My seamstress surpassed expectations on my nursery

[aka_mama2be]

I felt like I had to share that the seamstress that I hired surpassed all of my expectations on the bedding that she did for me in the QUALITY of her work.

I am not exageratting when I say I gave her 30 yards of fabric (actually more than that when I consider a table cloth for a round table in the baby room, a cushion for a toy chest, and some organza and tulle for under the table and bed skirt)... We used it all but about 1 yard!!!!

She made me:
a skirt for a round crib with like 2 or three layers of tulle under it to make it "poof" big time!!! Whcih meant that the amount of the fabric used was way in excess of "The norm"

the prettiest bumper pad (the material made it I think) with a gorgeous ruffle and ties on bottom and top.

huge panels for me to make a canopy that draped from the ceiling to the floor.

a round table skirt of shimmery organza with a gorgeous large square overlay over it.

a little cushion to go over the toy box to sit on

a simple drape to hang in an alcove behind the changing table (just on a tension rod) so I have alittle more color on the walls and to use up the fabric.

a small pillow for the changing table

She did all of this for alittle under $200...I supplied the supplies.

I really think she would be worth sending your fabric to her if you wanted something done. But only if you measure accuratly and tell her exactly what you want due to not being there in person.

I did have a tough time getting my stuff done "on time" (though baby not here I was anxious, and she seemed to procrastinate yet also does have a full time job) I did get frustrated over that, and she does have cats if someone is afraid of cat dander on their items (I was not-and my stuff has no smell of them, but I did worry alittle about that)...BUT with the QUALITY I am just thrilled!!!!

She has a web site www.hemsinahurry.com and is located here in Raleigh. Anyway wanted to share that if anyone finds themselves in that situation...

You can email me directly if you want more info on her...in addition to what her web site might have...
Neve

[email protected]

[JMarie]

Sounds wonderful - so where are the pictures! I can't wait to see them!

JMarie
EDD 2/23/03
Aidan Christopher

[kathsmom]

OK, Neve,

I am really jealous!! It sounds like it is absolutely beautiful!! Please post pictures if you can!

I want to re-do Andrew's room now. Of course, DS has slept in his crib maybe 4-5 times since birth due to congestion, so DH won't really go for it! I did get the PBK yellow patchwork bumper on clearance for $20 and the PBK yellow chambray material crib skirt for the regular price of $39. It sort of matches the Lands' End barnyard sheets I bought.

I can't believe that she only charged $200 for all that! I will definitely have to get her to do some work for mr when we get to NC!

I'm glad you were able to get what you wanted and at such a good price!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[aka_mama2be]

I begged STeve to take pics today so I can post them (though I have no idea how to "post" them). I swear the biggest mistake we ever made was to buy a digital camera because I never have any pictures to hold or look at or share, they are all "in" the digital camera. He couldn't find the "disk thing" that you use to put the pictures in the computer...but I hope to get that this week.

The room isn't all that but what SHE has done has been great... I would have loved to put the carousol horses up on the wall but the stencils seemed so costly and I really have to watch myself with not working and just now coming off of unemployemnt, and still 2 months to go till due and then atleast 3 months till I can get ajob after that (if I can find one here)...so these next few weeks are going to have me "behaving" big time...no choice...DWATS!!!!!

I'll hopefully get atleast something out there this week...:)

[JMarie]

I am sure it looks wonderful. We are limited in our nursery because we're renting our condo, but we were able to hang artwork and peg boards as well as a few other things. I bought peel-and-stick border for a little extra color. It's all Winnie-the-Pooh - SO typical, I know, but I've loved it since I was a little girl, so I decided that I would have one uninspired nursery first, and then get creative with the others (hopefully there are others!). I am working on getting pictures for my mom - first I need to clean out the extra boxes in the middle of the room! Your Steve is the same as mine - I'm still trying to get him to download the Christmas pictures so I can email them to my mom! I can't wait to see your nursery!

