Showing posts with label knockoff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knockoff. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Nursery Tour

I was sitting in my favorite room in my house this morning and decided I wanted to share some of the projects that make up my daughter's nursery. To me the room is soft, girly, and stylish yet comfortable.

The best part of this room is by far the window. I took the advice of designer Nate Berkus (it almost sounds like we are friends) and hung the curtain rod way above the window and had the curtains extend beyond the width of the window which makes the window look huge. When I was playing around with the concept of this room - Paris boutique and dress up - I made a trip to Calico Corner for some fabric assistance. I simply took in my bedding and color swatches for the walls and they helped me choose some really fabulous fabric. I love the green and white damask.



The ladies at Calico Corner even helped me to draw up a picture of the window concept including the wood blinds, the sheers (which I got at Target in the Shabby Chic collection) and the window treatment which my mom and I made in one afternoon.



My daughter's lamp and shade were inspired by this Pottery Barn Kids Lamp and Shade. Notice the shade is $99 and the base is $49. Yikes! I bought my base from Target for $24.99 and the lampshade I made with bushes of pink roses from Hobby Lobby. The lampshade cost about $30 to make.

Theirs...
Mine...



The nightstand I found at Target for $50 and that pink is the original color and matched the pink walls perfectly.



The glider and ottoman were originally natural-colored wood with navy blue chenille upholstery. My oldest son used the power sander to remove the glossy coating from the wood. I then used primer followed by heirloom white spray paint to re-paint the entire wood surface of both the glider and ottoman. I followed up with a good coat of clear matte sealant. Upon recommendation by my friends at Calico Corner, I recovered the glider and ottoman in a creamy white matelasse and found a trim in pink and brown. The otttoman also received a clear protective plastic upholstery to keep the fabric white. I absolutely love how the glider and ottoman turned out!



I put my hubby and boys to work making shoe shelves and hat holders for the boutique dress up nursery. That way we could display the super cute hats and shoes when they weren't being worn. Both were super easy to make.



I made some comfy throw pillows so my boys could use them to relax on when they were playing with their sister. They both liked the idea that they had something special for them in her new room.



Found the chandelier after reading a friend, Lindsey Nartker's event planning website Flourish. Check out her office. The chandelier is a little hard to see in this photo but it was all I needed to see to be inspired to run to IKEA and buy one.



My husband wasn't too thrilled about having to carve open the ceiling and run all new wiring to accommodate the lighting. It turned out great and we put it on a dimmer switch  - perfect for a baby's room so I can have a little light during late night feedings or full light during playtime or when reading or whatever.

The changing table/dresser. 



The crib which was recently converted to a toddler bed because our little monkey is now climbing out.


The perfect little shelf that I found at Hobby Lobby in the perfect shade of pink.


The fun window/mirror.



I decided not to do tutorials for all the elements of the room that I made. However, if there is something you just HAVE to know how to make, leave me a message below in the comments and I will do my best to get a tutorial up for you.

I hope you enjoyed the quick tour through Avery's room. I have two more little projects I'd like to finish up and her room will be complete. Of course, I'll be happy to share the results. Check back often :)









Avery's Nursery has been FEATURED at:

UndertheTableandDreaming







This project is linked up at:




Photobucket
Somewhat Simple
Transformation Thursday UndertheTableandDreaming

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Tiered Twirl Sundress

Tulips are blooming, rain is falling and allergies flaring. Spring is here. This means it is time to finish up some duds for baby girl for summer. Today I am sharing the Tiered Twirl Sundress.Thanks to my awesome friend Carly for doing a sew along with me on this one. A few seasons ago I fell in love with the Matilda Jane Jumping Wendy dress...



but waited too long to buy it and they sold out in Avery's size. So this is my summer version of that fabulous dress.


I started with a stretchy cotton tank top that I picked up from The Children's Place last summer for $1.99. I tried it on my daughter to determine where I wanted the first tier of the dress to start. I then measured out the length around the tank including a 1/3" seam allowance. Mark it with a dressmaker's chalk pen. Then use a rotary cutter or sharp scissors and cut the unneeded couple of inches at the bottom of the tank off.  Set the tank aside.

Next decide which order you would like your tiers to be in. I bought all of my printed cotton knit at Hobby Lobby.




I measured the width of the tank top to be 17". So I cut my first tier at 22" x 2 1/2". The length of each tier then increases by two inches and the width remains the same. So the second tier is 24" x 2 1/2", the third 26" x 2 1/2", the fourth 28" x 2 1/2" and so on. I used a rotary cutter to cut all of the tiers.

Once they were all cut, I took each tier right side together (wrong side on the outside) and serged the seams. If you are using a sewing machine to stitch the side seams, use 1/3" as the seam allowance.


Next you sew tier one and two together. Make sure you start by matching up the side seam of all each tier. They should make a straight line. I used a simple straight stitch. To help the fabric to ruffle up, slightly stretch the longer tier of the two tiers when running them under your sewing machine. After you sew tier one and two together, attach tier three, then four, etc.


 Here is a quick look of what the inside of the dress looks like just to be sure you are on track :)



Lastly, attach the tiered skirt to the bottom portion of the tank top using the same technique you did when you attached each layer of the tiered twirl skirt.Match side seam, pin, sew with a straight stitch.




No need to sew a hem at the bottom. Cotton knit is great because it doesn't fray, it will just roll up a bit. I love the simplicity of the dress and it can be easily lengthened (add extra tiers) or even made fuller (increasing the length of each tier by an inch or two). It is comfy yet stylish. Once the dress is washed, the exposed raw edges of the exposed seams with roll and ruffle up a bit. I can't wait to hear how yours turns out.

Coming soon is a "mom" version. After I made my daughter's, I decided I need one too because it looks so comfy and fun. 
 


Don't forget to save your knit scraps to whip up a fun hair pretty to wear with the Tiered Twirl Sundress. Check out my Mop Top Headband and Pony-O.










This project is linked up at:


Somewhat Simple

Transformation Thursday

UndertheTableandDreaming Photobucket