Baby Blanket 01

LA Baby Blanket 05

Following family customs, a baby blanket was started as soon as we found out about our nephew and niece expecting a baby this year. Every baby needs a personalized baby blanket to welcome him or her into the world. Since we did not know if it would be a boy or a girl I didn’t try to go one way or the other and just tried to keep it so either a boy or girl would enjoy it.Using an off-white sheet 54″ x 90″ I embroidered the family last name right in the middle and surrounded it with a twisting vine and leaves border. I planned to add the baby’s name later on. I purchased some red and white checkered flannel to use on the back with no batting. After completing this name located in the middle I then began drawing miscellaneous creatures, numbers, and shapes spaced across the blanket.

LA Baby Blanket Apple

A is for apple,

LA Baby Blanket Airplaneairplane,

LA Baby Blanket ButterflyB is for butterfly,

LA Baby Blanket CherryC is for cherry,

LA Baby Blanket Circlecircle,

LA Baby Blanket DaisyD is for daisy,

Next

03 Green HummingBird

03

Green Hum Bird Pillow 10At this stage of the embroidery on the 03 green hummingbird tutorial, my focus is on finishing the details and blending in or outlining shapes. I do that by adding touches of different colors to accentuate here and there. The addition of light blue edges to the wingtips and the tail feathers was a good start on wings and tail, but more is needed.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 16Here is the finished hummingbird green hummingbird up close. Using a medium turquoise embroidery floss I outline above and below his eye and also along the top surface of his body. To mix stitches in with the satin stitch areas already complete I also run the stitches into existing satin areas randomly. Similarly, darker threads are added to both the orange under his neck and the green body below between his wing and tail. Turquoise is added as a thicker division line between his wing and tail feathers.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 15
King size pillowcase complete.

The pillowcase is completed, it is ironed and ready to be mailed out for a Christmas present. Thank you for reading through this embroidery tutorial and Merry Christmas to you!

02 Green HummingBird

02

Green Hum Bird Pillow 05We are continuing the embroidery on the pillowcase with a green hummingbird flying up to a vine full of honeysuckle blossoms. The honeysuckle vine leaves and vines are outlined in green and blossoms are satin stitched in orange. Now, I can direct my efforts back to finishing the hummingbird shading and texturing.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 07In this picture, you can see that I am in the process of adding a cool blue shadow to the wing and tail feathers right now. His long black beak is satin stitched along with his eye. A black outline follows the belly line from under his chin to his tail. A loose satin stitch pattern in a mustard brown fills between his feathers in both his wings and his tail. I have added random stitches of medium green in the neon yellow of the leading edge of his wings for more texture.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 08Looking back at the honeysuckle vine there is not enough definition between the tubes of the blossoms and the petals. Those surfaces are blending together and getting lost as I look at them. So, a darker red is satin stitched intermittently into the bottom surface of the tubes to help show a shadow shape and separate from the petals above. Also, a darker red outline is stitched along the dark side edges of each petal.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 17After darkening the edges of the petals, looking at them again, it still feels like it needs more. So, I use black to fill the center of the blossom petals and outline the shadow of the petal. Now I can see the shape and different layers of the honeysuckle blossoms at a glance.

Next

01 Green HummingBird

01

Green Hum Bird Pillow 02A white pillowcase embroidery tutorial with a 01 green hummingbird flying up to a vine full of honeysuckle blossoms. We are viewing the hummingbird from slightly above on the side. I drew the hummingbird sketch and honeysuckle vine loosely not trying to be exact. Be careful about what you choose to use to make your lines for patterns with. Unfortunately, even though the package instructions said they would. I have had some products from the sewing store that did not wash out or iron off. Disappointing to say the least. Green Hum Bird Pillow 01

Madam Sew Heat Erasable Fabric Marking Pens

These iron-off pens work and I highly recommend them. Using them feels similar to writing with a gel pen. All the lines from these pens disappear with the application of an iron, so there are no marks to ruin all your work. You will want to get the ink refills when you order your pens, because the ink does go fast. Anyhow, these pens are a little expensive designs.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 03The main body of the bird is satin stitched in a medium green and his wing tops are light almost neon green. He has an orange patch under the neck with a little white area to catch your eye. Further, the wing feathers are suggested with lines using a darker medium green.

