The Mother of All Rooms

I've been nesting. I guess there's no other word for it. It doesn't seem to involve any cleaning, however, just decorating. So, here are my latest babies, the two newly decorated childrens' rooms. It's a long way from sharing our room with the twins when we brought them home to our one-bedroom apartment in Virginia three years ago.

Here's the boys' room with their finished quilts! They've been in their big boy beds for about a month and they love it. After sleeping in there since September, Michael has finally started calling it his room. His old room is now officially "Anna's room." We are so glad he doesn't miss his crib or room or wonder why it's now pink. It will make things a lot easier when she comes.
Just about a month ago Sam told someone that his daddy painted his room blue - in August. He absolutely loves it. There's a picture of two docked sailboats by his bed that he helped pick out.I already wrote about the quilts here. Let me just say that I started making them last April and I don't think I'll ever make any others. Sam's already has a seam that's come undone. But, they are beautiful and bring me a lot of satisfaction every time I see them. The boys like snuggling up under them too which is very sweet. I made the valance years ago for our "study" in our Bloomington, Indiana townhouse

We've had these frames since we got married but they were light yellow. I painted them red and covered the yellow matting with some blue card stock. The three of us went to the bookstore to buy a sailing magazine, then picked these two pictures to frame.
Then there's Anna's room. It brings to mind Steel Magnolia's line, "Pink is my signature color. My colors are Blush and Bashful. I have chosen two shades of pink, one is much deeper than the other."

I ordered the bedding from Ta*rget and made the valances out of two curtain panels, cut down the center then sewed together length-wise. I had to line them in broadcloth first because they were as flimsy and thin as worn sheets, but I did it all in one day and hung them up with great love and pride!

The room will be very dusty by the time she's born. I don't know why I have set up already since I'll have to wash it all again just before she comes, but it's fun to go in there and look at it and imagine the sleepless nights I'll be spending in it soon and of course the sweet baby who will make it her own.
I like that the pattern has blue in it so I can use some of the boys' things. The recliner and some of the things on the wall are blue but they fit right in. I didn't have a good place to nurse the boys an am looking forward to doing it in relative comfort. The changing pad and hamper are both pink and I think if everything were pink it would "look like the whole place has been hosed down with Pepto Bismal." A little pink goes a long way.
So now I hardly know what to do with myself. I am going to put away the sewing machine and try to get out of the house more to let the boys enjoy the (pardon me if you don't live in California) nice spring weather outside. It's going to be 70 degrees this week and the trees are blossoming. Don't worry, I'll be envying you in May when it's already too hot to play outside here in the afternoons.

Quilting USA

I've been busy. The boys still sleep in cribs, but when they move into twin sized beds, I wanted them to have something special from me. Since I didn't make them anything before they were born, I wanted them to have something meaningful to take to their new beds. They have beautiful baby blankets from so many friends who lovingly made them before they were born. Josh's mom hand quilted them each their own baby blanket (she does one for each grandchild). Each night when I tuck them in, I put Grandma's quilt on them and say it's full of her love and so they're all snuggled up in her love. When they move into their new beds, they can still snuggle in Grandma's love, but my love will be there too in these quilts.

I have never quilted before. That's why these are made up of squares and not some complicated design. I did make up the patterns myself on Excel and planned out how much fabric I would need of each color using an equation I came up with. It kind of hurt my brain a little, but my algebra teacher, and my mother, should be proud.

I'm thinking of turning them into duvet covers instead of actually binding and quilting them together. I hope it turns out alright. That will require I learn how to do button holes. They're made of mostly the same fabrics, but in two different designs so if they're in the same room they'll match, but still be unique, just like them.

The boys have been good sports while I've been cutting and sewing. I've been sneaking it in during Sesame Street and after they're in bed at night. Once I put on "Anne of G*reen Gables" and they watched some of it while I sewed. Michael even began pretending he was Gilbert Blithe.

Once I have side borders and backs sewn on, I'll need a new project, maybe I'll try parenting!