Small Projects: Cat Bed

Sometimes, there are those projects that go wrong from the get-go. This was one of those projects.

The ideas was to make a simple quilted cover with a zipper in the back to slip over a regular-sized pillow. The piecing of the top went off without a hitch.

Then came the zipper. I've put zippers into clothing at least a dozen times. As I don't do it often enough, I always have to refresh my memory, but I can do it easily enough. In my own defense this time around, I'm going to say that the problem has to be my new sewing machine and not me, personally. That's the only difference in the equation and the only reason I can think of as to why I had to unpick and re-sew the zipper three times...three! On the FOURTH screw up, I said, "Forget it!" I tossed it out, bought a new zipper and started over. It went in without a hitch...what? I still have no idea what the problem was the first four times around, except that I've never seen a zipper foot that looks like the one my Janome has.

A few days later, because I had to walk away from the frustration...I made my piping and sewed it to the sides. Taking the first one off the machine, I noticed it was bunched up and looked gathered on. I looked at my machine and noticed that I didn't lift up the metal thread guide after I took the cover off my machine, so the tension was messed up. Grrr...I unpicked all the way around, sewed it back on and then it was too short...too short because it was "gathered" on the first time and when flattened out it wasn't long enough.

I ended up cutting a short piece of piping and inserted it between the two ends. AND....if I hadn't had to unpick the piping from the sides, I most likely would have sewn the top on without remembering to quilt it first!

Sewing the top, side and bottom all together wasn't as smooth as it should have been either. Again, I'm blaming the zipper foot. There never seems to be a foot that gets close enough to where I want it, so I typically use my zipper foot. I wonder if the one for my old Singer machine fits the new one? I guess I should have tried that out. In my younger days, this project would probably have never been completed. But, I'm glad I exhibited some patience and stuck with. I'm pleased with the results.

And after trying a little bribery...

I have no illusions that either cat will ever use it.

At least I can cross another item off my List.