Hazel's kitchen bed
I sewed a ginormous dog bed for Hazel to use in the kitchen. Well, more specifically, the tiny hallway space adjacent to the kitchen. Breezer, our last dog, used to hang out in this very spot because she could be in on all the action, watching us all go about our days. Unlike Breezer, who stayed put most of the time, Hazel follows me around the house like, well, a puppy. It's quite cute until you are stepping on her, ahem, while trying to pack the lunch boxes or make dinner. So I made her a bed. And, I think she likes it, even if it is rather large (about 52" x 30" finished).
I used Patchwork Promenade from the County Fair line by Denyse Schmidt because it has the patchwork look without all the piecing. It's also home dec weight which is perfect for something that is going to get slobbered on and washed almost weekly. I quilted two panels with freeform loops - one for the top and one for the bottom. I put a zipper in one side of the cushion so the insert can be removed for washing. After the zipper was in, I quilted the side panels with straight-ish lines. The fabrics on the sides and the piping (all 10 yards!) are from that same fabric line. For the insert, I used an old sheet and stuffed it with about 4 pounds of poly-fil. Everything came from my stash except the zipper and the piping - bonus!
It felt good to get back to the sewing machine after a long break. I didn't realize how much I missed it. I was also happy with how it came together even though there were some missteps along the way. Bad measuring, wonky quilting, less than perfect corners - they really don't matter. It is a dog bed, for goodness sake.
This isn't the end of sewing for the dog either. Just saying.