Using Fabric to Decorate

This week has been a little less about sitting at the sewing machine and a little more about getting some decor finished up for the kids' room. I want my son to feel like he has a cool new space since a baby will be moving into half of his room. So I decided to make some 12 x 12 squares of fabric decor for over his bed that would match his new quilt. My husband pieced wood squares for me and I stretched the leftover fabrics from his Thomas the Train quilt over the edges. 

I also decided to have some more fun with hand embroidery and personalized some squares for him. 

The squares turned out really nice (I just am not loving the "J" but I can always update that in the near future). I love that they pull the design of the quilt up onto the wall!

My husband also made 3 extra squares for me to use over the baby's crib. For 2 of these I decided to create some 3-D fabric art by making felt dahlias on them. I started off with a square of fabric that matched the fabrics in her crib quilt and added a 7 inch diameter circle of felt to the middle of the fabric. 

I loosely followed a tutorial that I found at Not Martha for a felt dahlia brooch. I simply decided to create it on a larger scale and by hand sewing instead of hot gluing. I cut my petals out of 3 inch squares, 2.5 inch squares, 2 inch squares and little 1 inch squares. 

I simply pinned my folded petals onto the circle and hand sewed around the circle. 

I continued this way for all 4 rows. 

Then I added an inner circle with edges that I pinked. On top of that I added a rolled up piece of felt that had been cut every 1/4 inch or so along one side. 

I just love how beautifully these turned out. Definitely going to get to work on some small scale versions to put on headbands for the baby! I hope I can get them done in time!

Then I attached my fabric squares to the squares my husband had created and they were ready for hanging!

I am working on a special embroidery piece to hang between the 2 flowers but I won't be sharing a picture of it until baby comes . . . we have managed to keep her name a secret and this square will have her name on it! 

I just love how everything is coming together! It all matches so nicely!

And I just have to share the beautiful quilt ladder that my husband made for me as my Valentine's gift (yes, we are very slow to complete projects lately)! Haha. 

He used the tutorial shared by Shanty2Chic for their $10 Blanket Ladder. He painted it to match my living room decor and added a quote from our favorite band!

The quote is from Dave Matthew's Band, "Crush".

I absolutely love that he made this for me and I already cannot wait to make some more quilts to adorn it!

Until next time . . . happy quilting!