The Craft Machine Keeps on Whirring....

After my proclamation of taking a break I decided to hit the sewing machine again (no surprise here). It's like crack, I tell you! If a loaded sewing machine and pretty fabric are within arm's length, I just. can't. help. MYSELF!

So back to the project at hand: Our back door has always bothered me because it has a HUGE window pane and I always feel very exposed at night--especially if my man is gone and I'm home alone. As you can see, any ol' bad guy could just come up to the window and see what I'm doing here.

BOOOORING

So after seeing this post from Thrifty Decor Chick and realizing that I can use MAGNETIC RODS to hang a window covering on a metal external door, my whole life changed....magnetic rods...oh my word! I didn't even know such a thing existed!

After this epiphany I finally had the courage to proceed with my whole master plan for the breakfast room....

BEFORE

AFTER

"PINCH PLEAT WINDOW VALANCES!!!", she exclaimed madly

Don't be afraid of pinch pleat! This was so easy! So these are just long rectangular panels. A little measuring involved to make sure your final length (after you fold up your pleats) comes out right. I sewed on some black grosgrain ribbon as a trim. Here is a view of the pleat from the front. (Obviously, not a professinal job here but good enough for li'l ol' me)

 Here is a view from the back. Once I pinched up the folds I did a quick stitch to hold them together.

Then I put those drapery hooks in the top and hung them on cheapy aluminum window valance rods. (You can see the type of rod in the picture above next to the one completed valance) Since the window valance hangs on the rod with the hooks you don't even see the rod. This seemed more economical than buying 4 nice rods for each window. I like how clean it looks.

Camila's Room

So here's the other reason December/early January has had me a teeny bit busy

Camila's room!

Here's the story:

The little girl who lives down the street has a full time nannny named Mary. Mary and I have developed a special friendship over the past 2 years. We share impromptu playdates sometimes when it's rainy or cold outside or if her and Gabriella happen to be walking by our house.

(Side note: You'll remember Gabriella was the recipient of the famed Nap Mat Project.)

Mary is close to my age and we have lots of things to talk about. She has always loved Anna's room and asked me if I would help her decorate her nursery when it came time for her to have a baby. Well, she is expecting a little baby girl at the end of the month and several months ago she commissioned me to make some crib bumpers, crib skirt, window curtains, basket liners, and a few other small crafty things for the nursery. I also helped pick out the paint color which is a nice muted, soft green. It's hard to tell in the pictures but it looks very sweet and light and girly.
I was excited to help and have finally finished it and went to her house to put everything in place.

I went out on a limb and tried this applique letter on the minky cream fabric. My first time to do it and I'm glad I didn't screw it up. I'm going to have to applique more things now! Seriously, the night I did this I actually couldn't sleep. My mind was so revved up thinking about all the things I could possibly applique...onesies, lampshades, pillows, OH MY! That's how sick I am! SICK, I tell ya!

She brought me a hand-me-down lamp whose base was speckled blue and had a weird lace-ish lampshade. I spray painted that sucker, slapped some of our leftover pink and white dot fabric to cover the shade, and added some fuzzy trim for some extra razzle dazzle and we have a whole new lamp! (that matches our scheme, thank you )

Bought these letters at the HobLob--50% off--holla! Spray painted and added the ivory dots to match the fabric on the crib bedding. This was my gift to Mary at her baby shower. She had wanted some letters for the baby room but we hadn't really pursued anything because I had this idea in mind....

The last minute project I did for Anna actually turned out to be a hit with several people who have asked me to make them for their girls...

Not sure why this picture keeps coming in sideways but it's a bow holder...

Phew! As quickly as I went into business I am retiring....at least until the kids are in school and I have waaaayyyy more time to devote to projects like this. Since I can only work during nap times (when they coincide) and in the evenings it has taken me fooorrrrevah to get this thing done.

But the most thanks goes to my amazing man who is very supportive of my crazy crafting hours. He corrals the kids and fends for himself when it's dinner time and I've completely neglected my family because I'm so into the work that I forget there's people that might need to eat a meal even if I'm blazing through. This project gave me a great appreciation for all those stay at home moms who, on top of their home-managing duties, manage to have a business selling hand-made goods on etsy or ebay or just moms who work anywhere really. Managing the house and kids is a full time job in itself and doing that and another job is super-hero status.

OK, excuse me while I go sit on the couch and EXHALE.......