Under the chin of Mr. Hummingbird, I add a layer of turquoise satin stitch to show shadow under his eye. Also, I outline the top surface with the same color. Moving over to the vine, I use a slightly darker orange on the tubes of the honeysuckle blossoms.

Green Hum Bird Pillow 04The vines are outlined using two different greens, a medium where the light hits the surfaces and a blue-green where shadow resides. The middle line of the leaves and foliage holding the blossoms are all done in the lighter neon green.

Next

Butterfly, Dragonfly and Flowers

Custom butterfly, dragonfly, and flowers embroidered onto a white tablecloth. This is a design made from multiple Aunt Marthas hot-iron stamp embroidery patterns applied for the butterflies, dragonflies, and different kinds of flowers.

Butterfly Dragonfly 006
middle side-edge

Custom butterfly, dragonfly, and flowers embroidered onto a white tablecloth. This is a design made from multiple Aunt Marthas hot-iron stamp embroidery patterns applied for the butterflies, dragonflies, and different kinds of flowers. This view has a large butterfly with different colors of roses below him.

Butterfly Dragonfly 007
tablecloth center

After the insects are spaced around, I add flowers along the edge of the tablecloth between them. The pattern appears all along the edges of the cloth and also in the center of the table. There are roses, daisies, wildflowers, and multiple kinds of moths.

Butterfly Dragonfly 004

All four corners are different with none of them being the same. This corner has a grass leaf with wildflowers and a dragonfly. There are also different types of butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and flowers out further.

Butterfly Dragonfly 003

This corner has sunflower blossoms with an orange butterfly, and also a blue and orange moth off to the right.

Butterfly Dragonfly 002

More different flying butterflies and flowers.

Butterfly Dragonfly 001You may have noticed that there are many different colored flowers.

Butterfly Dragonfly 005There are multiple random vines drawn in with leaves and “tear-drop” stitch flowers scattered everywhere. The vines and little flowers are what connect all the characters and foliage together along the edges and across the middle.

Butterfly Dragonfly 008

This tablecloth took half a year to finish the hand embroidery on. I enjoyed watching each flower and bug come to life in its own special combination of embroidery floss colors. It was lovingly washed, pressed, and mailed off to a family member for her birthday. I hope that it will be used on many special occasions and that a smile will cross the lips of all that will spread it across their table.

Hummingbird Pillowcase

pillow Blue HB 01A Hummingbird Pillowcase with embroidery halfway done. This is a handmade dark blue pillowcase that is sewn from sheets purchased when they are on sale. I first draw out an outline to follow for embroidering the hummingbird as it flies over some small flowers which I decide to make with yellow satin stitches with an orange outline. The leaves and stems are light green. After getting this portion done, I feel like it is not enough.

pillow Blue HB 02So, I use my iron-away pens to draw another set of pink flowers for the hummingbird to be going after. Here it is completed with the hummingbird and flowers on bothe sides. I love drawing these little guys and then stitching them into life with my embroidery thread in the evenings. This one is being given to a very special lady for her birthday.

Process of Embroidery

Hummingbird on blue pillowcase

I am in the process of embroidery on this blue pillowcase with another version of my favorite theme. Hummingbirds and flowers! Right now, I think this pillowcase is about half complete. It just feels incomplete needing needs a little bit more. I will be drawing in some more foliage on the right-hand side and finishing it up in the next couple of weeks.

