Last week one of my co-workers, Vicki Mangum was all aflutter when she came into the office. She stopped at my door, slightly out of breath, and said, “I couldn’t sleep last night! All I could think about was your dog Louie in the bike basket and he needed a quilted little pad to ride around on.”

I guess she thought my wadded up terrycloth towel could be improved upon:

Then she whipped this out of her tote:

“Since you are new to Texas, I thought it should have a Texan flair,” she added.

I was very grateful for this unexpected gift. And now while I admire the fabric with hunky men in cowboy hats, Louie can now cruise through Houston in style!

I know Louie looks a little glum in this shot but it’s because he knew this was just a photo op–I wasn’t actually going to take him riding, as I had to go to work!

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How to Make a Quick & Easy Bike Pad for Your Pooch

Materials

• Batting

• Sewing machine, thread, scissors, and general quilt supplies

Directions

1. Measure the bottom of your bike basket and add 1″ all around. Cut top and backing fabric and two pieces of batting to these dimensions.

2. Pin the two layers of batting to the top fabric. (Extra batting/cushioning makes for more comfortable cruising!)

3. With your sewing machine, free-motion stitch through these three layers.

4. Place your backing fabric on top of your top fabric, right sides together. Pin in Place.

5. Sew all the way around, leaving a 1.5″ opening.

6. Pull everything through the 1.5″ opening so it is right sides out.

7. Slip stitch the opening closed.

This is a very simple project that any pooch would appreciate.

Thanks, Vicki!

A few weeks ago while at Quilt Market, I ordered a couple of sewing tables: one was the Gidgit II, a portable sewing table on wheels that folds up for easy storage. I unpacked it this past weekend and was thrilled there was no assembly required. This is really a great portable sewing table, and it can even take the weight and size of some of the larger sewing machines, like the Bernina 830 series. Below is Gidget in my family room. I can imagine I will be sewing a lot on my back porch, and also at night in my family room where I can watch movies with my boys!

Gidget II by Arrow Cabinets

I also bought a sewing cabinet for my home studio, a space that is much smaller than my previous studio, so I needed something compact with good storage. I wanted a cabinet that was contemporary in style, with an air-lift mechanism to raise and lower my sewing machine, and I found just what I needed in the Sewnatra Cabinet by Arrow. Isn’t it adorable? I love the shuttered door!

The Sewnatra opened:

This Sewnatra  sewing cabinet does require assembly. Here’s what my family room floor looked like on Saturday morning:

And the hardware seemed a little overwhelming at first in the big plastic bag, so I opened it up and sorted the metal and plastic bits all onto a tray:

I have put together a lot of furniture over the past few months–even an entire bedroom set from scratch–so I thought I had this in the bag. (And I almost did.)

Attaching the storage bins, thread holders, and hinges onto the back of the shuttered door.

Some tips for sewing cabinet assembly:

1. Read ALL of the directions first, and really familiarize yourself with all of the hardware.

2. If there is an online video, watch it from start to finish, first. Then while assembling, pause it in places as you assemble your cabinet.

3. When in doubt, reread the directions or re-watch the video. Never assume you think you have it right until confirming, and remember that slow and steady win the race.

3. If they say you need two people to assemble it, take heed. This is because the cabinet—as you assemble it—is unwieldy, and especially when you have the top cover opened, a panel or part of the cabinet cannot support the full weight of the cabinet. Unfortunately I had most of the cabinet assembled, but then it started to fall, and I quickly grabbed the front piece, which then promptly cracked in half.

At that point I decided to take a pool break with my assistant.

The good news? I called Arrow and they are getting a replacement front piece to me ASAP. I will need to partially take apart the cabinet to replace the front panel, but then I should be good to go. Furthermore, Arrow was very helpful on the phone, offering tips and advice to complete the assembly.

I have the vision: I see this Sewnatra cabinet in my sewing room. It is going to look so adorable in there and I know I will enjoy it. The price–let alone its sheer cuteness–are well worth the minor set back, and even though I goofed during assembly, there is something about taking pride in having assembled a sewing cabinet (mostly) by myself!

Weeks Ringle’s Latest Modern Quilt Book Giveaway!

So how was your weekend? Did you quilt? Let me know what you did in the comments area and I’ll randomly choose a winner on Wednesday to win Weeks Ringle’s and Bill Kerr’s latest book!