Quilt and Sew Forever: Grand-dogger Needs A Bed

Introducing Kiara....my new grand-dogger! My daughter Amanda just adopted her first baby and she is a Boxer/Bulldog mix. Kiara is only 10 weeks old and is already bigger than my house full of little dogs (Mi-Kis and Mini-Schnauzer).

Amanda and Kiara will be moving into their own home in the next couple of weeks. Amanda has just graduated college, is starting a new job in her career field and is ready to "be a grown up". Part of this transition is to move out on her own for the first time....and she wanted a dog...a BIG dog...to help her feel safe as she gets used to this next phase of her life.

It probably won't surprise you to learn that I babysit Kiara each day while Amanda goes to work....yes, just what I needed right now....to house train a BIG baby!!!!! Actually, I'm not complaining because if we are going to have a GIANT in the family, I want her to grow up around my little dogs and give them all the opportunity to know and accept each other.....so far so good. It's actually kind of funny watching a 4 or 5 pound adult Mi-Ki put an 18 pound puppy in her place.

Amanda has all the basic supplies for Kiara except a dog bed. I suggested she make one herself...one that was big enough for now and once we see how big Kiara actually ends up being....she can make her a bigger one. Amanda has used a sewing machine a few times when she was a little girl....taught by her grandma (my mom). But she has refused to touch a sewing machine or let me teach her anything once she reached the teenage years. So, to be honest, I was using this opportunity to force her to sew again...in the hopes it would light a fire under her and show her what she has been missing! LOLOL

Amanda is very thrifty (just like her momma)....she isn't even picky...especially when she knows she can get the fabric and stuffing free from my stash! :)

Yes, I know, everyone is probably wondering why I have tons of orange flannel, with skateboarders all over it in my stash....well, I can explain! :) A few months ago I made a purchase on Ebay for an assortment of flannel pieces (all at least 1 yard pieces) to use in backing preemie sized baby blankets for donation to my ministry called Grandma's Promise. While corresponding with the seller, I shared with her what I would be using the flannel for....and when the box arrived on my doorstep...it had three times the fabric that I had actually purchased. She included a note saying she had decided to throw in whatever flannel fabric she still had as a gift. Most of the designs were suitable for the baby blankets, but there were a few pieces (like this one) that I wasn't sure what I'd ever make with it. I have SEVERAL yards of this particular flannel. :)

Now to teach Amanda how to use a rotary cutter.....

So far, so good....no missing fingers in the process!

Now the fun part. I decided to set up my Pfaff instead of my Singer Featherweight because of the nice little "extras" that would help her out. For instance, I pushed the "slow speed" button so she that when she pushed the foot pedal (like she drives her car), it wouldn't speed off and scare her to death.

I also set the "needle down" button so that every time she stopped, the needle would remain in the fabric. And I even set the "lock-in stitch" button so that I didn't have to worry with having her sew forward, then reverse to lock in her stitch. (All of that can come in later lessons...I just wanted her to enjoy sewing again...so I wanted it to be as easy as can be this time. :)

Never in my life have I ever witnessed anyone sewing with one leg crossed over the other....but then again, I wasn't watching my daughter either.

I cracked up when I walked around to the front of the machine and looked down to see this....

First part of sewing is complete...now time to stuff........

I know what you all are thinking....you can't believe I have a huge 10 lb. box of poly-fil just hanging around. Well, it's true....just look close and do you see how the blue on the box is a lighter color at the top? Well, the darker blue color is what happened when the downstairs flooded last year and the cardboard box soaked up water. I lost a lot of craft items during that flood....but this was a brand new box and thankfully, the plastic bag inside was strong and didn't have any holes or tears in it....so my poly-fil survived the flood!!!!!!! I'll let you in on one more secret. This box is and was the only time I ever purchased poly-fil in bulk. I assumed there were 10 individual bags of poly-fil (like you would purchase at the store) stuffed inside the box...I was wrong. When we opened the box last night and untied the plastic bag....POOOFFFF.....it didn't take the poly-fil a skinny minute to explode out of the box!!! It scared both of us!! LOLOL

Before I knew what had happened, Amanda had that bed stuffed so full, Kiara would have rolled off it if she tried to lay down. I gently asked Amanda if she thought Kiara would want it a little fluffier instead of so firm. She stood up, placed it on the table and tried to push down on it....then just started laughing. She realized what she was doing and started pulling out poly-fil and putting it back in the bag. :)

Now to sew and close up the one side left......

Success!!!! Amanda is so proud of herself!!!!

My insisting Amanda make the dog bed herself accomplished exactly what I had hoped....Amanda is already thinking of all the things she can make herself now (including a long body pillow for herself, stuffed as firm as she wants it).

We have proof that Kiara loves it....