Two Flower Pillowcases

Embroidery on Pillowcases

I just finished the embroidery on two flower pillowcases this week. They are flowers done in the satin stitch along with french knots and regular border lines. This one is of four roses in different colors with a smattering of leaves and line doo-dads.

blue pillowcase roses
king size pillowcase with roses
Blue pillowcase with flowers
king size pillowcase with flowers

This next is another embroidery of two types of flowers in lavenders and pinks on a dark blue pillowcase. I am not sure which type of flowers they actually are. You know they are just out of my head, so in the fiction category of the flower kingdom. I like the way that the flowers show up with such a dark background. So, this color scheme is probably going to be something I will try again.

Cosmos Tablecloth

Cosmos TableCloth 010

A Cosmos Tablecloth is done with hand embroidery. Doing embroidery by hand is painting with thread for me. Typically, where I spend hours each evening hand stitching “one-of-a-kind” family tablecloth treasures. Embroidery used to be a common pass-time, but it is becoming less and less common. I enjoy, hand stitching both patterns made by others and designs that I have drawn myself. Creating cloth treasures to celebrate special occasions with.
Cosmos TableCloth 008

I wonder…

Will there be any family heirloom linens to pass down in the future?

Cosmos TableCloth 001This tablecloth started out as a garage sale score for me. It was part of a tablecloth painting kit, hidden, in a stack of sewing materials. I noticed a stamped pattern on it. Not being sure of what I was seeing, I unfolded it. Discovering, a stamped design with baskets and cosmos blossoms on every corner along with random flowers strewn across the center.

Cosmos TableCloth 006A perfect full-size tablecloth with edges finish stitched, and no stains. Only $2. How could I pass it up? I couldn’t wait to get it home and start stitching.

Cosmos TableCloth 002Cosmos is a wonderfully colorful wildflower allowing for a wide assortment of thread colors. I chose “satin stitch” to make the cosmos petals with. Because I wanted to have a vibrantly bright tablecloth in the end. Here it is drying on the clothesline at about 3/4 complete.

This tablecloth took a year to finish embroidering as I sat in the evenings with the family. It was used in my artist booth for the Inland Empire Gardeners, “Spokane in Bloom Garden Tour” on June 15, 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and got a lot of compliments about this tablecloth, many even asked if it was for sale.

How much do you think it should sell for if I were to sell it?

Sewing

Don’t Be Afraid to Sew

Mary SchultheisSadly, sewing is a lost art in our society. Picture the pioneer that sat on a rocker in front of their fireplaces all winter hand sewing clothes and quilts in dim light. Honestly, we have it real easy with our sewing machines in comparison. People have an unfounded terror of attempting to do the “impossible” task of constructing a garment. Fears are easily proven wrong as a result of, discovering the steps to sew any item are very precisely laid out in the patterns. If you can read and follow directions, you can sew anything. You will find that the process gets easier and faster due to repetition, and each additional item made from a pattern gets easier still.

Sewing is a cumulative skill worth pursuing. Learning to sew teaches you how to use your precise hand movement skills constructively, the mind to plan which step first, and increase your perseverance strengths to complete a project. Above all, making custom pieces that are not only unique, and well-fitted give a person a special sort of self-satisfaction when complete.

Passing Down the Skills

I like to sew, which I learned from my Mother. Her name was Mary Schultheis and she was so talented in many ways as a pianist, and a seamstress who spent many hours sewing our family clothes and everything else as I was growing up.

An amazing thing she sewed for me were all the fancy “holo kuu’s” or costumes I used to dance hula solos in shows downtown Waikiki. These outfits were very complicated fitted patterns that were designed to imitate the 1800’s missionary dress styles. Probably a real nightmare for my Mom. Long dresses with many small buttons/clasps, lace, and trains dragging on the floor. How difficult it must have been, to put 3-4 of those outfits together every year. It would be similar to making multiple prom dresses on a yearly basis. I really should have thanked her much, much, more for this! Hindsight. The items that I make now, will never even compare to her skill level on the sewing machine. My sewing projects are happily made and given away, sold, or donated to church fundraisers the majority of the time.

Learning

I record the “Sewing With Nancy” programs on the Public Television Station to view when I have time. She lays out really neat ways to go about sewing a large variety of items.