JMarie
EDD 2/23/03
Aidan Christopher

[newbelly2002]

Sounds amazing. I'm having serious nursery-envy!

Because we are renting a furnished apartment, I'm really limited in what I can do. Have been struggling with that recently. The best we can do is to hang cloth/glitter fish in a large fica tree in the nursery to complete the "fish" theme. THe room is 1950's New York City style (you know, really high ceilings, balcony off the room, white walls, wood floor. Ohhh the potential). But because of the finish on the walls (a stucco sort of thing), holes need to be kept to a bare minimum.

Can't wait to see the pictures!

Paula

[akc]

Hi Neve -

I'm so glad you are happy with your nursery bedding & decor! We were posting back and forth about the bumper and my daughter's nursery. Isn't it wonderful to see it all when you've picked out the fabrics and dreamed it in your mind?! Since you had me post lots of pictures of Maeve's room, now you have to post some of yours! Pls! Pls! Esp with a round crib - I know no one who has one, so I'd love to see it! And, were you having a boy or girl or don't know? I can't wait - pls post!

Alexa
(w/updated picture of Maeve)

[mama2be]

Alexa,

Hey, Oh I remmber Maeve's room is my favorite!!! I love it!!!
My DH can't find his disk for the digital camera but the second we find it I will post pics (though I don't know how- he will have to do that)...

It is not totally done I still have a few things that I would like to do, but that won't keep me from posting, that darn digital camera will. Big bone of contention here in the house ove rthat thing since I feel like I never get to see pics, hold pics, take pics anywhere anymore...they're all "somewhere IN the camera"...

I hope lil Maeve still loves her room, I know she does!!!

[akc]

Hi - Oh, you are so sweet. You get to gush over your own room now - Maeve's is old news! I just caught that you went with the carousel theme as well - what kind of fabric did you use? I really love the Toyland one that we used - I'm hoping I can shift it a little to an older room and leave Maeve in her room later. We'd have to put #2 (who's not nearly on the way) in another room, but that's more opportunity for dreaming?! I wish I could send my sister to your house to paint the mural - she did it for free for us (only stencil we had was that top canopy one which was only $20 or so. I can't wait to see! :) :)

You should do both - take regular pics and digital. That's what we do. You can get a disk with your regular prints now - or Kodak places will even publish them online for you. That way you have both. I do love the digital b/c only one out of 20 of Maeve's pictures are good. And, then I have it and send it all over and love it. But, I take regular ones occasionally b/c I want to have those two - and I wouldn't trade some of the ones from the hospital in for digital. There are so precious moments of my DH with her (or one with us kissing her) that I'm so glad are on real film.

Anyway - look forward to the pics!

Alexa

[mama2be]

Oh I didn't do the carousel theme, I was just saying I wish I could add the carrousel horses just like yours on a slanted ceiling that is very obvious in the room...just the stencil's from the company that you had recommended seemed so expensive...way more than $20 unless I misread the web site. If they were $20 I'd buy them in a heart beat...The actual horse carosel did your sister paint that or did you use a stencil?

MY room has no theme just tons of a solid color (periwinkle/royal blue/saphire color), I did buy three antique tin circus animals that are on wheels one is an elephant, giraffe, lion, but they are so small so don't set a theme but the colors are cute and they are cute. I am so anti circus that it is weird I'd even have been drawn to them.

Please let me know about the stencil...again I might ahve misread the web site because i remember thinking they were GREAT but in my head the cost seemed so much. I'll go back thru the archives and see if I can find where I might have made the mistake...

I promise I'll get pics up...kinda feel like that ceiling needs something before I can say "voila"...

Thanks for all of your help!!!

That slanted ceiling has been my major delema...there are three things I have thoght in there..
1. Carousel horses
2. blue sky, clouds and stars
3. at www.poshtots.com there is a gorgeous banner that is made up of blue and white diamond shapes and it looks like a flag...I would love to reproduce that on the slanted wall/ceiling. I don't know how I would paint the diamonds but would love to do it if poss. The banner is just a small wall accent but I would want to inhance it larger...

