Finished at last

Last fall, when we learned another Bartle baby was on its way, I blogged about my gratitude for an unused fifth bedroom. When we moved in, it looked like this:

Blah. Functional, but BLAH.

Among the many things that are exciting (to me) about having another child is the opportunity to redecorate. I'm the first to acknowledge that this "opportunity" is not only unnecessary, but it can be costly, time-intensive, and frustrating...not to mention completely unappreciated by the offspring for whom it is created. But it can be pretty fun, too, and that, of course, is why I do it.

Since I posted pictures of Baby Girl's room the other week, I've been working on the finishing touches for Gavin's new living space -- the afore-mentioned fifth bedroom. This morning I put the final stitch in his crib quilt, ironed his valance, and picked up his toys (the only reason being I wanted to take some pictures). So here are Gavin's digs. Nothing says "I love you" to a one-year-old like bedroom accessories, right? Ha ha.

It's amazing what paint on walls and baseboards plus new blinds did for the room.

I recovered the red "I" for the wall letters and made a quilt
to match the twin blanket Gavin got for Christmas from Grandma.
I also made the pillowcase and crib skirt, but bought the sheet.

A warning to all you real quilters out there: don't look too closely.
This is my first pieced quilt, and all of that top stitching is imperfect at best.
That said, I'm happy with the outcome, and it was a great project
for a bed-ridden mama. The quilt is big enough to function
as a bedspread when we convert the crib to a toddler bed.

There's not much space (or money) for a dresser in this room,
so I re-purposed these plastic bins that used to hold all of my
paper scrapbooking supplies. It works for now.

I'm really glad this project is done. That quilt has been on my mental list for months (I chucked the paper list when bed rest arrived...too much pressure). Someday, when I have my wits about me again, when I can be mobile and bend and lift and stretch without risking someone's health, when the dust settles after Baby Girl's arrival and I feel like entering Project Mode again, I have big plans for a home decor project that's just for me: curtains for my kitchen. But as I have learned lately, this too shall wait, ever so patiently, until I'm good and ready.