So You Think You Can Sew?

I've taken on a room renovation project that could quite possibly be my undoing.  Julia's bedroom in our new home was just a little too beige and I had this great idea in my head of the perfect vintage girls bedroom.  I started by painting the walls a beautiful light blue.  On a tromp around town I found this sweet sewing cabinet and painted it red, and then rescued the chandelier that originally was purchased for Ali's bedroom from one of our TWO storage units. Julia's closet now stores clothes and toys!

This great mirror was hiding in the corner of a flea market in a tiny Kansas town and just had to come home with me!

No little girl's room is complete without a chalkboard for playing school.

Now before you go thinking I spent a eleventy hundred dollars on a vintage schoolhouse chalkboard (believe me, I looked and salivated over a few!) I didn't.  This is simply a coat of magnetic paint, followed by a couple coats of green chalkboard paint and then framed with trim that I painted glossy red.  The great schoolhouse desk you see in the corner is the most amazing color of blue and was rescued from a friend's basement.  

At this point the next project on the list was getting rid of the crib and finding the perfect bed and bedding.  I looked and looked and just wasn't satisfied with what I was finding out there on the great wide web.  That's when I stumbled upon this.  Let me tell you I wanted to call miss Anna Maria up and beg her to whip one of these babies out just for me because of course I wanted it yesterday!  I refrained and just ordered the pattern.  Next, I took a little shopping trip to Sarah's to find just the right fabric.  I didn't get started sewing right away because of course I needed the perfect bed for the finished product.  My mind said I needed a Jenny Lind just like the pattern cover showed, but then I found this beauty at a flea market.  Steven was none too happy to help me pick it up as he doesn't generally support my love of "dumpster diving," but he softened up a bit, took it to the shop and painted it with red automotive paint for me.

You can see it is still awaiting its crown of glory, and this is why.  To make a full size quilt you need 10 blocks like this

And 10 blocks like this

Now I've been sewing for quite some time (25 years at least) and I tell you I'm not sure if I've ever made anything quite so time consuming.  So, I will try not to lose interest, and I will try not to lose heart because I know it will all be worth it when the blocks all come together in the end!

Let's just hope Julia isn't in junior high by the time that happens!

Wishing Well

Here in the Midwest, it was spring and then it was summer, and then it was winter again, and then it was...you get the picture.  But on Mother's Day it was beautiful and Julia had the best time playing in "the wishing well."  I don't know what you wish for when you are 3, but I'm sure it was a good one.  I wish for warm weather!

Happy Mother's Day

There's nothing better than having them all together in one place!