Opal is not an oval

My daughter is expecting her first daughter within the next three weeks.  She and her husband decided that Opal would be her name.  Shortly after during dinner her eldest son, age 6, spoke up and said, "Why are we naming our baby after a shape?"

Imagine my delight when I was reading a shape and baby book by Ann Geddes to my oldest son's youngest daughter and came to this two page spread.

I am sure that Opal will be ever bit as cute and delightful as this baby in an oval.  Can't wait!

Her crib is ready.  I finished it all up last week.

Big brother Henry helped me get all those ruffles in place.  Thank goodness he is skinny and can just roll under the bed.

Both of the  pieces of wall decor were on the walls of my daughter's childhood bedroom.

I can't wait to see the little one in her bed.  I explained to Henry that when she first comes home, she would fit crosswise in her bed.  That set him back a bit.

I love the color palate. 

I love that I was able to help with my daughter's dream.

What I've been sewing

Baby Opal's arrival is just a month away, so I've been busy helping her mom with the custom crib bedding.  First up, fitted crib sheets.  I found a Michael Miller tutorial online which helped with measurements.

  It called for 2 yards of fabric and enough 1/4 inch elastic for each end per sheet, but the standard 42 inch width was pretty tight and was pulling up.  My DIL had put elastic around the entire sheet before so I decided to try it.  I didn't want to pick out and start over, so I merely folded over the remaining selvage edge (no turning the edge under, too) on each side for the most width.  I then added an additional length of elastic.  I think it turned out better that way since I didn't have to thread elastic around the entire sheet and then adjust and sew down at the corners.

My daughter has had a very hard pregnancy so declined my offer to visit all the fabric stores to see what fabric she liked best.  Instead, she shopped online.  When she called me about this darling fabric line she had found my dream was fulfilled as well.  I saw Sarah Jane introduce her "Children at Play" fabric line at Spring Quilt Market in SLC in 2011.  I immediately fell in love with it but didn't have anyone who needed grandma to sew something up.  Now I had an opportunity and need to play around with it.

I knew it would be hard to still find this fabric line in fabric stores, but my daughter was able to find enough online for us to work with.  The border print was perfect for covering bumper pads.  The back side of the pads is the pinwheel print fabric.  I inserted pink piping in the top edge.

The quilt was a bonus.  After cutting all those 8 inch squares out of each corner of three sheets  I decided to use the bumper pad leftovers to make 8 more 8 inch squares which made enough for a 4 X 5 squares top. 

I was in need of fabric for the ties on the bumper pads and a backing for the little quilt.  I remembered seeing some "Children at Play" fabric at a local fabric store this summer.  They didn't have much, but I did find the tiny floral print for ties and a quilt border and the very cute "Dolls" for the backing.

I used the 2 inch trimmings from the sheets for a scrappy binding.  I machine quilted using stitch in a ditch and a loftier batting giving it more of a comforter look.

This is what I am currently trying to finish, an ombre ruffled crib skirt.  I cut muslin for a foundation and I'm gathering and gathering ruffles and sewing them onto the foundation.  My daughter texted this when I sent her a picture via phone, "That looks like a pain."  I replied, "It is definitely a pain but will be very cute."

It's pain enough that I am blogging about it instead of doing it!

I also whipped together two Halloween pillowcases for Opal's older brothers.  Just doesn't seem right to bring in armfuls of stuff for baby sister and nothing for them.