Design help for sewing kids' room decorations

[spotty_dog]

So, I was recently browsing fabric stores online and found some AMAZING coordinated collections of designer prints. And now I am starry eyed with ideas to spruce up the kids' rooms. But there's just one problem. I am totally design challenged and don't want to end up with polka dotted plaid clown . How does one tastefully coordinate different prints in one space? I keep thinking of Jenn/Shakti's Amy Butler nursery for Mattie, that was so gorgeous and tasteful. Did the patterns come with suggestions for fabrics? I'm gonna need a lot of hand holding, I've used a sewing machine about 4 times in my life and have never successfully decorated a home.

[HouseofWool]

I don't have a lot of experience either. However, if you are looking at quilting fabric, you will find that the designers put them together in collections. If you stay within the collection, all of the fabrics coordinate with each other. Use one of their solid (or closest approximation) and then have fun with the other patterns.

I keep thinking of Jenn/Shakti's Amy Butler nursery for Mattie, that was so gorgeous and tasteful.

Awww ... thanks!

The cool thing with Amy Butler (and most of the designer fabrics, I think) is that the "collections" are meant to coordinate within a color family. For my eye, I would choose a busier one and pair it with a simpler one, but as long as you stay in a color family/collection, you'll be good. The most important thing for me was to then hand it off to my very own little Indian sweatshop, or it never would have looked as great as it does. She just made an AWESOME pettiskirt for Mattie ... seriously - as long as I focus her efforts, she's an invaluable resource!

[spotty_dog]

Thanks guys! There's this one vendor who's selling coordinated bundles of 1-yard cuts and that's what's really got my gears turning. Jenn, if I had a crafty relative I would be ALL over outsourcing the actual sewing work. But I do have this machine gathering dust, so...

Oooh. I had briefly entertained the idea of sewing kids' clothes but then was afraid of knits and couldn't figure out what you can make for a little boy out of woven cloth, besides a button-up shirt or something. But little girls! In aprons and pinafores and petticoats! That sounds divine!

A balance is necessary or it will look like fabric vomit. If you have five fabrics, use three bold with two less bold fabrics. I suggest cooling the prints down with a few solids. Figure out what you want to be the focal point in the room (bed, curtains, etc) and use that to showcase your favorite fabric. If it's the bed, then you can edge curtains in that same fabric, but let the main drape of the curtain be something else. Or in the reverse, make the curtains out of it, and then use the excess to make a bedskirt or pillows for the bed. I did a quilt that had a ton of print on it, and I talk about how I balanced them. That may help you too. If you want upload pics of the fabrics and we'll try to help more.

http://colorwithstitches.blogspot.co...cut-quilt.html

kate room 3.jpgkate room 1 sm.jpgkate room 2.jpg

Exciting! I can't wait to see what you do with the room. Here are pics from DD's nursery. She is napping right now so I snuck in and took a few photos; you can see the top of her head in one of them. I used 11 fabrics all from the same colorway of the same line (Heather Bailey/Freshcut) and I don't think it's too busy, but that's just me...I'm sure it will look too busy to some people. I didn't get a photo of it, but she has a chandelier in the center of her room that I spray painted a chartreuse color. I love lots of color in kids rooms. I used burlap for the tree trunk and leftover fabric for the leaves & bird mobile...didn't want anything to go to waste. I really dislike the style of the glider, but I used it when DS was a baby and it's super comfy....

ETA: DH made the letters above her crib out of some leftover wood (I have to give him some credit!)

Erica - will you PLEASE move by me so you can photograph my children and decorate my kid's rooms?????

Erica - will you PLEASE move by me so you can photograph my children and decorate my kid's rooms?????

Only if you promise to teach me how to bake! I wish I could take pictures of your kids. They're all so gorgeous and have the best personalities (I'm sure you've never heard that before, right?? ) Most of the ideas for her room were inspired by blogs or magazines, though, so I can't take much credit for them.

Deal!

That room is super cute. My daughter's room is a ligher version of that color, although she demanded when we move we paint it YOUR color.