Fabric Score

On New Year's Day, I was able to sneak out alone to do a little shopping. It's a pure luxury to wander store aisles alone these days, and I'm happy to report a successful trip. We just ordered a brand spankin' new bed frame and fancy pants mattress (king!) which is wonderful, but that means all new linens, too.. which, let's be honest, means mama gets to do a total overhaul of the master bedroom. Double Score!

Anyway, while out searching for the perfect duvet cover, I stopped in at Hancock Fabrics, where I like to sift around in their upholstery remnant section. Lo and behold, I found a stash of gorgeous fabric that looked very familiar.

Robert Allen's Khanjali Peacock.

I love LOVE the colors in this print and have had my eye on it for a while. Here are a few places I've come across it:

via Young House Love

via Emily A. Clark

Now that I'm looking closer at Emily's pic, I'm not so sure she used the Robert Allen fabric.. though her picture looks much closer to what I have than the YHL pic. Their pic looks more saturated or something...

ANYway!

I worked this weekend on making curtain panels and they are finished and hung! What?? A picture? Well... no, sorry, no picture just yet. I'm still trying to convince hubby that we need to repaint the room to go with the new look. Wish me luck on that front. But I will show you pictures at some point, I promise! Sheesh, what kind of blogger am I?? 

So what were you up to this weekend?

 

Manic Monday

I know, I know. It's not Monday anymore. And really, yesterday wasn't so manic, but that's what I'm going with.

Miracle of miracles, my child slept until 8:45 yesterday morning. But instead of getting up early and showering, etc, I chose to lay in bed and sleep sleep sleep. I stand behind my decision wholeheartedly.

So I decided I must get myself bathed and ready during her first nap of the day. And then- AND THEN- she proceeded to sleep for more than 2 glorious hours. (!!!!!) This is HUGELY uncommon at our house. My 30-minute napper likes to be awake and social so she doesn't miss one minute of the party.

I took full advantage of the long nap, expecting her to wake up at any second. I'm happy to say I got a lot done. I started dinner in the crockpot (total cooking maven right here) and nearly completed new pillows for our living room. Pat myself on the back, why don't I.

{Are you enjoying my Monday play-by-play? Exciting stuff, I tell you.}

I wanted to add some more color in our living room (read: hubby has requested a color other than NEUTRAL or BLUE). So I grabbed the napkins off my dining room table and got to work.

I've always loved these napkins from Pier 1. Lots of fun colors and a great print. Not easy to find. Twenty minutes later and my pillow covers are ironed and sewn. I was able to finish them up after Evie went to bed last night.

{See, lots of neutral. And I might never quit my love affair with blue. Now I'd like a new couch to go with my pillows..}

After Miss Sleepypants woke up from her nap, we headed to TJ Maxx to return a shirt I bought. If you must know, it was a pink tank top that they only had in a medium. I thought I could make it work, but once I got home and put it on, I realized the neon tent look just wasn't for me. But while we were there I scored these awesome nesting tables for Evie's nursery! I love them.

{At this rate I'm planning to reveal Evie's room in all it's glory when she's about 16.}

So that was my Monday. I feel very productive. How was the start of your week? Was it as exciting as mine??? :)

Evie's Quilt

Finally! Evie's quilt is nearly a year in the making and finally finished!

I ordered the fabric last summer on Etsy. I LOVE the colors and patterns. Not too baby pink or sticky sweet, but still girly. I added two brown/neutral fabrics that I picked up from JoAnn's to the mix to stretch my fabric and break up all the color.

This was my very first attempt at a quilt or anything like it. I totally winged it. (Wong it? Wang it? Whatever.) Big surprise. I browsed a few tutorials online and then just started cutting squares. The front has been done for oh, months now, but I was kind of stuck on what to do with the backing. Plus I had birthed a baby in the meantime, who liked to be held for 23 hours of the day and didn't care for my sewing machine.

Fast forward a few months and I now have a giggling, bubbly baby who smiles and laughs 23 hours of the day and I'm back on the sewing wagon.

