I accomplished yet another of the projects on my priority list today. The dogs now have some nice mats for their crates. They are even personalized! They were very quick and easy to make.

Materials:

One yard each heavy denim and polar fleece. This is enough to make two mats approx. 35”x28”. I just cut each yard in half down the middle to make two pieces 36” by 30”. My two fabrics were quite the same width so I did a little trimming to match everything up. If you want them to fit perfectly into the bottom of your crate just measure the bottom pan size and add an inch to get a 1/2” seam allowance all the way around.

How To:

If you want to personalize it, hoop your denim and stitch out the name. Because this denim was so stiff I didn’t put an stabilizer in the hoop with it. I did Maizey’s first and some of the stitches weren’t as nice as I’d like them to be so when I did Cas’ I slipped a piece of Heavy Cut-Away under the hoop before I started stitching and that worked great.

Lay the denim piece out flat right side up and place fleece right side down on top of it. Smooth everything out, matching edges, trim any edges that aren’t even.

Round off the corners. I marked them with a chalk wheel and used my magnetic pin cushion as a guide. I chose to round them off to make turning them right side out easier. Pin both fabrics together. Stitch around edge, leaving an opening for turning. I used my walking foot because the fleece likes to stretch under the foot while stitching. I also lengthened my stitch length and made sure I had a jeans needle in the machine.

Turn right side out and clip excess fabric from curved corners and notch seam allowance. (I forgot to take a picture of this step.)

Topstitch approximately 1/2” from edge. Be cure to tuck in the edges of the opening so they get caught in the topstitching.

All done in a couple hour’s work. I like that they are lightweight and easy to wash. No stuffing for the dogs to chew apart and get all over the house. The fleece gives a little cushioning and the denim is durable.

Miss Maizey looks a little less than thrilled with her new digs but that is partly because I moved her crate today from one corner to another and now Cas is in the same room. She doesn’t like change.

In reality the dogs don’t spend a lot of time in their crates. Just while we are out of the house. They are still spoiled and get to sleep on our bed at night. And with my part-time hours and how early the girls get home from school they are rarely crated for more than a few hours at a time. But Cas does like his crate and will just go hang out in their for periods of time. He is also a bit of a hoarder and we will find random things hidden in there. Like the time my friend stayed over to dog sit and after we got home I was cleaning it out and found her bank card still in the envelope from the mail in his crate.

Also, does anyone else think it is weird that two Michigan State Spartans have a dog named MAIZEy? I didn’t ever realize the awkwardness until I embroidered her name in bright yellow on a blue background.

Except that I got my original braces off when I was about 14. That was 30 years ago.  And I couldn’t wait until that day came. But here I am again with a mouth half full of metal. I had braces put on my top teeth yesterday. I may or may not get them on the bottom eventually but for now I wear my TMJ appliance on the bottom at night with rubber bands pulling my bottom jaw forward. The plan right now is that I will be in braces for about two years and when it is all said and done I should be able to close my mouth with my teeth meeting properly in the back and my jaw in the proper position so I don’t continue to have jaw problems. He’s actually gradually pulling my teeth down and growing bone so my teeth meet properly. Sounds kind of painful doesn’t it? We’ll see.

Right now the biggest pain is that the insides of my cheeks are all raw from rubbing against the brackets. I guess I’ll have to put that gross wax over everything for a few days. But the best thing about this time versus the first time; I’m not in marching band anymore. I think playing a brass instrument with braces should be considered a form of capital punishment. Also my skin is a lot better now and I’m not wearing a pair of super thick eyeglasses with tinted lenses.

That’s me with  my Mom & sisters,, I’m the one closest to Mom. (I made that suit!) My sisters were already past their awkward stage, me not so much. And what’s with my hair? Looks like I slept on it funny or something. This was either Easter morning or someone’s graduation. I’m guessing it was Pam’s graduation because she was wearing Raider Red.

But this is where I started. Just look at those jacked up teeth! That’s what thumb sucking for way too many years will do to a face. That was not a home-sewn blouse but I remember it. I think it was from Montgomery Wards and I thought I was the shit in that thing. And those glasses, good Lord those glasses. I was hipster before it was hip.

For some reason all copies of the year I had the really bad perm, braces, big glasses and a permanent scowl on my face are missing. I’m sure one of my sisters has them locked away in a safe for future embarrassment.

Dear Minerva is being put out to pasture. She’ll be kept around for decorative purposes but I’ve removed her extra waistline padding and returned to her original Edwardian shape. She’s been a fun old gal and come in handy if for nothing more than company and to model the odd garment here and there. I did let her stay in the sewing room this week while I worked on a project and watched the first season of Downton Abbey. She loved the clothes, they brought back fond memories of her younger years.

But it was time for a more youthful assistant. A new gal with a more useful (if not necessarily youthful) shape. Meet Bertha. I’m sure Bertie and I will get along famously and she will be a very handy friend to have around. I ordered her from here. Unfortunately I haven’t had any opportunity to play dress up with her yet.

This is the project I’ve been working on this week. A friend of mine and the breeder of my dog, Castiel, asked me to make ribbon quilts a while back. She offered to help promote them at dog shows and among her dog training friends and customers. I agreed but the “business” hadn’t really taken off. Which has been okay with me because I had been plenty busy as it was and to be honest, these aren’t that much fun to make. The ribbons are stiff and difficult to work with. But I’m not one to say no to a challenge and any time I can make a little money using my talents is always welcome. This order came in right before Thanksgiving when I was in the midst of directing a show, holiday work hours, going on vacation (Hawaii! I should share photos!) and general Xmas craziness. I honestly didn’t spend more than a few hours in my sewing room from Thanksgiving until New Years. I made the green wool jersey top and a stuffed owl for my Grand-niece (which the dogs got a hold of before I could mail it and I have to redo) and that was it. So this week it was my main priority and in my usual time-crunch manner I got it done in just over two days and change.

Now I can focus on new project for the New Year. I’m not sure where I’ll start. I’m kind of in the mood to crochet something. I have a friend that really wants a “Roseanne Blanket” and I found a pattern that I really like that will also help in the goal of working through some stash: Wool Eater Blanket. I’m also working on these, When Jack Met Sally Mitts.  Winter is always good for having “lap” projects to work on while watching tv with the family or riding in the car.

What are your new projects for the new year? Did Santa (or UPS) bring you any fun new tools to use in your sewing room? I got a bag full of new Bernina feet that I intend to try out and post about their uses in the next few weeks.