Nursery Project - The rest of the crib furnishings

This post is a continuation of the nursery project I have been describing.  I have covered the valence and pillows and the comforter in the two previous posts.  Here I will wrap up the rest of the crib furnishings - crib skirt, bumpers and ties, ruffled pillow, and rail pad!

The skirt was made from a beautiful gold fabric.  It was to be long enough to puddle slightly, and fairly full, with box pleats.

I folded up, ironed, and pinned the double 2" hem.  The hem was finished with an iron-on adhesive so stitching would not show on the front of the fabric.

 The sides were hemmed in a similar fashion, using a narrow double fold.

A crib skirt has four panels - one for each side and one each for the head and foot - attached to a rectangular fabric the size of the crib mattress.  I calculated, pinned, and basted the box pleats for each of the four panels of the skirt so the panels would fit the sides and ends of the crib.

The crib skirt, hung over a corner of my work table.

I determined the length needed based on the highest mattress position described in the specs for the crib, plus two inches.  When the mattress is lowered as the baby gets older, the skirt can just puddle more or the top can be tucked in farther underneath the mattress.



The top edge of the bumpers and the edging around the pillows call for a 1.5" folded gold satin ruffle.

 I went ahead and cut 4" strips enough for all the ruffles and sewed them together end to end.  Here you can see that I have folded the strips in half and pressed.  Then I serged the entire raw edge.

Fortunately, I have a ruffle attachment that makes ruffles easier!  I ruffled the entire length of sewn-together strips in one go.







 For the bumpers, we used a foam insert kit you can find at fabric stores.  It consists of six 26" long foam pieces.


Each section required cutting pieces for the front and back, attaching a ruffle to the top, sewing the front to the back, and sewing velcro to the lower edge.

Here you can see the lower edge with the velcro closure.  This will allow removing the cover for washing.

This is a closeup of the loops that will be used to tie the bumpers to the crib.  Originally, the bumpers were going to use red ties, and I wasn't sure it would be a good idea to wash red ties with the white fabric!  The ties will be separate and will go through the loops and around the crib rails to secure the bumpers.



The six bumpers.









My client decided to use long gold satin ties on the two front upper corners (shown here) and simpler ties for the other ten tie locations.







I made the simple ties somewhat like you would for double-fold bias tape, only not cut on the bias.  I took a 1.25" strip and ironed the edges in, the folded it half and sewed down the edge.





I finished the ends with a special fabric glue to keep them from fraying.

  The pillow is a 14" x 18" feather pillow, with satin ruffles around.  I used an envelope closure, with velcro to hold it together.

The finished pillow.









The rail pad is meant to cover the top of the crib rail, both to protect the rail and to provide a comfortable edge to anyone reaching into the crib.  It is 50" long and 8" tall (after being folded over the rail), with a double ruffle.  After attaching the ruffles to the lower edge of the upper side, it is sandwiched with the under side and batting, sewn and serged.  Leaving an opening, of course!

 
 The rail pad, turned right side out.  I marked two lines down the center, 1" apart, and sewed to make it bend over the rail and help it stay in place.















The rail pad, folded.  You can see the ties incorporated into the front and back to hold the rail pad in place.

All of these items will be put together in the nursery room in Georgia.  Pictures have been promised, after the crib arrives and the room is ready.  I am looking forward to seeing it all put together, and will of course post the pictures for you!