Homemade Pottery Barn Kids Ballerina Toddler Bedding

Whew! I just came up to the surface after a week spent under loads of wrapping paper, tinsel, dishes, ribbons, bows, dishes, boxes, bikes, dishes, in laws, driving, dishes...

did I mention DISHES?!

Seriously, I've missed blogging and appreciate my loyal followers' patience...I've gotten updates from some of my favorite blogs and wonder how on earth they've found time to post in the last week. 

In the past 7 days I've:

enjoyed watching the faces of 3 kids get bikes

logged 17 hours in the car

seen all sets of parents/grandparents and immediate aunts, uncles and cousins

hosted 2 Christmas dinners with 12+ people

video taped 4 separate Christmas present opening sessions

READ the manual to my new camera (yes, you read that right...I actually read something other than a blog and yes, I got a new toy for Christmas, too!)

been to the camera store to have my cracked lens protector removed (after learning the hard way to always wear my camera strap)

prepared the beds 4 times for house guests

ate more than my fair share of sweets

enjoyed a few glasses of wine

and created some amazing memories that made this truly my

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

I am so thankful to my whole family for making this Christmas so wonderful and special.  When I found out the truth about Santa I was crushed...but never stopped believing.  What I didn't know, was how much fun it would be when I'd get to be Santa myself.  Seeing your own children light up with joy is a most amazing feeling.

Ok, so here we are...3 hours post the last official Christmas event and our last guests departing (bitter sweet)...and I miss you guys!  I've been anxious to post my finished pictures of the Pottery Barn Ballerina sheet/duvet sets I made for my girls' toddler beds. 

A couple months ago my daughters saw this in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog:

Does it get any cuter?

They both wanted it sooooooo badly!  Unfortunately, it only came in twin size and they are still in toddler beds.  But every week, a new Pottery Barn Kids catalog would arrive in the mail and low and behold, they'd turn right to the same page and ask for the sheets.  When we were on about our 5th catalog (they've got some good marketing people working for them) they finally started asking for the sheets "when they get bigger and get big girl beds".  Sure, that sounds like a plan.  Then one night I got a crazy great idea, I'll buy the sheets and make toddler bedding for them out of the fabric. So in mid-November I ordered a set of twin sheets...thinking a month was ample time to sew them. 

It was at that moment I learned they were on back order until DECEMBER 20! What?!  Well, I ordered them anyways, figuring they'd most likely be sent sooner as things I've bought on back order before have come sooner. 

Well, I was WRONG!  They arrived Dec. 21, as promised.  Giving me exactly 3 days to complete the project. That's a tall order for me....I can get 90% finished with a project in 3 days, but COMPLETE it, that's just not possible very hard for me.  

Well, at any rate, enough commentary, I did get the sheets, pillow cases and duvets COMPLETED by my deadline of Christmas Eve!  And all of the sewing happened after 9pm.  (I was up until 1:00 am the 3 nights leading up to Christmas, and midnight the few before that.....but I did breastfeed 3 babies after all, so 1am is nothing!) 

Without further ado..........

I started with the sheets, which I made from pink/white polka dot flannel I got from the local fabric store (it matches the skirt on some of the ballerinas)

Also from the fabric store is the striped flannel that backs the duvet.

The duvets were made with ballerina fabric on one side and striped fabric on the other (each girl picked out their fabric last month, without knowing it was going on their new sheet set!) 

I used ribbon to tie the bottom of the duvets, hot pink polka dots for one and light pink polka dots on the other.

The pillow cases took the most time with all the details on the end: coordinating fabric ruffle that matches the underside of the duvet and ribbon that matches the ties on the duvet:

Well, that about sums it up! A very ballerina room, fit for 2 princesses.

I know I've been MIA the last week, but that's not due to lack of ideas! I have lots of things to talk about with you guys, so thanks for reading (DH thanks you, too!)

Coming attractions:

*Shower head water filters (and being a "green tween")

*My new compost bin (I'm a composter now!)

*Cute ruffled camera straps (to avoid further trips to the camera store) 

*My Restoration Hardware homemade kitchen island (I brought the wood home last week)

*Bathroom paint (I am finally going to finish that last 10% of the master bath)

*Kitchen/Family room paint and board & batten

*Top 10 Projects of 2010 (and looking forward to many more in 2011)

Have a safe and exciting

New Year's Eve!!

I joined the little party going on at Tater Tots and Jello!