Crochet

Mom, besides being a supreme seamstress, did fine crochet crafts using thin cotton thread and her speedy little hooks. It was amazing to watch her hands click her needles together as she was knitting. It was just as amazing to see her going rapidly in and out of her next tablecloth, she had very fast hands with her hooks and needles. Her projects included things like doilies, tablecloths, Christmas tree skirts, blouses.

Needlework

Our family does needlework including sewing, embroidery, and crocheting together in the evenings. Three generations sitting around the living room or on Grandma’s porch, joking and chatting while we stitched together (or we were snapping green beans). Our household produced beautiful pieces with Scottish tatting, eyelet, embroidery, and crochet pieces.

Scottish Tatting

Sedilla Oxendine 1908My Great-Grandmother did Scottish tatting and embroidery on elegant dish towels, quilts, doilies, pillowcases, and dresses. Her name was Sedilla and everyone called her Dillie. Her mother was half Scottish, she is in the center of the front row . The three sisters were left to right, Beulah, Sedilla, and Bernice.

Embroidery

Opal Kilpatrik 50Sedilla had a daughter named Opal who was my Grandma. She did embroidery in colored flosses making days-of-the-week dishtowels, flowers, herbs, quilts, table cloths, and napkins. My Grandma taught me how to do embroidery stitches on small things like pillowcases and napkins. After I learned how to do all the basic embroidery stitches sufficiently, I graduated from her 101 courses and slipped into the real world of embroidery from there.

First Real Project

When I was in high school, Grandma gave me my first real embroidery project as my Christmas present. It was a full tablecloth kit made by Bucilla who’s name has changed to “plaid on” now. This tablecloth kit was a rose & flower pattern that had the thread, cloth, needles, and hoop in it with instructions similar to a paint-by-number set. Put this color floss here, using this stitch. This first tablecloth was a daisy and rose pattern with vines and leaves taking me an entire year to finish. Seems like maybe, there were a million times where I needed to change the thread colors. I threaded a different color into my needle so many times, that it truly became second nature. Many times I thought that maybe it would be impossible to finish. But each evening I stitched on it some more and finally, it was done.

It would not surprise me, to find out that my family had placed bets on whether I would finish it or not. Probably the most significant result has been the creation of a lifelong habit that I dearly love.

Opal Kilpatrick 89Grandma was also responsible for many of my best recipes. Her name was Opal (Canniff) Kilpatrick. Being half Scottish and half Indian she had beautiful white hair just like her Mom. Here is a picture of her pausing for a photo for me in the Lihue, Kauai HI airport before we walked over to the gate for her to climb up the stairs to catch her flight.

She had come to visit me and my kids before moving away to the mainland to live with her sister in Oklahoma. I snapped this photograph with one of those old Kodak 110 film cameras, little did I know, this would be the last time I’d see her in person before she passed away. I still miss her and keep this picture in my wallet. Whenever I spread my rose and daisy tablecloth on the dining room table for a special occasion, I hear Grandma’s voice.

Stitch Needle Art

Hummingbird embroidery stitch in hoop
A hummingbird being embroidered on a diningroom tablecloth.

In my spare time, I stitch needle art.

  • Embroidery
  • Sewing

Since early childhood, I have been stitching on heirloom tablecloths, blankets, and pillowcases. Embroidery feels like coloring with a thread in rhythm on cloth, in an otherwise mundane surrounding.

Winding-down we watch TV and I do embroidery, as a welcome distraction. When I hold something in my hands and stitch, I don’t have to watch commercials or be bored. I’d probably go crazy if I had to watch every minute of TV, but I am thankful that this rhythm in and out, stitching bright colors onto cloth, is probably responsible for maintaining my sanity.

If you are interested in learning about how I was taught to embroider check out this page for that story.

