The Nursery

I've decided that I am going to try to make all the decor for Elaina's room (oh, there, see? I used her name!) I spent the better part of our wait for Amelia making her nursery decor, including a dust ruffle, a quilted giraffe wallhanging, curtains, and a diaper stacker. It really helped pass the time during the wait, and it helped me bond with her. Mom's that are pregnant have a daily reminder that they will someday be mothers, but those of us that are adopting sometimes have to come up with other ways to feel close to the children we will someday have. I found creating a bedroom for Amelia a wonderful way to bond with the idea that a little person would soon be joining our family. When I started thinking about the new nursery, at first I thought that I would like to do a "Secret Garden" theme, but never found a pattern that really matched what I was picturing in my head. Then one day I was going through some craft things and found a book that bought a long time ago called, "The Quilted Nursery". The very first pattern in the book is called "Baby's Secret Garden", and it is exactly what I pictured for the nursery!

Last weekend Brian took Amelia to gymnastics and I had a chance to escape to Jo-Ann Fabrics to start to plan the nursery. I could really get lost in fabric, and I love to find just the right combinations to go together. A while ago I bought a couple of yards of a ladybugs and flower fabric that I thought was really cute, and I put it away until I found a use for it. I pulled it out of the closet and decided it would be perfect in the baby's room. The room will be pinks, yellows, purples and greens. I bought so much fabric, half of it is washed and ready to go. I am making curtains (which are a log cabin pattern and whimsical floral applique), a wallhanging, a dust ruffle, a diaper stacker, and a small throw pillow. I can't wait to get started! Our nursery is currently our guest room, so we won't be turning it into a nursery for a while (even though the closet in there is already full of things for the baby, and things to take to China). I am sure that it will take me a lot longer to make everything for Elaina's room simply because I just don't have as much free time this time around, but I am really looking forward to getting started and watching her room come together!