One pillow

One pillow. Some scraps left over from other projects; a few bags of polyester stuffing; some piping and thread.

A fast-and-dirty project for a harried mom. Inspired by a magazine piece that featured the very same raspberry-and-lime color scheme in a young girl's bedroom. A floor cushion, a full yard across; Twister dots adorning a giant dot of a pillow.

Oh, but so much more.

A spot to share with a big sister, as she reads "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." A perch for a rogue's gallery of stuffed animals. And, at the end of a long day, a cozy place for a tired 5-year-old to curl up and drift to sleep.

Welcome!

As I begin to write this, one thought shoves its way to the front of my brain:

What took you so long?

I could say it's the kids' fault, and I wouldn't be far off. Then there's the minor issue of the day job, and sometimes the nighttime responsibilities. Why, I barely have time to do the stuff I want to write about, let alone write about them.

But here I am. And who am I, Craftymama? I'm indeed a crafty mama. I have two daughters (9 and 5) and I love crafts. I sew, knit, embroider, make jewelry (wire, beads, polymer clay). I occasionally dabble in paper crafts, art journaling, crochet and glass painting. I know my way around power tools, too.

I also love home and garden decor. I was raised by my mother and my grandmother; the latter was one of those women who could make you get lost in your own home. I'd leave for school in the morning and by 3:30 the house would be entirely different. Sometimes she'd still be in progress when I came home, and I would have to help her finish the job. I am one of those women now. (Working on the daughters, too.)

A couple other things have shaped my philosophy about making a home. One, I am of the generation that actually saw women stay at home, but who were raised and instructed to have a career. So I have both.

Second, I hated homemaking in junior high. Flunked the sewing part. My mother didn't laugh about that, but my grandmother — who taught me how to sew long before junior high — did. Draw your own conclusions.

Enough about me for now. You have to see my bathroom!
This is the before shot:

It's a run-of-the-mill late '50s job, roughly 6' x 9', with the original butter yellow and blue-green tile. It's been green, and for the last 16 years, had been yellow. I needed something different. Found some inspiration at HGTV.com, from the "Decorating Cents" site. Colors I got from Sherwin Williams' "Suburban Modern" '50s color palette. Here's the after:



Finished it in February. Nearly six months later, I still love it. What do you think?