fabric roughly a bit bigger than the cardboard fish. It needs to be big enough to cover the cardboard fish, but not too much bigger, since bulky fabric makes it difficult to tuck around details like fins. I then glued the fabric to the back of the cardboard, trimming excess as I went. These fish were stuffed with tiny fabric scraps and tissue paper before sealing the final section. The slight stuffing gives the fish a little more dimensionality than they would otherwise have. Rather than using thumbtack eyes, they are mounted to the wall with packaging tape. In the future, I may add ribbon details or button eyes, but for now, they are fish silhouettes that rise off of the wall.

Exhibit C: memo boards.


For these memo boards, I purchased 4 frameless cork boards. Originally, I was going to buy a pack of 4 cork tiles. However, I got a great deal on these frameless boards at Michael's (1.49 each I think) and they are thicker and more sturdy than the tiles appeared to be. I used leftover batting from the glider "reupholstery" project cut just slightly larger than the boards. I covered the batting and board with cute fabric. I would have rather had a staple gun or hot glue gun, but settle for craft glue to hold the fabric in place since it was what I had on hand. I used thumb tacks to hold the fabric snug until the glue dried. I added ribbons to the front, as well as more upholstery tacks at the intersection. Ribbons were secured with tacks and or glue at the back.
The memo boards currently feature cut outs of classic picture book characters. I found the images with google images and used a color printer. In the future, the boards will also feature pictures of Johnny, his family, and important reminders like feeding schedules.

Exhibit D: The pond mirror.
This is by far my favorite nursery addition. I wanted a mirror for the nursery, because every baby I have know (okay, probably older than newborn) has loved making faces at him/herself in the mirror. I liked the idea of tying the mirror into the pond theme, but didn't know how well it would turn out. Rich picked up a very economical mirror from Target for under $5.00. After some debate, we planned on taping the book character cutouts around the frame, and calling it a day. That is, until I decided to experiment.
Armed with my trusty gingher scissors and some solid cotton fabric, I began to cut reeds and cattails. Initially, I planned to sew, flip and slightly stuff the reeds. This seemed to be too much work for the effect I was attempting to accomplish. However, having planned on sewing, I ended up with two of each cattail, which allowed me to create a nice framing effect. I had to careful position the reeds so they weren't too obviously the same.
Now a more thorough crafter probably would have opted for double stick tape. However, since this was such an economical mirror, I didn't feel too bad breaking out the tacky glue and sticking the fabric pieces directly to the mirror and frame. My stroke of true genius came in the form of two green "hills" (aka scraps from cutting the reeds), which cleverly disguise what otherwise would be a messy looking knot at the bottom of the "pond."

Exhibit E: Window treatment
Nothing fancy here--more scraps put to good use. I created a pennant shape from paper then transferred to a more sturdy cardstock. I traced the shape on fabric and cut. The top tab was folded over ribbon, ironed to make the fold more likely to stay, then adhered with tacky glue. Ideally, I would have loved to have cut the edges with pinking sheers--though this project showed exactly how dull my current pair is.

Exhibit F: Burp cloths
Not exactly nursery decor, but fairly practical. I created 1/2 dozen burp cloths as they seem like a practical invention. My creations will hopefully prove both sturdy and absorbent. Side A features a soft but durable cream terry cloth, purchased for 1/2 price from the remnant bin at JoAnns. Side B features and even softer piece of flannel--mostly from scraps from previous projects, like the receiving blankets. They vary in size--due in part to the scrap nature of the flannel, or the remnant shape of the terry cloth--allowing me to get the most from the materials on hand. Ideally, I shot for 16x10, but some are longer/shorter on one or both dimension.

Exhibit G: changing table
Not one of our personal crafts, but still a semi-essential part of the nursery. Sure we didn't "need" one, but I am awful grateful to have received one as a shower gift. Considering the dinning room has no current storage, I like having the changing table to store many of our baby necessities. It's packed to the gills. We could definitely use more storage, but the debate as to how best to meet that need is still open for discussion.

Weekends of Crafty Goodness

What does one do on a rainy holiday weekend? Craft projects for the nursery, of course. The dining room of our one bedroom apartment now comes close to resembling a nursery thanks to some crafty and creative additions.

