Posted on 28 Comments

the hypothetical nest

I’ve started thinking — a lot — about the new baby’s nursery. Thing is, we don’t actually have a nursery for him/her. Still need to find the house that extra room is in. But when we find it, and I’m optimistic we will, I’ll be all set with my paint picked out and my bedding made! We found the perfect blue for Oscar’s room and now I’m on a quest to find the perfect creamy yellow for the baby’s room. I want to have a yellow and white room with some red accents in a simple country shaker sort of style. Obviously very influenced by my small collection of old Martha Stewart Babies magazines which is where these images below are from.

The fabric from yesterday (American Jane Building Blocks by Moda) just jumped out at me at the quilt shop and demanded I stop all that other real work and start making baby things straight away. I have a simple quilt idea started that I’m trying to get out real quick and then I can go back to stitching up the Winter Stitchettes. In other serial news, Make-a-long has been delayed unfortunately. I went to my local yarn store to pick up supplies over a month ago and found it closed for good. A very dismaying trend here in Oak Park as taxes and rents go up and up and all the small shops are put out of business. So I ordered my yarn from Patternworks and I’m still waiting (and waiting and waiting) for it to arrive. I was hoping to knit over Christmas but no luck. I may have to venture outside my burg.

In other news, if you haven’t started bidding yet get in there… The Kim Family Benefit Auction starts today and they have so many beautiful things up for auction.

28 thoughts on “the hypothetical nest

  1. i love the alphabet block mirror in that first photo….
    take your time making baby things. i, for one, am happy to have a little extra time to catch up on my make-a-longs and stitch up the fall set of stitchettes!

  2. The nursery with the peg rail was the inspiration for my children’s’ nursery. My colors are different but we do have the peg rail and the shaker simplicity was definitely something I was after.

  3. my kids aren’t babies anymore but I still have my Martha Stewart Baby magazines…I can look at them over and over again.

  4. oh, have fun with the nesting. it was until i had my 3rd that i really got into sewing her all of her linens…it was just so much fun. i can tell you are too.
    can i ask what quilt shop you go to?

  5. Have you tried Chicks with Sticks in Forest Park? It is on Madison. I don’t know how it compares with Tangled Web, though.

  6. oh i am so looking forward to living vicariously through this baby, nursery and all. i have those magazines too and i still love them even though i am past that stage. sorry arlo, but it is true.

  7. I just looked back on the issue with the Shaker style nursery the other day. I’ll never have that space in my world but at least I can go there in the magazine. Good luck finding the house with room for that. I hope to someday see your version of the above.

  8. lisa and i picked up something the other day for you that i think will be perfect in the (hypothetical) nursery. it’s coming soon.
    wish i could talk jack into letting me paint our bedroom floor blue like those pics.

  9. I’m a new reader and a new crafter and I love your site!
    My daughter’s nursery is a perfect creamy yellow. Try Pear in the Eddie Bauer paint line at Lowe’s. We paired it with a chocolate brown and vintage nursery rhyme prints and it looks fabulous. (I can send pics if you’d like.)
    Thanks for all your inspiring work!

  10. I hope you take pictures of your nursery creations. There’s nothing like a good hand built nursery to get your creative juices flowing! It’s literally brimming with life and newness.

  11. Why, why, why did they stop publishing that beautiful magazine? I have all the issues they made and still… I’d love more.

  12. love the alphabet block mirror. Will have to file that one away for the future.

  13. I can’t belive so beautiful blog! is amazing its design, and the content. congratulations!

  14. Hilary – if the yarn store you went to was Tangled Web, I believe it closed because the owner got cancer. Very sad.
    (Nadia from the Fun Quilts class)

  15. I am looking forward to all the nesting equipment you are going to create. As you might imagine, I am contemplating these issues, too. Up to know, there is mainly knitting, but a baby quilt for him/her is the next big thing on the list.
    Enjoy the flow!

  16. I absolutely love that fabric. I have just been online and ordered a load of it. Love the site, have been afan for ages. Happy 2007.

  17. Sounds lovely, good luck with everything. Well done on this wonderful site.

  18. Hey! Just wanted to say how much I enjoy your beautiful blog/creations.
    Would you mind sharing how that alphabet block mirror is made? It’s adorable! I love your nursery idea!
    Thanks, Kat

  19. Sending you good energy so you can find your new home! I love the MS baby magazines too, I have all of them and every time I look at them I’m inspired. Your baby’s room is going to be beautiful!

  20. If you want to swoon with baby goodness go to Bucktown and check out Red Balloon. It’s just dreamy.
    As for the paint color. My house is done in a creamy yellow. I love it, Butter Up by Sherman Williams.

  21. Hillary, that is such a sweet inspiration room. But am I seeing correctly in the second photo, under the clothes pegs…down on the floor…are those little shoes from CaterinaM’s Etsy Shop?

  22. OOH-adorable blog! We just did our living room in one of those perfect yellows. EM if you would like a picture!
    It is “Dipped in Honey” and by Dutch Boy.
    🙂

  23. I also have my treasured Martha Stewart baby issues. I’ve loaned them out, but make it clear I want them back. My friend is having a baby boy and she is doing a space/rocket theme, so I just bought your rocket boy pattern. Perfect!

  24. We let our baby sleep in our room the first year. Here are some pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/52232857@N00/182340648/in/set-72157594277314295/

  25. We did one of the MS yellows. It was hard though! I wish you were closer because I’d loan you the 11 test cans I have in the basement and you could try those.
    Home Depot has some tag-board-like sheets that you can paint your swatches on and hang up. It’s much nicer than painting all your swatches directly on the wall.
    Oh, and we went with flat paint, which was beautiful. For about 3 months. Now it’s horrible. Dirty little handprints everywhere. The first 12-13 are cute, after that it’s just grungy. :o)

  26. Love the pictures. Wonder if you can order back copies of the MS Baby magazine. They’re full of such great ideas!

  27. i used this exact martha stewart article to do my son’s room. he is four now and shares the room with his one year old sister. the design stills works well, with some minor tweaking! We also did the yellow walls with blue trim and red accents. I love it!

  28. We are thinking on the same lines! I JUST re-read this M.S. Baby issue last night and put a post up on my site with similar pictures. I was searching to see if there were other abc mirrors out there and came across your post. 🙂
    Off to do some more baby’s nursery planning and projects.
    http://9–months–and–counting.blogspot.com/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *