old filing cabinet turned fabric storage

Earlier this summer I scored two small desktop filing systems for free!  I immediately knew I wanted to spray paint them a fun color and use them to house all my fabric that lost it's home due to the baby.  My summer project has been to completely clear out my entire craft room and all it's contents so we can turn it into the nursery.  We have a three bedroom home and when we first moved in my husband took one room for his office and I took the other for my crafts.  Now with a little one on the way we need one of those bedrooms for the nursery.  I always knew I would lose my craft room to the nursery and I thought it would be so sad and awful but it has been the opposite.  Instead of trying to relocate to the basement or other corner of the house I decided to just get rid of EVERYTHING!  Well almost everything.  I am keeping my knitting and sewing.  Thus the need for fabric storage.  These came to me just at the right time.

I really wanted to keep the hardware silver but couldn't figure out how to remove it so instead I wrapped the handle part in painter's tape.

Then I gave it a coat of primer.

Once that was COMPLETELY dry I gave it a few light coats of green spray paint.

I've learned over the years that MANY light coats is much better than one heavy, blotchy, drippy coat.

I let this dry overnight to make sure it was completely set before assembling.  I didn't want any stickiness, especially since I was dealing with drawers.

Here is the finished product.

It holds my fabric, buttons, needles, thread and other small necessities perfectly.  I love how easy it is to find the fabric I am looking for or get an easy glance of every different color, pattern and texture for when I need some inspiration. 

Now I just need to figure out where to keep it.  Maybe in a closet with the sewing machine?

Instagram photo dump

I'm giving up the weekly update so every once in awhile I will just do a photo dump.  So here is my first photo dump.

Summer is definitely fading into fall and I couldn't be happier.  Not only does that mean we are closer to meeting our little girl but it means warm days and cool nights.  It means football season and lazy Sundays.  It means pumpkin picking and apple picking with lots of baking.  Oh and apple cider!

We are ending summer on a good note though.  The weather has been nice.  Even the few rainy days I haven't minded.  I took one cool, sunny day to plant all new fall pots and window boxes.  It looks like a different house.  Especially since the old ones had been dead for a long time.

I also had a very large baby shower.  It was so beautiful and nice.  We were so blessed by all our friends and family.  I just have to point out the beautiful and equally yummy cake pops Brandon's cousin Allison made for the shower.  You should check out her blog that showcases all her yummy treats!  I'l be sharing more about the shower soon.

That sums it up!  Now bring on fall....

Baby K: week 32

We've broken into the 30's and are getting closer to meeting our little girl.  This has been a wonderful pregnancy but I am ready for her arrival.  Well almost ready.  We still need to finish her nursery, buy some essential baby gear and pick out a name but in all other ways I am ready to meet her.

Week: 32

Baby K: Baby K is the size of a large jicama weighing about 3 3/4 lbs. and measuring about 16.5 inches from head to heels.  She is developing fat now and her skin is no longer clear.  It is becoming very soft and smooth.  If she has any, the hair on her head is growing and even has some color.  She is now pretty much a full-formed baby that just needs to fatten up - along with some other essential things.   

Nausea:  None.

Swelling:  Yes.  It is different from day to day.  Some days none, some days I can't wear my shoes and my neck disappears.    

Aches and Pains:  She has found my sciatic nerve - oh joy!  The good thing though is that it only acts up when she is positioned on it and she isn't always on it.  But when she does find it there is intense pain. 

Cravings: Ice cream!  I don't know if it is the heat or the pregnancy.  (Now I'm wishing I had a bowl of ice cream in my lap instead of this laptop.)

Aversions:  Chicken.  This is new to me but I'm kind of not digging chicken too much.

Bump: Growing.  And growing, and growing.  I think I have one giant baby in there.

Movement: She is still very active.  I love just watching her move or feeling my bump for her various body parts.  I think I am getting better at distinguishing butt from head and heel from elbow.  It is also funny to see the different shapes my belly can form depending on where she is laying.  I think she favors my left side.  Oh and the hiccups.  Gotta love the hiccups.

Looking forward to:  My baby shower this weekend!!  

Missing the most: Bending over.  Painting my toes.  Tying my shoes.  Shaving my legs.

Pregnancy milestone hurdle: Picking out a baby name.

DIY: Bibs & Burp Cloths (and a great pillow tutorial too)

My husband and the pups headed out to the lake this weekend leaving me an empty house and lots of time.  I took the opportunity to tackle some sewing projects on my list - specifically the roman shades for the nursery.  Since the sewing machine has been collecting dust lately I thought it best to warm up on some practice projects - bibs and burp cloths.  Once I started on those I just couldn't stop.  I still have yet to start the roman shades.

They were actually so easy to make.  They are a great beginner sewing project and perfect for scrap fabric.

For the bib I used the Purlbee's Liberty Bib pattern.

I used several different fabrics that I had laying around.  Cotton for the front and then either a terry cloth, fleece or soft blanket material for the backing.

