New Ironing Station Cover

 It's time to recover the ironing station in my studio.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with the cover other than I'm tired of looking at it. Over the last year or so I would occasionally lay another piece of fabric over it but would not staple it in place. 

Since it's still in good shape and only needs to be washed to remove the starch I decided to carefully remove the staples.

And then this happened at about staple #10.

Plan B...rip the darn thing off the board, if it survives I'll wash it.  If it doesn't, so be it.  Yes I'm pouting and stomping like a two year old.  We'll just chalk it up to old lady hormones.

As I took my pain out on the fabric I exposed more layers of fabric I didn't know existed.

It's hard telling how many are actually on here.  Mr. Podunk and I made this 10 yrs ago.  Since then it has been covered too many times to count.  I also know there's at least one more layer of aluminum foil besides the one you see here. The white fabric I'm holding is glued to the foil.

To help stabilize the foil and keep me from tearing it when I turn this board over I add painters tape to the edge.  One more layer for me to forget when I change this cover the next time. 

Now that it's flipped right sides up I can remove the offending fabric.  My goodness will you look how stiff it is from starch.

I auditioned several different fabrics before deciding I like this print the best, it's a Bonnie and Camille fabric.  My inside quilty gal started screaming "Don't use it for an ironing board cover!"  But the gal who's finger is still hurting is the boss today.  It's just fabric and it makes me happy.  

The fabric was quickly clamped in place, I need to work fast before quilty gal starts screaming again.

Quilty Gal has some very valid points about this fabric but I really don't want to rehash them for hours on end.  I just want to get this done and return to sewing. 

Remember when you were a kid and your mom warned you of making decisions when you are upset.  This is one of those moments she was talking about.  It would have been much easier to trim the fabric on the cutting table before adding it to the ironing board.  Well here I am, feeling a little more aggravated.  I was ready to remove the new fabric and cut it at the cutting table when Lea Anne MacGyver pops in and says "RIP IT".   I love that MacGyver, she's a handy gal to have around when I make bad decisions.  So with a quick snip and a couple of yanks on the fabric.....

....we have a perfectly trimmed fabric.  TADA!

The excess fabric on the top couldn't be ripped but it didn't take long to use a pair of scissors to remove it.

The first edge is always the easiest edge to staple into place.

The rest of them are a little harder.  Pulling the fabric snug while stapling is quite the chore.  It's only a chore because this stapler requires a lot of hand strength.  Do they make a girl stapler?  You know something a little easier to use?  Maybe in red or pink?  I see an Amazon shopping trip in my near future. 

Now I've seen quilters get all in a fuss over tacking down the corners.  Seriously?  This isn't a Christmas gift.  It's an ironing board.  Once flipped right side up no one will know that it's not perfect.

Keeping it simple...I grab the point of the corner and tug it snug.

Bam, Bam, bam and we have one corner done.  As easy as pie!  No fuss, no muss! 

 I love the new look of my ironing station.  Light and airy.

  

I loved it so much I decided to recover my smaller ironing boards.  The one on top is used when making turned edge applique.  The pink one rarely gets used but it comes in handy when I'm too lazy to get up out of my chair and walk around the table to press something.  This makes me so happy!  I'm recharged and ready to get back to sewing!  Whoohoo!

My word of the year MOOVE.  Getting things done, moving them along or moving me.  It basically means activity for me and my projects.  Today's MOOVE was recovering the ironing table that was driving me nuts.

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In the Studio and in the Garden

The blue and yellow leaders and enders project is moving along nicely now that I've changed gears from a leaders and enders to a get it done mode.  Patience for the leaders and enders process is something I still need to work on.

However I'm still on board with the process.  So while finishing up the blue and yellow leaders and enders I'm starting another.  These containers of triangles for HST's are my leaders and enders for the blue leaders and enders.

 

Yesterday's HST's still need to be squared up this morning before doing anything else in the studio

Hopefully I can find some time at the end of the day to make a dresden or two from this UFO.  This will be a small project.  The plan was for a bed runner but it might be a table runner.  Can a bed runner be used as a table runner?  I suppose as long as your table is as large as your bed, right?

But before I do anything in the studio I need to hop out to Mr. Podunk's garden and uncover the plants.  We had a little frost last night so he covered the plants that can't tolerate frost.

The peppers and tomato plants were our biggest concern.

This gave me a chuckle.  Obviously he ran out of buckets and bowls.  Whatever works and gets the job done.

The snap peas are a little more tolerant of frost so they did not need covering.  However I'm noticing a good weeding is in order.  Maybe I can spare an hour or so to help out in the garden.  

He's doing a pretty good job but lacks the time.  I used to be the one to manage the garden but health issues in the last couple of years kept me inside.  The health problems are much better now so I think I give it another try.  Gardening, like quilting, is very relaxing.   Right now would be the best time to do a little weeding while it's muddy.  Those weeds will pop right out of the ground.

Of course Miss Khaleesi wanted to help.  She's very curious about what's under this plastic.

We also have a couple of raised beds in need of some love.  This is his garlic patch.  It's doing really well.  Garlic is planted in the fall, mulched heavily over the winter and then harvested in June or July depending on the weather.

The other raised was our onion patch last year.  These onions are volunteers we did not plant them this year.  Instead of onions he wanted asparagus in this bed.  Since it takes a couple of years to get a good asparagus patch going he decided to let the onions do their thing.  I guess I need to trim these up before they bolt and do a little weeding here as well.

Here's his asparagus.  It doesn't look like much but it grow rapidly after this year.  That's why it gets a bed of its own.  It's like a weed and will take over.  You only need to plant it once and it comes back year after year.  Well I better get busy on these weeds so I can get back into the quilting studio.

    MY WORD OF THE YEAR....MOVE.....MEANS MOVING PROJECTS ALONG OR ME MOVING, STAYING ACTIVE.

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Happy Mother's Day , Visiting Dad

 Wishing you all a Blessed Mother's Day!  Hope you are able to spend a little time with those you love today.

As for me and my family we chose once again to stay apart due to not being able to stay outside and a safe distance apart.  As soon as the weather is warmer and we can be outside we will have a little shindig!

My dad pretty much calls the shots when it comes to whether or not we visit.  He's the oldest and most likely to be effected by our current situation.  I visit with him at least once a week and take him some food.  Sometimes it's a sweet treat and other times it's a nice home cooked meal.  He's always happy to have company and share the progress his making around the property.

Gardening is new to dad.  He would buy the flowers, mom would plant them or tell him where to plant them.  There's very few of them that he can name.  Weeding flower beds can be difficult when you don't have a clue what most plants are before blooming.  Of course he's plucked out a few keepers but I would never tell him.  It's nice to see him doing his best to keep it looking nice.

This Snowball Bush is looking pretty good this year.  It was a gift from my son to my mom about 2 years before she passed.  It's one of the last things she planted. 

Dad was also very eager to show off his old Coke machine he finally hooked up.  It's been sitting on the porch of his detached garage for awhile but he hadn't plugged it in or loaded it with soda.

Of course he wanted to show me everything about it.

This gave me a chuckle.  It holds more than Coke!  My dad rarely drinks but he's ready for those who do.  It's a man thing I guess.

 

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