Designers: May 2012 Archives
If school is out or will be shortly for you and your family, you are probably already mourning the loss of quality time with your sewing machine. Now is the time to start planning your summertime sewing projects. If you aren't a knitter or a crocheter, you are probably wondering what in the world you can fit into your purse to whip out at soccer practice, work on while waiting to pick up from camp or while listening to story time at the library- certainly not your sewing machine. Consider whipping out your embroidery hoop and getting ahead start on some hostess gifts, Christmas stockings or a little something for you. I love the soft puncture sound of the needle poking through the fabric, the wonderful choice of embroidery floss colors and being able to see the image softly impressed on the fabric coming to life with each strand. All are perfectly delightful accompaniments to the squeals of running kids, picnics in the park or lazy Sundays on the porch.
Embroidery projects can easily fit inside your purse or beach bag, the materials are small and limited and it is easy to pick up right where you left off without having to find your place in the pattern (unlike knitting and crochet). Embroidery can keep your brain pleasantly occupied without really occupying it, making it the perfect vacation activity. I recently spent an idle morning embroidering the Georgia State Bird (a brown thrasher for those interested) onto a pillow cover. I used Anchor Six Strand Embroidery Floss in Topaz on a natural linen background and it turned out gorgeous.
For Christmas I received an adorable tea towel from my mom which she worked on the previous summer. You can tell from her choice of pattern: Hot Fudge Sundae. The colors are so bright and delicious, perfect for summer time relaxation. If you are so inclined let me nudge you in the direction of our Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns, seen above. They are so whimsical and entertaining (pirates, robots and Rock n' Roll)
Team Green: If you are Team Green you are opting not to find out the gender of your wee one until the big debut (the birthday!) so you are probably going for a neutral theme in your nursery. This is a great idea also if you know the gender but you plan on using the room for several babies or for siblings to share, then neutral is the name of the game. This is easier to achieve than the past version of yellow and green. You can go truly neutral by painting the walls a shade of grey or beige and bringing in similar shades in bedding, accessories and textiles. If you stick to a warm shade of either grey of beige your will create a soft, comforting and peaceful nursery that only needs a few gender specific accessories that can be easily changed for each babe. If you need a pop of color try adding it in bright colors like orange, green and turquoise which can swing either way and add it in small dose that any baby will love like an animal silhouette, bold letters in interesting fonts or bold colors in traditional motifs (turquoise paisley, bright green toile or big zig zag). Use these fabrics for your neutral nursery:
(Picture from: Laybabylay)
Team Pink: If you are loath to paint your room like every other feminine nursery- pink with ruffles, lace and a flood of hearts- take a look at some of the new trends for girls. Try a different twist on a pink paint color, maybe a bright hot pink or turquoise with pink accents. If you have your heart set on pink walls seek new accents in orange, turquoise and Kelly green. I am in love with pink/Kelly green combination. Unlike the typical pink/light green you are used to, Kelly green adds some sophistication and elegance that can take your little girl beyond baby hood and into school age. Use these fabrics to bring these trends to your nursery:
Premiere Prints Coral Collection
Check out this Twill Girly Turquoise coordinate collection
You can't go wrong with Heather Bailey; she offers both the Kelly green and turquoise
Team Blue: Rooms for baby boys are branching out from the standard navy, white and baby blue color schemes with trucks and monkeys dominating the scene. This decorating trend allows for a room that baby can grow with into school age instead of having to redecorate every few years, just change up the accessories. The new trend is bolder, bright colors and silhouettes that mean as much to the parents as they will to the growing child within. I found this great example on Café Mom; it combines bold reddish orange, turquoise alongside subtle grey horizontal stripes and neutral furniture. The accessories really make for a calming yet interesting room perfect for a baby to find stimulation and comfort in one space. Instead of a bombardment of cartoon characters and nursery rhymes, black & white real life animal photos, oversized letters and a few matted story book pages give baby a view without being busy. I especially love the dog silhouette pillow as an accent. Try these fabrics to gain a similar look in your baby boy's room:
Integrate the stripes on your window treatments is you are loath to paint your walls
Try these bold solids to create stunning accessories or as welting accents.
These Waverly Destination Prints are perfect to recover some oversized canvases as wall hangings