Once I cut out the pattern I laid my fabric with the right sides facing each other and then folded the fabric in half.  I also folded the pattern in half and laid it on the fabric with the folded sides facing eachother.  I traced the pattern with chalk leaving enough of an allowance for a nice seam.  Oh and note in the middle picture that before tracing I did pin my fabrics together so they didn't move as I traced and cut out the pattern.

Once the bib is cut out unfold it, repin along the edges and sew all around making sure to leave at least a 2 inch gap for pulling your bib right side out.

Once the bib is right side out, sew along the edge again making sure to sew the gap closed.

Add a snap or some velcro to the neck and you are done!

 The burp cloths are even easier.  I just cut the same cotton fabric and the same backings and sewed them the same way I did the bib but in varying sizes.

I actually am excited for my baby to drool and spit up so I can use these adorable burp cloths. 

My last quick project before tackling the roman shades was a pillow for the glider in the nursery using the same fabric as the roman shades.

I love how this fabric looks in the room.  I think the roman shades will be perfect in there.

I have tackled pillows before using a zipper but this time around I decided to follow the tutorial from Jenny Steffens Hobick blog.

I will never make a pillow any other way.  It literally took me minutes to put this pillow case together!  I'm already looking for fabric to recover every pillow in my house.

Here is a view of the back of the pillow.  You can kind of see the slit where the pillow slips in. 

I hope you give some of these projects a try.  Especially if you are new to sewing and looking for some easy projects to practice.

I will be back soon with some updates on the roman shades.

Instagram week 15

The nesting has begun!  I had another garage sale this past weekend where I got rid of all our clutter and my entire craft room - including my letterpress letters.  I feel like I can breathe again in this house.  And I am another $250 dollars richer.  Add that to the $200 from the first garage sale and I have $450 extra dollars to spend on the nursery!!  

Speaking of the nursery, with the junk from the garage sale gone I pulled out the sewing machine and started working on the roman shades for the nursery.  An update will come soon.  Since the sewing machine had been collecting dust lately I thought I would practice with some fun bibs and burp cloths and well - I couldn't stop.  I also made a pillow for her glider out of the roman shade fabric.  That gives you kind of a peek at one the shades will look like in the room.  I also found some adorable baskets on wheels to use as her hamper  - maybe.  Still deciding.

I tackled the typical pregnancy craving by making homemade pickles.  They are delicious!  

Lola and I also started our new workout regime.  LONG walks.  That is all these big girls can handle.

On the docket for this week - furniture painting.  Not looking forward to it.

Hope your week is more promising!

New Pumpkin Baby Hat Pattern on Etsy

I have been knitting like crazy for Baby K.  I just can't stop.  I have been knitting for everyone else's babies for so long, it is so fun to finally be knitting for my own sweet little girl.  So far it has been mostly hats.  I think she will have a hat for each hour of the day for the first year of her life.  Good thing she is due in the fall or she would totally roast.

I just finished knitting her a pumpkin hat for fall.  I can't wait to see it on her.  It will be perfect for when we take her to the pumpkin patch, apple picking and even for Halloween.

You can make the same hat for your little one too.  The Pumpkin Baby Hat is the newest pattern added to Sweet Pea Knits on Etsy.

It is a super easy and fast pattern and has so many uses.  Use red yarn instead of orange and make a strawberry or apple.  Use purple and make a little grape.  One pattern - so many different hats!

Here are some of the other hats that I've added to Baby K's closet.

For football season with daddy!

I love these colors!

I also love these colors.  Now I am working on one in navy and light pink.

A super soft and sweet hat for the hospital maybe.

And her Bears hat or she can support my alma mater and workplace.  But really it is for her couch time with daddy!

Instagram week 14

It's been a pretty eventful week but once again my phone remained in my purse for most of it.

I have a baby shower coming up in a few weeks and I was given the task of finding some baby photos for it.  I just had to share them.  The one on the right is Bran and the one in the towel is me.  I've been looking at those lately wondering what our little girl will look like.  Like her daddy?  Like her mommy?  Or will she have her own individual look?  I'm really curious if she will inherit the Keith lips.

The fabric for the nursery curtains finally arrived but I hated it so it was quickly returned in favor of the fabric hanging on the crib in the pic above.  The first print was just too small and too pink.  I'll be sharing all about the nursery, roman shades and all, when we get there.  

We babysat my parents dogs this weekend and had a little party in our backyard.  Jake, their Berner that is the same age as Lola kept escaping on car rides.  He has a lot of energy!

I finished my fabric storage.  More on that soon.  I made some Roasted Red Pepper Pesto - highly recommend trying it.  It is great over warm pasta.  The recipe is from my friend TheFauxMartha - check her out.

We also toured the hospital where we will be welcoming baby girl Keith in just 2 months.  It was great to see everything but it made it so real.  Just two months!

Lastly, I spent a lot of quality time with friends this weekend - even did some fun shopping!

Have a great week!