Saturday, August 15, 2020

Dog Days of Summer - Scrap Happy In August

We've had a brief reprieve from the heat but are headed for a couple of truly hot days according to the forecast. I was pleased to be able to use the cooler days to get more binding sewn down and whip up a project for Scrap Happy Day this month.  I started cutting patches for the blocks I intend to make for Kate's turn in the F2F too. Then I realized I'd cut the wrong sizes. {sigh} Oh well, more scrap patches that will be used somewhere down the road. 😁Once the heat returns I'll probably resort to needlework or reading.

I think I mentioned that there were strips leftover from my recent Chinese Coins style quilt. 

I figured I'd see if I couldn't put a few more of them to good use. I've nearly always used a folded kitchen towel under the dog bowls to corral any drips or mess. This week I decided to make an official placemat for the dog bowls, using some of those leftover strips and a piece off the towering pile of batting scraps. I began with one of the scrappier Shoo-fly blocks from my Parts Department.

I used the sew-and-flip method to secure the block and the strips to the batting. 

When the batting was well covered I trimmed it to size and found a larger remnant for the back.



I put the backing, right sides together, on top of the front, sewed almost all the way around, trimmed the corners, and turned it all right side out through the opening I'd left. A careful pressing meant I could topstitch the perimeter without even hand sewing the opening closed. I stitched as close to the edge as I could and then again about an eighth of an inch inside that line of stitching. 

And done! It's a lot more distracting on the floor than the solid color towel was. I may have to turn it over and have the backside up. 😉

Scrap Happy Day is hosted by Kate and Gun on the 15th of each month. Not everyone in the link list below will have a fresh post up but their blogs are worth perusing in any case. We aren't all strictly textile artists either so you never know what ingenious way you might find someone has put their scrap materials to good use! 

Kate Gun, TittiHeléneEva, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, SandraLindaChrisNancyAlysKerryClaireJean,
Joanne, Jon, HayleyDawnGwen, Connie, Bekki, Pauline,
Sue L, Sunny, Kjerstin and Vera


7 comments:

  1. that doggie placemat is beautiful - I hope the dogs appreciate it and don't leave too much mess - and the backing is perfect.

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  2. Distracting it may be but at least you won't be kicking the bowls over by mistake.

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  3. That is one magnificent dog mat, but I couldn't dream of being able to use the same thing. Mouse is a very messy feeder and an even messier drinker, and I have a large (2'6" x 4') rubber mat under his bowls due to the daily creation of the Greyt Lakes every time he takes a drink. I'd need one of these lovely mats for every mealtime, every day!

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  4. Your dog is lucky to have such a beautiful placemat. Your coins quilt is inspiring me to use up some small blocks I’ve been cutting.

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  5. I don't know. Having it be distracting could keep you from slipping on it! I think it's a wonderful idea and it looks so cute. Love the quilt, too.

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  6. I made doggie bowl. mats here too - no one else but me seems to care, but they make me happy when I pull them out for visits by Darcy.

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  7. What a lovely placemat for your dogs.

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