Nursery Inspiration Board

Well here we are... the long-awaited inspiration board (is it really? I don't know!)

I haven't made a name for this room quite yet, so I've been calling it "Storybook - Castles and Dragons" which I think is confusing for a lot of people. It will involve:

• Primary colors: mostly blue and green with hints of red
• Artwork from Etsy in the children's book illustration style; also the style of Arthurian book illustrations
• Playful (not scary) images of knights and dragons
• Rustic, rough-hewn walnut shelves made by J
• The beautiful Stickley crib lent to us by my aunt and uncle

Let's take a look:

(click to enlarge)

The three fabric swatches in the top left are the main fabric elements of the theme (I want to use the blue one). I would like to make a cushion for the rocking chair and maybe also a crib dust ruffle with it.

I am not planning on registering for a bedding set, and I'll explain why: the bedding set usually has a fitted sheet, bumper, quilt and dust ruffle. The quilt and bumper (most expensive parts) can't actually be used in the crib [definitely not at first; possibly later on, but both are a danger for suffocation and/or SIDS] so I don't see the point in registering for a set only to use two pieces. Also, I like the idea of having a unique room theme and I'm not totally sold on any I've seen. They are all sports, bears, cars, or jungle themed and they want you to buy all the little matching pieces - I really think I can do just as well with various shades of blue and green! That way I'm not locked in to any set or store price. Fitted crib sheets are very inexpensive, come in tons of colors, and my aunt has already given me 3 white ones! I do plan on registering for a breathable bumper upon the suggestion of my friend Katie, so that I don't have to rush in there and pick up any small item he decides to drop through the rails, or rescue little hands stuck between them. 

The big scary part is making the crib skirt...I think I'm going to attempt to make it with box pleats, but I don't know if I want to look at that much castle fabric...I have even considered buying a white or blue box-pleated skirt and adding castle fabric to the box pleat reveals... ANYWAY, I digress. I didn't think I needed one until we realized we'd need the space under the crib for storage.

I would love to have the time and know-how to make a quilt, and I think I will attempt it, at least a simple one, so that it's done by the time baby can use a quilt...(I have a lot of time). I don't know how the through-sewing is done on quilts! But I can read a book on it. :) I'd like to make a regular-sized quilt (like a single bed size) so that it can grace his bed later on, and if not, well that's okay too.

I had this great idea of having J make these little wooden leaves (they were making some for a job) and staining them different colors for a beautiful mobile, but I suppose that's not visually stimulating, so I guess I won't have him waste time on that.

We won't have curtains, and I don't really want a lot of stuffed animals around as they are big allergen-catchers, and with my allergies I don't want to start this little one off with dust mites. 

I am still worried about "stuff" accumulating, but I'll have to worry about that when it happens. :)

I'm sure this will not be the last time I post on this, but I think it's enough for today. Have a great weekend, everyone!