[JMarie]

The Posh Tots banner - like the one Rachel has for Emma on 'Friends?' They say either "Princess {Name}" or "Prince {Name}," have the first letter of the name with a crown on it, and are $270? I LOVE THOSE! My MIL is a graphic artist and her mother is an amazing watercolor artist, so they are working on reproducing one for Aidan's door.

I think if you want to reproduce it on the ceiling, you would need to start with a white base coat, then grid your ceiling. Decide how wide and how long you want your diamonds and start marking the ceiling on the width wall. Do the same on the opposite wall. Mark the ceiling with marking string, matching measurements - marking string has chalk on it and you just have one person on one end, someone else on the other, and someone in the middle 'snaps' the string to mark a line on the ceiling. Then on one side mark your length (start in the same corner you started the width measurements) and again do the same on that opposite wall. Start snapping the string again. Then it's just connect the dots (or where the grids cross) and use the string to do that as well. Decide which diamonds will remain white and outline the insides of those diamonds with that blue painters tape (don't know the exact name of it). Once those are all 'in-lined', you should have neat, perfect diamonds to paint blue. Once the paint is dry, you can peel off the tape and you'll have your pattern. This would be a very detailed, very tedious, and probably difficult project, but I think it will be just beautiful when you are done. Let us know what you decide!

JMarie
EDD 2/23/03
Aidan Christopher

[akc]

Hi Neve,

Oh, no - I don't mean to disappoint you. The big carousel horse, elephant and lion were expensive. We only got the canopy top border (runs where the flat ceiling ends and dormer begins) and then my sister free-hand drew the rest. I know - I could never do that. BUT, we did do the poles ourselves - really easy...you just put to pieces of tape up straight with about 3 inches in between - paint in the middle and then peel the tape! Voila! I did the little angled stripes on them to make them fancier, but just did that before the tape was pulled. There is also a posting on clouds and stars on this board somewhere - sounded pretty neat - they had two layers painted so that there were clouds in the day and stars that came out at night!

I do have some other carousel ideas (like I said, already brainstorming for #2 who - God willing - will be on the radar in another 12 months or so!):

1) You could make a carousel with stuffed animals and then painted poles or something like that? Would be so cute to have a horse, lion, elephant etc in a big stuffed animal and then tie them in through painting? Or, better yet, do the carousel with fun friends like Clifford the Big Red Dog! (Maeve would love that) OR do you have an amusement park near you! They always sell those huge giraffes and other things. Just one might work to tie in the carousel with something big and fun! Circus and carousel are fairly interchangeable to me!

2) You could just paint the canopy-type pattern at the top of the ceiling? Any kind of drapy pattern will do - and let the drama be the crib panels.

3) How are you at tracing? There are lots of animals and/or children's books figures you could use - there are now books that are made so you can trace them and then transfer them on the wall?

4) What about sponge or little potato stamps. OK - again, you remember, I am no Martha Stewart. But, there has to be some little animal carousel like stamps in a large size that come for children. Would be pretty easy just to stamp some animals playing in the room!

5) Fun wall decorations. I found (I'll have to remember where) a giraffe that was actually a wall hanging that went on the wall to measure the growth of a child. So, it went up and down in a narrow space, but was fun! Things like that might work and spice up the room with animals without going overboard.

6) This is my favorite - and one I considered doing. We actually sort of did this for the quarter circled windows we have. Anyway, why don't you make the banner/canopy with fabric instead of painting it? Get some plain pieces of fabric in the accent colors and drape them like a canopy would in a carousel? You could paint on the diamonds really easily as long as you had a fabric paint? We draped Maeve's quarter-circle windows and it makes the room really cozy. Since you already have the dramatic panels over the crib, you don't need to go crazy - just pick one or two strategic places where an angle would look fabulous. If your dormers are like mine, I would go from the corner of the ceiling to the center where the dormer starts to cut out. Put the big end of the banner on the outside and then angle it in - or vice versa. Or, I also think a room like ours would be cool if then banners went floor to ceiling - but, you have a lot of fabric going on already w/the crib panel, so you'd have to see what balances out.