If you are interested in learning this embroidery hobby I found a good example of instructions to learn the basic stitches here by Mollie Johansen;

Molly Makes, Stitch Library Guide to Embroidery Stitches

Your best way to learn is to jump on in,

Here are some embroidery basics;

  • embroidery needles
  • pin cushion or (bar of soap)
  • small scissors
  • hoop
  • embroidery floss
  • iron-on stamp pattern
Pinching Pennies as You Stitch

Keep a sharp eye out

Many times it is quite economical to buy needlework or sewing supplies in large quantities at thrift stores, and estate or garage sales. An easy initial project is a couple of pillowcases, that you apply an iron-on stamp pattern for traditional embroidery. Most sewing outlets, hobby outlets, and Walmart carry them. You can locate learning or first kits that include everything you need in them too. The website of the firm based in Georgia that took over the Bucilla brand is here;

http://www.plaidonline.com

As mentioned earlier, I continue to do anywhere from 3-6 pillowcases and 1-3 table cloths each year depending on the difficulty of my designs. Each is a one-of-a-kind design utilizing a handmade or drawn theme. It is not necessary for me to purchase a stamp pattern to work from anymore since I am able to draw what I want myself. I have quite a stock of every color of floss in my sewing kit sitting by the recliner, that I restock as needed.  Typical themes of my work include birds and bees, butterflies, flowers, leaves, vines and animals, hummingbirds or cherry vines with baskets, or daisies. The list goes on and on.

Let me know if you’d like to purchase any of the work I share here, or if you’d like a special order made, as I probably could be persuaded to part with heirlooms if the price is right.

Contact:
[contact-form-7 id=”2284″ title=”Contact Needlework”]

Cherry Basket Tablecloth Sold

Complete

Dorothy M Lowe (Woelk)
My mother-in-law Dorothy Woelk

I took my embroidered cherry basket tablecloth to the Mennonite Country Auction & Relief Sale/Auction, where it sold for a surprising amount, even though it was the only embroidery piece entered in the sale displays that year. My tablecloth did ultimately succeed in attracting attention and selling for a good price and I would assume that more embroidery items are now available there. I wanted to contribute a meaningful amount to the church with my project. It selling as it did, gave me a real boost as an embroidery artist.

Cherry tablecloth corner
donated to charity embroidered tablecloth

I chose this charity in honor of my Mother-In-Law who used to make fabulous quilts for them every year. She and her family graciously welcomed me into the Spring Valley Mennonite Church in Spring Valley WA. I am forever grateful. When Peter and I got married fortunately, Mom bought me a Mennonite Cook Book from this auction event. Yummy!

Dorothy and I felt comfortable sitting close and visiting, while we worked on our hand-made projects. I did my embroidery and Dorothy her great baby quilts along with all the schoolbags and everything else as she sewed through her life.

This event is worth going to!

If you have not been to the Mennonite Country Auction & Relief Sale/Auction, this is something that you will want to do. Put it on your list of must-dos to see

absolute quilting excellence.

This sale is set up to raise money for missions of the church and is held in the Fall in Ritzville (between Spokane and Seattle). The Mennonite Country Auction & Relief Sale/Auction is an all-day gathering for the whole family with breakfast, tents filled with exquisite quilts, comforters, afghans, and handmade crafts and furniture to walk through and admire. Apple cider, apple butter, along with ice cream, and some of the best cheeses (that sell out fast). The auction of the beautiful handwork is in the afternoon and is a lot of fun. Check out their website, The next auction is on October 6th, 2018.

Mennonite Country Auction.

or their Facebook page here. Other needlework project blog posts.

Cherry Tablecloth

cherry tablecloth angleBegin

With special anticipation, I begin this Cherry Tablecloth needlework journey. Calmly embroidering,  with great colors and a wide variety of possible stitches as a beautiful design becomes even more classic with each strand of floss until an heirloom keepsake is made.

