Getting In Over My Head

So Tom and I (OK, I guess maybe just me) decided to skip purchasing an entire bedding set for the baby because I feel we just don't need it - we won't be using the bumpers or the comforter, and I'd rather get higher quality, solid-colored crib sheets.

That being the case, I started my hunt for an attractive crib skirt to dress it up a little bit, prefereably with an orange damask print. Apparently I'm the only person in the world who wants an orange damask crib skirt. So then I got to thinking about it a little more and decided that what the baby's room really needs is a crib skirt, matching Roman shade with blackout lining, and a changing pad cover. Obviously, if I can't find an orange damask crib skirt alone, there's no way I'm going to find my crib skirt, Roman shade, and changing pad cover all nicely packaged with an orange damask print.

So off I scurry to etsy.com. Etsy is the best, if you've never been, please stop reading this blog right now and head over there. No, really, it's that good. Crafters from all over the place put their products up on Etsy for all the world to see (and buy) and it's usually a very good place to look for custom designs. So I get over to Etsy and find a seller willing to make what I need. The problem? It's going to cost me $145, without paying for shipping or the fabric, and she doesn't want to make the Roman shade with a pole-pocket design.

Which leads me to my big mistake: I've decided I'm going to do it myself. Buy a sewing machine (which we should probably own anyway), buy the fabric, and just do it. And I know this is all way beyond my skill level, and I should probably just leave it to the pros, but I feel like I can save money doing it by hand, and if I'm patient, and follow the directions, and buy extra fabric, maybe it will turn out ok.

I'm fairly confident on the crib skirt, that's all just straight lines. I'm most worried about the Roman shade and the changing pad (it's contoured around 3 edges). Right now I'm thinking I might do the Roman shade the lazy way - buy a blackout shade then sew my fabric onto the front of it. We'll see.

Here's my fabric, though!