My best advice - no matter what you do, is that you can easily make a banner, canopy, whatever and it doesn't have to be balanced or perfect! My favorite rooms are always ones that aren't identical on all sides. Pick a fun thing and go with it. And, the baby will love it no matter whether it looks like Emma on Friends's banner or not (and, that show will be so "square" when our children become aware of it!)

Let me know if I can brainstorm any more with you!

Alexa

[akc]

OOH - I thought of more ideas for cheap!!!!

7) Find flashcards that have circus animals on them and put them up around the room like a mural. There are tons that have animals that are cute b/c they are usually letters.

Here is the set from Land of Nod that I LOVE! And, they are big - 8x10". I'm thinking about getting them and putting them around Maeve's playroom: the link is really long, so I hope it works. If not go to www.landofnod.com and click on wall decor -
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=Land+of+Nod+Version+1&area%5Fname=Baby&Page=1&site%5Fmode=mode%5Fmain&category%5Fname=Baby%5FWall%5FDecor
OK - EDITING THIS POST - JUST GOT THESE CARDS FOR THE PLAYROOM. I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY ARE IF YOU WAIT - I HAVE HAD THEM IN MIND FOR A WHILE AND CAN'T BEAT THE PRICE TO TAKE CARE OF THE WALLS IN THERE! :)

Also, Here's a carousel poster from land of nod - if you don't get it framed it's under $20 - http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=land+of+nod+version+1&product%5Fid=1201102&site%5Fmode=mode%5Fmain&area%5Fname=baby&category%5Fname=Baby%5FPlayroom&subcategory%5Fname=Baby%5FPlayroom%5FWall%5FDecor

8) Find a giant circus or carousel children's book and cut out the animals etc. and paste them up on the wall. A lot less work then painting! OK - not these b/c they are expensive, but if you could find some cards that have animals and frame them it would be like these: http://www.dreamweaverinteriors.com/kids/kids2.html

9) Coatrack or hooks or something like that. A lot of times there are animal hooks (like an elephant with a trunk), etc. You could han those in a few places to make it carousel/circusy!

OK - that's all I can think of for now. I haven't even thought of what my next frontier will be for our yet-to-be-conceived children! Stop me now...I'm dangerous!

AKC

p.s.

Here are some of the growth charts that I found -
These are only for ideas -

http://www.fantasytoyland.com/girgrowchar.html

This one is kind of cute: It's under a little carousel top:
http://www.zebrahall.com/z032-bgg001.html

Here's a crazy wood giraffe one that you can build - was on HGTV:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_childrens/article/0,1793,HGTV_3367_1378160,00.html

This one is hand-made and expensive but I don't see why someone couldn't make that:
http://www.habazar.com/mylittlevideos/listings/399.html

Elephant:
http://www.tabitha.ca/growth_chart.html

[mama2be]

I didn't know Rachel on friends has it...darn she has everything :)...
I think I am the only the person who not only does not watch friends but actually hates it. I so don't want to admit that for fear of being banned, I just can't get into it at all...I find it to be the stupidiest of jokes, and when I saw 1 minute recently of it the actor was not even looking at his peer he was reading que cards fromthe corner of his eye the whole time (you could tell)...OH and I have tried!!!

Don't get me wrong I am a TV person just can't bare to sit thru that show...love will and grace though :)

I am so excited that you are getting one of these banners, if someone is an artist I am sure that they could reproduce it...not easily...but you can tell it can be copied :)...

Thanks for your ideas...we might try that this week-end, I will keep you posted. I couldn't put a "T" on it because I would want it to stay up through out all of my children and their nursery. (which at this point with this huge belly, no sleep, back pain might just be Tristan)...

I think such a banner would just make the room though!!! Please post pics of yours too when you get it...

