happy home

We've lived in our house for five years now and we're still not done decorating it and fixing it up.  Do you ever really get "done" fixing up your house? Maybe not. Or at least maybe not if you enjoy making things for your home and for the people who live there. Maybe a color choice you used to love starts to get old, or you find a fabric you just love and must use somehow. Certainly kids grow and you need new ways of organizing their stuff, and so on. I think of dozens of new projects each week that I want to make for our house so it's probably no surprise that some of my favorite crafting and sewing books are home-dec related.

Fortuitously, the kind folks at Chronicle Books recently sent us a copy of author and fabric designer Jennifer Paganelli's new book Happy Home: Twenty-One Sewing and Craft Projects to Pretty Up Your Home, and I immediately found a project that our home needed–or rather, that our sweet new doggy, Ruby, needed.

Ruby was a healthy 17 pounds when we adopted her from a local shelter last winter but now at 8 months old, she's almost 40 pounds and has outgrown the bean bag chair she'd appropriated as a bed from her human sisters. Ruby needed her very own bed that could accommodate the part-Dachsund length she loves to sprawl across the living room rug, half hanging off the bean bag, and Jennifer's "Jimbo Jumbo Dog Bed Cover" fit over a new, large dog bed was just the ticket. I used some pieces of Spoonflower linen/cotton and organic cotton sateen plus some solids and a few other coordinating cotton and linen prints from my stash to make up the new cover to go with our living room. Ruby loves it! (She didn't particularly enjoy having her picture taken on it, though. Witness the pretzel bribe above keeping her distracted from the fascinating camera being pointed at her.)

Today we're giving away a copy of Jennifer Paganelli's Happy Home and you can enter the drawing by commenting below or on the corresponding Facebook post by Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012. We'd love to hear what home-dec projects you're working on next, so please do share. And if you think that one of them ought to be a lovely new bed for your favorite canine friend, you're in luck! Jennifer and the folks at Chronicle Books have provided a project exerpt from the book (below) so you can get started now without waiting to find out if you're our giveaway winner. Thanks, Jennifer!

If you don't have a deserving doggy, there are 19 other projects in this book with crystal clear instructions and plenty of illustrations to inspire you to sew. I particularly liked the look of the "Millie's Market Tote," the "Broad Brim" sunhat, and the "Crocheted Pillowcase" projects. Read on for Jennifer's dog bed how-to!

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Jimbo Jumbo Dog Bed Cover Project by Jennifer Paganelli

Every member of the family deserves a bit of pampering, even the dog. My dog George is a big Labradoodle, and I had a hard time finding an attractive cover large enough for his bed. I then came up with the idea to cover his bed with a simple patchwork quilt, and now everyone is happy. He likes the bed so much that it was difficult to keep the cover clean for the photo shoot! This is a project where you can use any fabric scraps you have laying around.

Note: Since this cover will get a lot of use and needs to be washable, simple quilting stitches will work best (diagonal lines, meandering free motion, or stitch in the ditch). You don’t want to spend time doing delicate hand quilting or tying by hand. We have also given you two options: a quilted top with a quilted bottom or a quilted top with a canvas bottom.

Finished size: 46 by 31 by 4 in/117 by 79 by 10 cm

Materials

For quilted Top and Bottom option:

• Seven ½-yd/45-cm lengths of different printed mid-weight cotton fabrics (45 in/114 cm wide) for pieced Top and Bottom

OR

• Seventy 8½-in/21.5-cm random fabric squares for pieced Top and Bottom
• 3½ yd/3.25 m mid-weight cotton fabric (45 in/114 cm wide) for Backing
• 3½ yd/3.25 m cotton batting (45 in/114 cm wide)
• One 26-in/66-cm coordinating zipper
• One 45-by-30-in/114–by-76-cm dog bed
• Coordinating thread

For quilted Top and canvas Bottom option:

• Seven ¼-yd/23-cm lengths of 7 different printed mid-weight cotton fabrics (45 in/114 cm wide) for pieced Top

OR

• Thirty-five 8½-in/21.5-cm random fabric squares for pieced Top
• 1¾ yd/1.6 m mid-weight cotton fabric (45 in/114 cm wide) for Backing
• 1½ yd/1.4 m mid-weight cotton duck canvas fabric (54 in/137 cm wide) for Bottom
• 1¾ yd/1.6 m cotton batting (45 in/114 cm wide, or crib size)
• One 26-in/66-cm coordinating zipper
• One 45-by-30-in/114-by-76-cm dog bed
• Coordinating thread

From the sewing basket

• Scissors for fabric
• Rotary cutter and cutting mat (optional, but makes cutting all those squares a lot easier)
• Clear ruler
• Pins
• Water-soluble fabric marker
• Safety pins (optional)
• Zipper foot for your sewing machine
• Darning foot for your sewing machine (for free-motion quilting option)
• Walking foot for your sewing machine (for any other machine quilting option)

From the craft cabinet

• Masking tape
• Quilt basting spray (temporary fabric adhesive)

Cutting

For quilted Top and Bottom option:

From pieced Top and Bottom fabrics, cut seventy 8½-in/21.5-cm squares.
From Backing fabric, cut two 60-by-44-in/152-by-112-cm rectangles.
From Batting fabric, cut two 60-by-44-in/152-by-112-cm rectangles.

