After finding out we were expecting and getting through the first trimester, I finally sat down to start the somewhat overwhelming, but delightful and fun task of planning for all the things baby would be needing. I finally decided after searching, and searching, and SEARCHING, that a co-sleeping baby nest would be the most practical baby bed for the first few months. He'll be snugly safe in his own little "nest", but close to me so I can tend him easily at all hours. I really wanted a cotton nest, but since I couldn't find any with cotton batting and stuffing, I decided to go ahead and make my own. I had a bit of cotton batting already, so I ordered 3 lbs of natural cotton stuffing and searched through my stash for the perfect fabric. I hemmed, and hawed, and hemmed some more... and finally decided to make the nest a little bigger than most of the baby ones I saw. Upon discovering a few toddler nests, I increased the measurements of the sleeping area to reflect those sizes more, that way the nest will be sure to work until baby is sleeping through the night on his own. 😊 Next up was drafting the pattern based off those measurements, and making the nest. The whole process actually went really smoothly! 😊 The main body of the nest is a heavy cotton twill material, perfect for a sturdy and durable base. I seriously miscalculated how much batting I would need, and despite piecing a couple narrower strips together, I ran out of the batting I had on hand after doing only the 2 layers for the base. With everything finished but the mattress, the project ground to a halt until I could make a run to the store for more batting. But hey, it probably saved me from staying up super late to finish the mattress and get the whole project done in one day. 😉 I really liked the v-shaped quilting on a couple nests I saw on Pinterest, and decided to go for that look with my own nest. I'm really happy with the way it turned out! The sailboat mattress pad is made from a quilting-weight cotton fabric, with 3 layers of batting for softness. I'll be putting a thick piece of wool fabric between the mattress and nest for a water-resistant barrier to guard against the inevitable diaper and spit-up accidents. 😏 Since the mattress portion is completely separate, I can take it out and wash it without washing the whole nest... and trying to dry out nearly 3 pounds of cotton filling any time it needs a cleaning. 😨😊 It was such a joy to make a special nest for my own little one. 😊 Feeling my heart fill with love for the little person he is, his personality already showing in how he moves and the little things unique to the way God has knit him together to be. 💗