answers

there were bunches of questions about the play room and i love that!

1. Is that an original Fisher Price doll house from your childhood?

it IS an original but it wasn't mine.  

my mother-in-law got it for lauren at an auction.

we tried to get the bag of people too but we were outbid.  

and now that i realize they are choking hazards i am glad about that.

when i see it i always think of the church nursery when i was little.  

and i love that doorbell still.

2.  When can i visit?

you girls are funny.  if i had a B&B, i'd have booked the year with just blog readers.

but seriously...imagine how UN-relaxing it is visiting here.

the kids wake up at the crack of dawn and our bathrooms have no locks....

just ask my grandma.  

sean walked in on her.  

and didn't leave.

3.  Did you paint the blue cabinet?   

It came this way from Salvation Army all chipped up the way i like it.  

It also had 80's spaceman contact paper over the top.  

There are still handwritten labels taped to the front "undershorts  pants  socks."

  

4.  Is the pinwheel fabric a pillow?

This was a baby blanket (crib size) that i found at the antique store....$6.

the front was the pinwheel quilt print and then someone (a grandma, no doubt) stitched those nubby ball 

things through the white backing which is why the back is red polka dot. 

i cringed as i did it but i cut in in half and flipped one side then sewed it together again.  

it took 3 bags of stuffing to fill it!

5.  What color paint are the walls?

Behr Antique White.

All 7 of us were in Home Depot and craig and i were stressed.

he showed me some whites...i pointed to one and he said "are we good?"

that was the extent of that decision. 

6.  How do you make your duvets...a little more detail please?

On a queen bed you would use queen flat sheets or king if you wanted it really big.

i am pretty sure these were full/queen...so kinda small for me but i didn't realize till i was finished.

here's how i did it... the very unprofessional way -

pin your sheets together wrong sides out.

sew the 2 sides and bottom together but leave the top (the finished edge of the sheets) open.

then mark where you want your button holes and use the button hole setting on your machine.

sew button holes on both sides if you are using ribbon 

or sew one side button holes and sew buttons to the other side.

instead of sewing on buttons i strung some ribbon through and called it done.

 

7. Can i hear more about the curtains?

there are five windows in this room...which means 10 curtain panels.

i bought 6 yards of good ($$) fabric and 10 flat twin sized sheets (the cheap wal-mart brand $3 each).

i took the top of the sheet and folded it under 7 inches.

then pinned on an 18 inch panel of the good fabric.  

i sewed a zig zag stitch over the top of the panel which also made the sleeve for the curtain rod.

the edges are sewn down but the top and bottom of the panel are left with frayed edges.

they were just touching the floor but barely...

so i cut one fitted green sheet into ten 6 inch strips.

i folded a ruffle and pined it on and sewed on top.

very basic messy zig zag stitch.

so now they drape a bit more.

it took awhile because i don't like measuring things and having to have straight lines.

8.  i like that polka dot lampshade!

ok...that's not a question but i said i would show how i did it.

it was a gold lamp with a gi-nomous shade.  i bought it for $7 at our antique store...it was ugly!

but it had good bones.  

and i put in my stroller and made annie walk home.  i looked like a bag lady for sure!

 

i stripped the shade of it's nasty smoke smelled OLD fabric.

i laid the shade on the fabric and cut a few inches bigger and ironed it flat.

after pinning it around the shade i took it off and sewed the seam to make it a tube shape.

i pulled out my trusty glue gun.  working very slowly in small amounts i hot glued the top all the way around.

then pulled it tight and hot glued the bottom.

i trimmed off the extra fabric with pinking shears and glued own any loose spots. 

it didn't look finished to me so i tied the brown wide ribbon around it.  it's just tied on.

 

9. Did you paint that bed?

this was in the backyard when we moved into our IL. house.

it was black and rusty.  

a friend of ours welded it two sections smaller for us and we used it as our headboard. 

then we moved here and it went to the basement for over 3 years.

it has a new life...in a new color...in a new state!

spray paint is the best invention.  i love instant gratification.

it's bolted to the california bed frame.