[mama2be]

OK girlfriend this is your calling...!!!

IF you are bored and are looking for your calling (I am just certain you have nothing else to do with a baby on your hands and that you are sitting around saying, "I am bored and need soemthing to do"...:)
But you truely have a gift for nurseries (which probably means any other decorating too)...you should look into this, you have great ideas!!!!

My problem with my room is it is sooo small, there is so little wall space because the back wall is a slant that takes you to the ceiling (which is where I am wanting the design-on the slant). It is the only space that I have anything left to do anything with but due to the slant can't hold a picture etc...just a painted something or other-on the slant. Even then if I paint something too big it will be so in your face since it is a huge slant. It is slanted becaseu our master bedroom under it has a sitting area that goes into a lovely cathedral ceiling (thus MB is huge and nice with a fireplace, and the room for nursery is small and can only be used as a nursery in life I suspect). In hind site maybe we should have used another room for the nursery but I wanted one for a guest bed room and knew another should be used for Tristan if #2 comes along so we just set up shop in the small room. So many people love the room becasue it is oddly shaped...

Since I have canopied over the bed from the ceiling down that kills that wall space...and then a two door french door closet takes up that remaining wall on that side.

The 2nd wall with the window fits the window and then the slant effects that wall killing any space.

The back wall is the slant with the exception of just enough room to fit a changing table (like an alcove)...this is the wall straight ahead of you when you walk into the room, so you walk in and see the changing table and then with extra fabric I put a tension rod up in the "cubby hole" above the changing table and have used the fabric to cascade from the ceiling down behind the table. There I could have hung something and will hang a huge balck and white of either STeve holding Tristan (without a shirt and in blue jeans)...or a picutre of me with open white shirt belly showing and Steve kissing belly or soemthing. (we have two appts with a photographer to capture both-one pre baby the other post baby)...

That leaves the wall to the right that butts up to the entry door to the room...and I have a round table there, lamp, those little animals so really anything else there would be over kill.

The room is just so small, nothing like lil Maeve's...I can't even fit a book case in there which breaks my heart!!!!

Can I tell you I love those ABC animals that you pointed out from Land of Nod...great price too...I need to incorporate soemthing into the bathroom to make it for kids and was thinking classic Pooh bear...or might just use those ABC animals. I just love animals!!!

Actually agrowth chart would fit in the bathroom quite well...the kids (future) will have a large bathroom with two sinks etc...it's just that room that is the ain in the derriere...atleast being so small saves me money, there is only so much trouble that I can get into...

You are the greatest, thanks again...you need to be our Resident Designer on the boards by the way :)...

[akc]

Hi Neve -

Hmmm...I can't wait for the pictures so I can better visualize. If you are working with a slant like mine, you could:

1) do the banner thing that is either painted on or drapes across.

2) Could do something fun to make a big top. I'm thinking you could paint it and make stripes going from the low point to the high point and taper them so widest at the bottom and thin at the tip (sort of like big triangles not rectangles). That would give the illusion of a canopy and be quite fun. You might want to paint it in really subtle colors (we used the pale green and a pale peach to accent in Maeve's room) b/c then it is not overwhelming. I could sketch something once I see the pictures.

3) You could actually take extra fabric (again, I would say 2 subtle colors that are in the main pattern of the room) and make those same stripes going up the ceiling. They would actually drape the opposite direction of the slant (but not by much) and would only work in a room like that.

4) Or, since you crib is round and can't, therefore, be against a wall. You could just take pieces of fabric and just drape the four corners. Very subtle but with a gentle drop in the center and up on each side of a corner. Would still make it feel carousel-like.

I'll think of more specifically when I see the nursery. Thanks (blush) for your compliments. I really enjoy this - I think I inherited it from my mother (who is an unofficial, but amazing decorator - more into antiques - is a Veranda woman) and my sis (creative writer, into imaginary worlds)!

Post those pics soon!