For quilted Top and canvas Bottom option:

From pieced Top fabrics, cut thirty-five 8½-in/21.5-cm squares.
From Backing fabric, cut one 60-by-44-in/152-by-112-cm rectangle.
From batting fabric, cut one 60-by-44-in/152-by-112-cm rectangle.
From canvas, cut one 51-by-36-in/130-by-91-cm rectangle. (See fabric layout diagram.)

Assemble

Step 1: Piece Quilt

A For each quilted side of the cover, randomly lay out 35 squares in a grid of 5 squares by 7 squares.

B Starting with the top horizontal row, pin and sew all the squares, with right sides together, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Press the seam allowances to the left. Return the completed strip of squares to the layout.

C Sew the second horizontal row of squares, with right sides together, using a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Press all the seam allowances to the right. Return the completed strip to the layout.

D Repeat steps 1B and 1C until you have all the squares sewn into 7 horizontal strips of 5 squares each, making sure that the seam allowances are pressed in alternating directions (left, right, left, and so on). This will help reduce bulk and interlock the strips when they are sewn together. (See illustration.)

E Pin the first 2 strips, right sides together, carefully matching each vertical seam between each square. Sew together with a ¼-in/6-mm seam allowance. Press the seam down, toward the lower strip. Repeat until all 7 strips are sewn together.

F Repeat steps 1B to 1E if making the quilted Bottom.

Step 2: Prep for Quilting

A Lay the Backing piece flat on the floor, right-side down, and tape the edges to floor with masking tape. Lay the Batting on top of the Backing. Smooth out any wrinkles, and then place the pieced quilt Top, right-side up, centered on the Batting. Smooth out any wrinkles. The Top will be about 2 in/5 cm smaller on all sides than the Batting and Backing.

B Fold back the Batting and Top so the upper half of the wrong side of the Backing is visible. Spray the Backing and Batting lightly with basting spray. Gradually roll the Batting into place over the Backing. Smooth out any wrinkles as necessary. Then lightly spray the Batting and the wrong side of the Top with basting spray. Gradually roll the Top into place over the Batting. Smooth out any wrinkles. Repeat for the lower half of the quilt. These 3 layers are now called the quilt sandwich.

C Starting from the center of the quilt sandwich and working your way to the edges, use safety pins to attach all 3 layers together.

D Repeat steps 2A to 2C if making the quilted Bottom.

Step 3: Quilt and Cut

A Quilt the sandwiched layers together using your preferred method.

B With the fabric marker and the ruler, draw a 51-by-36-in/130-by-91-cm rectangle centered on the Top. (See illustration.) Cut off the excess Top, Batting, and Backing, making sure that the corners are square and the edges are straight.

C Repeat steps 3A and 3B if making the quilted Bottom.

D Finish the raw edges of the Top and Bottom with a zigzag stitch or a serger.

Step 4: Finishing

A Put the zipper foot on your sewing machine. Place the Top and Bottom of the cover with right sides together, align all raw edges, and pin together along one of the short sides. Measure 5 in/ 12 cm from each side, and clip notches into the seam allowance of the pinned side. Starting at 1 end, sew the pinned side to the first notch, with a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance, then backstitch. Don’t remove the fabric from the sewing machine, and keep the seam allowance even. Change the stitch length to baste, then baste to the second notch and stop. Change the stitch length back to the normal setting, backstitch, and continue sewing to the end. Unfold the joined pieces so they are in a single layer and press the seam open. Center the zipper right-side down over the basted seam, between the notches, and pin in place. Starting at the top of 1 side of the zipper, sew through all layers, ¼ in/6 mm from the edge of the zipper tape and seam allowance. Sewing in the opposite direction, sew the other side of the zipper tape as above. Remove the basting stitches and open the zipper. (See illustration.)

B Place the Top and Bottom of the cover with right sides together, align the 3 raw edges, and pin. Sew together with a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance, pivoting at each corner. Trim off the corners, and press the seams open.

C To create gussets, fold one side seam down to meet and match up with the bottom seam. This will form a triangle. With the ruler and fabric marker, draw a straight line perpendicular to the side seam 2 in/5 cm from the tip of the triangle. This line should measure about 4 in/10 cm. Pin and sew along the line. Clip off the triangle, leaving a ½-in/12-mm seam allowance. Repeat on the other 3 corners. (See illustration.)

D Turn the cover right-side out through the zipper opening, and insert dog bed.

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Here is Jennifer's original version of this project.  Her dog looks much bigger than Ruby but he still fits comfortably on the bed along with his adoring friend!

Last week, we gave away a set of Gingher shears, pinking shears, and thread snips, and I think it's safe to say that a lot of you could really use some nice scissors. Sadly, we could only choose one winner, Zoe Brench in the Netherlands. Congratulations, Zoe, and we'll be sending you your lovely new set soon!