For Christmas, I finished the "hockey quilt," for Rich. It's a standard Crib size with an Ohio Star pattern. I used flannel for both the front and back, and a cotton batting. A large portion of the quilt is machine quilted (in the ditch. Hopefully the machine quilting will help it hold up better through many washes. The white squares are hand quilted in a "net" diagonal checkerboard pattern and the star centers feature a hand quilted redwings logo outline. I made the pattern for the logo by tracing the shoulder patch from the Winter Classic jersey. The border features blue and red prairie points. This quilt doesn't really go with the nursery theme, but we think Johnny will like it just the same.

Several weeks ago, I created about 4 receiving blankets out of flannel. They are simply 2 1yard cuts sewn right sides together, then turned out and finished. For two of the blankets, I cut the 45" down to 36" so the resulting blanket is square and easier to use for swaddling. Very simple, but Jo Ann's has so many cute flannel patterns and they look very nice. The double layer of flannel should prove to be pretty warm too.

I also created a dust ruffle--yet another layer in my shabby chic decorating. The fabric for the dust ruffle was easy to obtain. We had an old blue and green striped fabric shower curtain we weren't using. The fabric was cut to fit the crib length. Remnant pieces were added at the headboard and foot board to complete the look at no cost to us.



This weekend I created a "crib caddy"-- a fabric creation with pockets designed to hang from a crib and keep necessities handy. We're actually tying it on to the changing table, as that's where we need more storage anyway. Besides, it's a small space, so everything is within arms reach of everything else. I used grosgrain ribbon instead of the prescribed bias tape, which seams fairly sturdy. I followed a simplicity pattern, which made it seem more complicated than it was. Having made it once, a second one should go together easier, but it's not on my priority list.

Since the cost of a new glider was not in the budget, we've decided to recover our old glider. Structurally, there is nothing wrong with the old one, other than the fact that the cushions were old, a little worn and not very comfortable. I wrapped the old cushions in 2 layers of high loft batting and a layer of fleece. For this project, I used a full size pre-packaged batting, which was enough for the cushions, and ottoman, with enough left over for the memory boards. I very quickly tacked the batting/fleece in place with some loose hand stitching. Tacking things down was a good idea; I could tell it would have been a nightmare trying to stuff the cushions into the covers otherwise. I chose to cover the cushions in a blue and white gingham.With the cushions on the fabric, I cut out two pieces with roughly 1 inch extra all the way around. I stitched together three sides, leaving the "bottom" open to insert the cushion. Once the cushion was inside, I hand stitched the opening with some ribbon tabs to tie the cushions to the chair.


So we have this "pond" theme for our nursery, and above Johnny's crib is his own lily pond. We made lily pads from green fabric. I used coloring book images to create a rough pattern and enlarged the pattern to various sizes. Two pieces of fabric were stitched together, turned right side out and filled with a little bit of scrap fabric or fiber fill. To create "veins" I used a variety of machine stitching patterns. Some of the lily pads were sewn to the blue tulle "pond" canopy. The canopy is attached to the ceiling in a random draping fashion using thumbtacks. Rich did most of the ceiling work as I directed from the ground. Next, we added extra lily pads suspended from fishing line, as well as tissue paper "lilies." Sparkling blue butterflies from Hobby Lobby's summer decor finish off the ceiling masterpiece. We were careful to keep the canopy far enough from the ceiling fan, but close enough that when the fan is on, the hanging pieces have some movement.

On the wall behind the crib we painted pre-cut wooden letters. You can find these letters at just about any craft store--ours happen to come from Walmart, where they were marked down. Rich gave the letters two base coats of white. I added green and blue accents and voila, for much less than $16 a letter we have a cute wall decoration.
Under his name, we added a frog. It's actually a kid's summer placemat from Jo Ann's for $1. We may add accent fish to the sides yet.


On the to do list yet... Finish the memo boards, create a window treatment and more wall art. I might make a "pond" mirror--but that's not a priority.

Our Crib

Living in a one bedroom apartment, I didn't think we'd actually bother getting a crib. It's just another piece of big furniture we'll only end up moving once, possibly twice before the blueberry actually gets here. (We've taken to calling the future baby a blueberry, since that's about how big it is now). We lucked out on a floor model that has never been used. No scratches and all parts are included. It's cherry and pretty simple, but it seems sturdy.

The crib makes me really happy and makes it even more real that this is happening. Its not that I wasn't excited before. I've just been a little disappointed with the reality that we may not be home by the time it arrives. I wanted to create a cozy little nursery, but that's silly when you live in an apartment. So even if we don't have the Martha Stewart nursery, at least the blueberry will have some space to his or herself.

Everyone says it's a girl, including an ancient chinese astrological chart--but the magic 8 ball and Rich disagreee, so we'll just have to wait to see.