Alexa

[sweetbasil]

Neve,
We've lived in two different houses since DS was born, and did similar diamond wall patterns in each. In the last house, it looked more like a quilt with gathers, buttons, etc. In this house, it's still a diamond pattern but the colors are a little brighter and more contemporary. We saw it in a nursery shoppe downtown and took some sly pictures, then just did our best to duplicate. Let me know if you'd like pics of either, for other ideas on how you might end up making it look- we took them digitally so it'd take seconds to e-mail them to ya. Best of luck...can't wait to see the finished product! The round crib sounds precious and very regal!

[mama2be]

Dwats, my computer broke down today so just now getting emails and back o line...and it is a commercial break during "the bachlorette" (I hope she breaks hearts of men everywhere-about time a gal gets to do that on TV) :)...

I would love love love to see your pictures and any hints on how you did it...I saw that quilted look on a ceiling one time and it was gorgeous...and then last week they showed Oprah's dining room and she had a yellow and off white diamond pattern with the "nail head" look around the perimeter, not between the diamonds like the ceiling I saw.

It's a huge task isn't it??? It looked tedious, but I would love to do that and have picked my color.

IF you don't mind I would love to see them...
my email is [email protected]

Thank you soooo mcuh!!!!

[C99]

We own our house so I was able to paint the nursery, but I did it very cheaply -- I know I spent less than $100 on supplies and paint. We have plaster walls so rather than hang things, I painted murals on the walls. I'm not artistic in the slightest and I had an unusual theme idea for the nursery, so what I did was to have transparencies made of a few shots, rent an overhead projector and project them onto the walls. Then I traced the designs with pencil and painted them in w/ non-toxic acrylic paint.

You can see the final outcome here

[mama2be]

I just posted and lost it...so this might come up twice...

I think your room is absolutely precious!!!! You would think you were a professional artist or that you'd hired one. I love the color, really love the added border around the art work and love the scenes...

What a great idea to use a projector!!! HMMM gives me ideas :)

Thanks for sharing it is adorable!!!!

[jojo2324]

I just came across this searching for more alien/rocket stuff. (Alexa, have any ideas for me? :P) The site is more just advertising her store in Seattle, not selling her wares. But maybe you could call and ask if she has that carousel pictured? It looks gorgeous!

http://www.thetinhorse.com/antiques.htm

[sweetbasil]

That is absolutely precious! What a wonderland for a baby to get to sleep in...I LOVE that little monkey reaching from one carousel bar to another! Awesome, Alexa.

[akc]

Oh, thanks! I hope people don't think I'm all into myself when I post pics of Maeve's room. It's just we were fairly creative in doing it b/c we had the challenge of the angled walls. Once we took on the challenge we upped it by buying all unfinished furniture (except her crib) and doing all custom bedding, curtains, etc.

Anyway, I can't take the credit for the mural. My sister just free-hand painted it. I had picked this fabric called Toyland, and she went with the carousel from there. And, it was her idea to use children's book characters. The monkey is Curious George and it has Babar, Lowly Worm (from the Richard Scary books), Olivia, Snoopy & Woodstock. I mention this b/c it is easier than people think. My sister just used a pencil and sketched - looking back and forth at the books - until she felt is was right. Then we painted it. I was only allowed to do the canopy b/c it was a stencil and some outlining (ahem...I am a draw withing the lines kind of girl, have lots of creative ideas like the ones I suggested with Neve, and get them executed, but the kind of painting in the horses and characters is not my strong suit!)

Neve, you have to let us know what you decide to do! I'm so dying to know. If you want to paint big diamonds, there is a painter that has a show on TLC I think that does them. I saw her on Oprah and ordered the books. It's called Debbie Travis' decorating solutions (she also has a painting book). I just flipped through it and it is FABULOUS for ideas. I may post on the bigger board about it. It has all sorts of ideas for fun and different ways of using paint to change a room. And, that includes the big diamonds Neve. Shows you exactly how to do it. Let me know if you think you want to go that route. You could either buy the book OR I could try to scan the pages for you. But, I think you might want to see all the ideas b/c there is a lot of cute ones included a cloudy sky, starry night, and a room like ours with angles where she's painted little stencils around the edges of the cut out area and along the wall (and painted a little tree on the wall - which she gives you direction to do!)