10.  Where do you find the time to be crafty?

i just have to make stuff.  i see things in magazines, stores, blogs, books and think "i have to try that!"

and then i forget what it was.

just kidding...i keep notebooks of ideas all over the place.

so i "find" time by choosing to make things over cleaning the house or folding laundry 

or getting things done that i should have or by staying up way too late.

it's so much more gratifying to sew a cute pillow than to load the dish washer!

they will still be there when i finish the pillow.

thanks for asking me. i don't claim to be an expert on any of this...just having fun making stuff!

hope you are still awake.

this was loooooong.

Comments

[Kambria]

oooh! oohh! i'm awake and have been waiting all day for an update. i had the same little people house when i was little and loved the door bell too. you are very inspiring, you do know that right? keep it up!

[Sarah]

I didn't even notice the little people house before, and I don't know why, because it's too cute.

I'm not very good with a sewing machine, but I think my new year's resolution will be to try some of your nifty ideas out.

[Michelle]

My Mum still has my Fisher Price dollshouse. My kids and my nephews play with it now. I wonder how many of my children's toys will last to be kept for the next generation?

[danyele-a thorn among roses]

yeah for you...great answers! i just redid duvets for my girls rooms too and did much the same, but found killer deals on fabric so i got to use it, which meant cuts, which made it harder, but i refuse to measure...is that wrong?? love everything. and i wish we were neighbors...i think we might have the same crazy passion for always making stuff!

[Jen r sanctuary arts at home]

Everything looks great! I had that doll house!My mom got rid of it in my teenage years. I was very upset....

[Kelly]

I noticed that Little People yellow house. I had it as a child and still love the doorbell too. That's the first thing I thought of when I looked at the picture in this post. Thanks for all of the explanations. Very fun. I bought a lampshade for 50 cents at an estate sale earlier this month, planning to transform it but discovered after I got home that the bones weren't really good. The up and down "spines" were just flimsy, fabric covered things and all I was left with was a top circle and a bottom circle. I'll keep looking. :) Have a good day! Kelly

[courtney]

you're so generous to spend the time to explain all that to all of us! thanks!!!

[Kameron]

I am proud to say you inspired me to want to be more crafty! My hubby actualy listened and got me a sewing machine for my birthday and I can't wait to try it out. I'm making a duvet first since that seems super straightforward. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Allikayes Mama]

I am bookmarking this post so i can come back when I am ready for your little tutorials! You are so my go-to girl! I make your recipes...and basically stalk you for your awesome ideas!!!

[Rachel]

You have the gift of creativity and I LOVE your stuff!

[Blanca]

Love this q & a. I have the same thoughts about things I see. I always want to try to make them myself. I wish I would have read this post before I went out to Linens N Things to buy a coverlet. But guess what I will make a duvet for my daughters room. Thanks for these fabulous tips.

Blanca

[pam]

your creativity is unreal!!! you're an inspiration! xo

[Aubrey]

Thanks Meg, I needed that. I'm glad I'm not the only one who forgoes dishes and cleaning and folding (or washing) laundry, or stays up waaaaay too late.

I'll say it again, I love your style! I think I need to move to Kansas to get in on the flea markets and antique stores that we don't seem to have here.

[Aubrey]

I forgot to ask--where do you find such cute fabric (other than the sheets that I recognize)? Online?

[Holly]

Thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. So glad you did.

[Tausha]

At our local thrift store, which I have not been able to frequent as much as I would like-they have had little fisher price house, and the barn. I picked it up and put it down. Picked it up again and put it down. Now, I really want to kick myself!! It looks so great in the space!!! I love the word Read on the wall! very colorful, fun space!
You asked what they call my headaches-they a psuedo tumors.There is some long medical term, i don't know what it is or how to spell it. I hope that your friend finds some relief. Thanks for the kind words. have a great day! Can't wait to see what else you come up with. Your happy spaces inspire me!!!

[traci]

you need to do q&a more often!!! Loved that. I have company coming this wk. end and I have some delayed projects that because of your inspiration I am getting RIGHT ON!!! LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nancy]

Everything is just way too cute. Our youngest girl wants a new comforter; her old one is in great shape so I think I'll try a duvet cover. I'm going to have to locate a sewing machine....

Thanks for sharing!

[Candice]

Thanks! As we speak I am NOT cleaning the kitchen or emtying the dish washer. I just hate doing all things cleaning, but bloging well I can handle that. Thanks for the q and a I always love your ideas.