Life is good.

I ended up using a solid wine/raspberry colored cotton for the back of the quilt and a border around the front. I wanted to make it just a little bit bigger and this did the trick. Then I went with a mauvy-pink binding for contrast.

If I had to start all over again I might do it a little differently and would definitely plan things out a little better, but overall I'm very happy with how it turned out.

And so is this little jay bird. :)

Car Seat Strap Covers

Take note!! I finished a project!
Mark the day on the calendar or something, cause man, it's been a while.

I made these cute little car seat strap covers for my blue-eyed girl a week or so ago. I wanted her to have them before our first little road trip to my hometown last weekend. I used this tutorial and I think they turned out great!
If I do say so myself. :)

As our pediatrician says, blue is bound to be her signature color.. ;)>

Nursery 0.25: DIY Crib Skirt

Has the suspense been killing you, or what?? This baby has been finished and on the crib for about two weeks now, and I just love seeing it every time I go into the nursery. We did finally get the mattress and a fitted sheet placed as well. Progress!!

So here she blows:

In the beginning (you know.. months and months ago), I started taking a few pictures along the way for a quasi-tutorial, but that idea got scrapped pretty quickly.

Here's the thing folks- I really don't recommend this DIY project to anyone. Especially not anyone currently with child. If you are a real live seamstress with mad skills, go for it. But if you're just an overachiever, like me, my advice is to keep your sanity and your weekends to yourself and just go buy one. Or make one with any other fabric than silk. And ruffles.

My problem is that I have this weird, unfounded, overconfidence in my "project" abilities. I see something, or dream up something in my mind, and figure, sure! I can do that!

HMPH.

Sometimes it works.. sometimes it works after eons have gone by.. and sometimes I'm left with a half completed project that will never see the light of day. It's just how I operate.

But this baby? SUCCESS!!

If you recall, this started as an extra long curtain panel on extreme markdown ($8!!) at Tuesday Morning. And it's pure silk and was pure hell to sew with in the beginning. I think my sewing machine and Jesus finally had mercy on me about halfway through, because things did get a little easier. :)

I used the entire thing. The curtain lining was turned into the ruffle backing (only technical terms here, folks) and another portion of the lining was used as the flat piece that lays under the mattress.

So what do you think?

I only spent a total of 10 bucks with the cost of the curtain panel and thread!

I must say, I am very pleased with how it came out and pretty proud of myself for actually seeing it through to completion.

Now we can just wait for Tiny Dancer to arrive and hope and pray that she doesn't decide to projectile vomit on this gorgeous thing, because that will surely send me over the edge.

Next Up: Crib Bumper

Linking to:
DIY Showoff, Thrifty Decor Chick, Fingerprints on the Fridge

Project Central Station

This weekend has been a busy one at Casa Tiny Dancer! I set up shop at my sewing machine on Saturday and settled in for the long haul.

Here is a peek at a few of the bajillion projects I have in the works right now- in varying states of completion:


Striped Knit Blanket

This has actually been done for a while now! Can't wait to take some pics of our little girl snuggled up on this blanket!



DIY Baby Legs

I scored big time during a lunchtime trip to Target last week. They had a ton of women's knee-high socks for $2 each!
I plan to make them all into baby legs for you know who!



Knit Hats

I'm expecting her to come out with lots of hair, but it will still be cold when she arrives, and little bitty hats are a quick and satisfying project.



Beginners Quilt

This is my very first attempt at sewing a quilt! I'm pretty excited about it and am already dreaming up others I want to do down the line. I have the squares all sewn together, but still need to pick out a fabric for the backing.



Crib Bumper

It doesn't look like much.. yet. I cut out all of the pieces and sewed the piping for the bumper, so progress is being made on her bedding!



Crib Skirt

And finally.
The infamous crib skirt. I'm happy to report that she is DONE!
I'll be sharing pictures of the finished product soon! Let's just say I have been giving myself numerous pats on the back.
Also- this baby better be a girl!!!!