Anyway, just thought that might help! I think I will post it on the bigger board.

Alexa

p.s. Neve - the clouds are on an angled wall and do look nice and puffy. I'm not sure what your fabric has to see if it would be too much and out of character with the fabric. Also, several of the rooms in the book have dormer/angled ceilings and she has some really interesting ideas.

[akc]

OOh - all, see my posting on the main thread for some pages from the book. Debbie Travis has a book on children's room - Debbie Travis' kid's rooms and it has fabulous ideas!

akc

[mama2be]

I love Debbie Travis...have only seen her a few times on TV but love everythig she does...wonder where I can purchase the books...would I have to order them...

Alexa will you email me
[email protected]

[mom2b2003]

I'm so happy to read that having your linens made worked out so well!!! I'm doing the same, but through a company that just does custom infant and children's bedding. Although they've been great throughout the process, I'm still a little anxious until I see the final product! You post has eased some of my anxiety - Thanks!!!

Kate
EDD#1 4/8/03

[mama2be]

Kate,

I am thrilled!!! If your company only does that sort of bedding then I am certain you are in good hands...:)

Keep us posted...I am sure you will be happy with the final product. IF it was your post about the custom bedding and the fabric included that sounded like a great price, I had suggested letting the Fields know for their book if you were happy...what a great service for the price and if you are happy with it...

[mom2b2003]

Yup that is my post! I couldn't believe the price and if the outcome looks anything like the photos I've seen (I have the fabric swatches which were great), I'll be very happy (I'm slightly obsessed with bedding anyway). I really think it is a tremendous value for those of us who cannot sew but want a custom look :)

I can't wait to see your photos if you can post - the bedding sounds really nice!!

Kate
EDD#1 4/8/03

[akc]

Hi Neve -

The projector idea is a great one - that's what I meant when I was talking about tracing, but I wasn't very eloquent. You can trace the shape directly from a book and then project it up onto the wall and draw it right from that image.

Now, don't kill me, but I'm back to the original canopy stencil. (from www.designerstencils.com - search for carousel) It is only $40 and is 11.5" tall and 31.5" wide. That means it wouldn't be a tremendous amount of work b/c it's pretty wide and it's easy b/c it's done. You'd need paint, but what I did is use the paint I had left over from a lot of different projects. We had used this Martha Stewart Shreuder's paint (very expensive, not worth it) in our house and it came with sample baby food size paint cans. I used those to do the mural colors b/c you need so little. So, if you have extra colors from other rooms (blues, greens, yellows, etc.), you could use them for the canopy. Need 3 or 4 different colors. I didn't buy brushes or the paints through this company. Just the stencil. I don't know, it just seems like you may get back up to this amount of $ with a lot more work with lots of different ideas.

Anyway, I attached a close up of the canopy and then a pic of Maeve's room again so you can see again how you can run it along your dormer ceilings. It's such a fun design, especially when you make it your colors (think the ones in the sample are a bit garish!)

I really can't wait to see pictures. The hardest thing is to find balance - if your room is small and you've got a lot of fabric-based decoration as well as an incredibly dramatic round crib, you probably want to pick some subtle accents or one or two strategic bigger accents. You've got lots of great ideas though!

I love your nursery with the little boys and girls dancing! So cute! I would never know that it wasn't a professional mural painter - really wonderful!

Now, pictures, pictures, pictures...?! If I lived near you, I'm come and snap them myself! Girlfriend, get that hubby in shape on this! Heaven forbid you go into the baby's birth w/out the picture thing under control. We took about 12 rolls in 4 days! :)

Alexa

p.s. Now, Joanne - what is your theme? Rockets and space, etc.? I'll need to give my brain a little time to think on it...!