[Lisa]

Oh Meg - you're too cute. My favortie are the drapes made of sheets and the custom lampshade. you have me thinking now of a paper lamp sitting at home with a hole in it. I might just "borrow" your idea if you don't mind. I also loved the part about finding time and the things that sometimes see the backburner for a while. I do the same thing. We all need a little creative balance in our lives.

Take care
Lisa

P.S - not sure if you've seen yet but I linked your original page about this room on my blog.

[Michelle]

This was SUCH a fun post! Thank you!

[KDLOST]

hey! just stopping by... found your blog through stolen bon bons... WHAT A GREAT BLOG YOU HAVE! :) will be coming back again. cheers!

[cjs]

ok, I've been thinking about changing my margins to accomodate horizontal pics and now it will look like I'm just trying to be like meg...

that room is amazing.

you really do need to be discovered.

seriously.

[Art Cant Hurt]

Love the mom-n-pop pumpkins with little ones!
Great banner!
Fun post - did you PLAN all the polkadots?!
:)
Take care Meg!

[Alyssa]

love the post. Thank you for sharing your gifts of home beautification with us.

[Beth]

Really incredible! I make curtains out of Wal-Mart bedsheets, too! So cheap, so gratifying.

[Victoria]

Thank you for all the information!!!

I love that you said you choose to make something over loading the dishwasher. I am finding if I do all the chores first there is never time or energy left to do the fun stuff. Think I need to re-prioritize and put some fun things first!

[lisa b]

Love Love Love all that you do!! What a fun play room/guest room. It gives me endless inspiration for our kids boring playroom. I have an odd question for you about your recipes. Could you email me...I couldn't find how to email you. Thanks much!!

[Laura]

AH! Such an inspiring post!! I swear - are you super woman in disguise?

[Diana Cornielle]

Wow, thank you for sharing all your ideas and projects for this room with us! I will now do what you do..... make notes of house decoration crafts, etc. with me and write down ideas when I see them. Starting with the projects from this blog! Thank you so much!

[Jen]

This entire post is great, but you summed it all up in "it is much more fun to sew a pillow than load the dishwasher". That is what it is all about!
PS I had a dollhouse like that!!!!
♥Jen

[carissa]

you bring so much happiness!!!!!! :)

[sara]

My sister referred me here and I am totally wow-ed by these posts! Can I grow up and have decorating adventures like this one day?? :D Those pillows look incredibly comfortable.

[princess lasertron]

good post!

I have that same little people house. LOVED it growing up and still do. I love the doorbell most.

[emily]

i absolutely love the paisley/sunflower fabric and the polka dot on the shade!!!! would you mind sharing where you found it?

i'm such a sucker for bright fun and funky fabric!!!!

[melissa @ the inspired room]

I have that same Fisher Price house. I had the whole town. The airport, the town with the barber shop, the barn...everything. I loved those!!!

Love that polka dot lampshade too. Hadn't seen that before. Fun fun fun post!!!

Happy day!
Melissa

[melissa @ the inspired room]

Oh, wait. I just saw the metal fence for the bed. I have TONS of those sitting outside right now getting rusty. We had intended to make a new fence out of it. But, we didn't. I was wondering what to do with them when we move and now you've got me thinking. Spray paint!

[eryn]

Oh, how I wish I could shop with you at your antique store! I love your fun style and seriously wish you could just decorate my house with me...if only you lived in Washington :) I am in love with your playroom, and am insanely jealous. Well done!

[Tammy]

One more question! Where did the READ letters come from?
Just love your blog- your creative energy and your "real life"Mom adventures.

[Cara @ Twice Lovely Furniture]

Yes. I know. :) You don't have time, but you steal it. This is SO fun! The room, I mean--well, stealing time, too.

[Ann R.]

Meg - love you, love the room! My husband lost his job right before Christmas and I have been up to my eyeballs in resumes, references and thank you notes so I have been really missing my blog sites for days! So what a treat to see your posts - since you are my FAVORITE blogger. I know I should be emailing this question - btw - I feel the same about being creative - I am about ready to jump out of my skin - since I have not done anything creative since Christmas! Silly question - since I thing we are around the same age, do you remember the name or remember at all - a girlie toy - a set of girls really,they sort of resembled what today are the CALICO CRITTERS. They were soft like stuffed animals they were just as little as the CALICO CRITTERS and there hands velcrod together and the came with like a tree house or something - I cannot think of their name, but they were so cute! I thought you may remember them? Anybody?