Fabric Crib Rails

Recently my cousin-in-law Becky asked me if I had time for a sewing project - her almost 1 year old son had been chewing the paint off the rails of his crib and she needed a solution.  She had done some research on crib rail guards and saw some fabric ones that she really liked.  She could order them online, but they would end up being too pricey.  I thought it seemed simple enough to make them, and for once I was right!  I turned out these 3 in a couple of hours.  

All you need is fabric, quilt batting, ribbon/binding, and some of course some thread.  The fabric Becky liked was $15/yard, so we saved some money by using a basic solid on the underside.  

First measure the length and width of fabric you need.  Our longest piece was just over 50", and the width was 12".   Add some extra for seam allowance (I added 1" all the way around).  Cut out a rectangle in those dimensions - you should have 3 pieces, the top fabric, the quilt batting, and the bottom fabric.

I used a seam binding in the same colour for the ties (I sewed them shut before I cut them).  You need 4 ties for each crib guard, and you just need to make sure they are long enough to tie around the rails (Ours were 5" long).

Lay down the bottom fabric (right side up), then lay the top fabric on it (right side down).  Sandwich your tie in between, lining it up along the edge.  Repeat on the other edge of the fabric.  Then repeat at the other end of the crib guard.  Then put the quilt batting on the very top.

Here you can faintly see through the fabric where the ties are positioned, one on each side.

Here you can see the pieces as a sandwich after I have sewed all the way around the outside edge, leaving one end open.  It should look like a pillow case.  Turn it right side out!

Here are 2 of the short pieces already turned inside out.  Now you just need to hem the open end - turn the edges inside by 1/2" and pin.  Sew the edges shut and you're done!

All done!

Let's talk about hair...

I haven't coloured my hair since high school.  For a number of reasons, perhaps the largest being (as we've established) I'm CHEAP.  And anyone who keeps up with colouring their hair knows that it's not a cheap commitment.  Another big reason is that I enjoy being au naturel - it's more and more of a rarity.  Plus I don't have any grey yet, so I'm holding out...  The other big reason is that my high school experience wasn't great.  This pic is floating around Facebook as a reminder...

Oh, high school.  It's not awful, I know.  But not "me".  My hair already has natural highlights, especially in the summer...

But the trend lately is appealing to me.  I'm loving the way these highlights are done - subtle, not "streaks", and more ombre style.  I'm seriously considering giving it a go.  Because, really, these styles answer all of my above reasons (I think!).  Low maintenance - I can let it grow out if I want and not have crazy roots to deal with/pay to keep covering up.  Looks very subtle/natural.  And not over bleached blonde streaks :)  Who knows, I might just make the plunge...

Click here for my Pinterest board with all the photo sources.

Londontown

Here's a little peek at our trip to London!

Overalls + Stripes

Overalls are back in a big way!  Here are some of my fav looks - with stripes...

Atlantic Pacific

A little goes a long way

It's no secret that one of my favourite home blogs is Young House Love, and when they posted their battle with the grout in their foyer and the simple solution they finally landed on, I knew I had to give it a try.

When we moved in, the grout in our foyer was in need of a good scrubbing.  We scrubbed and scrubbed, and for the most part it was a big improvement.  Still, I found it looking slightly...pink.  And not completely clean.  So I decided to pick up some Grout Renew from Home Depot and give it a shot.  I started with the upstairs bathroom, just in case I didn't love it.  It's not a quick project, but it's easy.  I did this small bathroom in about 2 hours.  I just used a small paint brush (I trimmed the bristles to be short and stiff which helped).  Then, I just painted it on and wiped up any of the extra that went onto the tiles as I went.

There were a few colour choices and I went with Snow White.  I was hoping for something with slightly more grey, but the closest option was too dark.  In the end I'm so happy with how much cleaner the floor feels with the lighter grout.  Totally worth the $15 bottle of Grout Renew!

Here's the makeover!

In the next few you can see the difference between the painted and unpainted grout.

The finished product!

Before:

After:

Nice and clean!

Next up, we tackle the main floor!  I'll keep you posted on that makeover as well.