At this point, I am happily working on my cherry embroidery every night.  The average time it takes me to embroider a new tablecloth project is between 3-9 months, depending on the level of difficulty in the design.

cherry tablecloth side
Side Tablecloth View

It also seems to take a lot longer when there are a large volume of colors in the design. You know, completing all of one color for a reasonable space, then securing the knots, snip and threading needles with the new colors every few minutes. More colors are more time consuming.

Finished

cherry tablecloth angle
Entire tablecloth view showing cherry basket.

Before you know it, here is a beautiful tablecloth complete. I do a little Irish jig dance celebrating! Standing up and dancing around the living room singing, “It is done, yeah, it is done!”, after the last stitch is tied-off.

cherry tablecloth angle close
Full view, embroidery cherry tablecloth.

Then the new tablecloth is carefully washed, ironed (every single inch), and carefully photographed on the dining room table. I apologize that I did not think anyone was interested in the unfinished stages of embroidery during this project time period. Nowadays, I make it a point to photograph the stages of completion so others can see how it looks as you go along.

I hope that you are able to find forgotten treasures at your next garage sale expedition too. This was actually someone else’s dream tablecloth that I was able to complete. When she got this fine tablecloth stamped in this great cherry basket and cherry vine pattern I am sure that she had all kinds of ideas about how beautiful it would turn out. She probably had a great fondness for fresh cherries, herself. I hope that my embroidery has honored her wishes for this heirloom tablecloth.

Cherry Tablecloth Adventure

This cherry tablecloth adventure starts with choosing the colors. I decided to make the cherries a mixture of rainier pinks and bings in dark maroon and deep reds. The twisting vines and stems would be with a dark stem and lighter leaves around the border and in the interior vine design. There were four baskets, one on each corner, that I thought would look good in brown earthy tones.

Cherries pink and red
Middle of the table, cherries and vine pattern

Getting out my box of embroidery floss I began choosing the pinks and cherry reds color along with foliage greens. For the baskets I chose browns, but after finishing the first one I chose to change the color of the baskets for each corner just for some variety in the piece.

brown cherry basket tablecloth
This basket of cherries has the darker brown color stitched in.
brown cherry basket close
The corner baskets give good weight to the corners when the tablecloth is placed.
yellow cherry basket
A corner basket of cherries with yellow highlights.
tan cherry basket corner
The cherry basket at the corner of the tablecloth highlighted with a light brown.

Treasure Hunting

cherry tablecloth sideTreasure hunting for supplies is one of the things I am always doing. This project is the result of one of those garage sales, thrift stores, and estate sale expedition days.

I love to shop at garage sales and thrift stores.

It keeps me from getting in trouble with our budget while pursuing my love of stitching.

I found this tablecloth in a stack of miscellaneous sewing materials outside of a rural home. It had some dirt on it but I saw the cherry basket printed on the corner so I opened it up to see what kind of shape it was in. It looked quite yellowed with dust stains on the folds as if it had sat for quite a while.

When I asked about it, the lady said it was from her Grandmother’s sewing room that they were cleaning out. I paid $5 for it and walked to my car with high hopes that it would wash out clean.

 

I got my tablecloth home and put it in the washing machine with a scoop of Oxi-Clean and let it sit overnight. The next morning I ran a load of clothes with the table cloth, just adding some regular laundry detergent. Surprisingly, all of the yellow and stains washed out beautifully, leaving me with a perfectly good stamped pattern to work on.

The Cherry Baskets Tablecloth project begins.

 

Quilting a New Carseat

Quilting a new car seat cover should be simple. I am thinking it will go a lot easier and faster when I start to sew it on the machine. Right? The first seam goes off without a hitch. Easy & fast! I mistakenly comment to myself that this isn’t going to be that bad after all.

But, as I work my way to the interior, it becomes apparent that that is not going to be easy after all! Take a quick look at this normal sewing machine space allowance. It looks quite adequate, doesn’t it?

Getting the material to the right place in the center and then navigating it to sew a straight seam becomes an impossible challenge right away. It is a real test of logistics and physics when trying to fit all the outer edges under that little space to the right of the needle. It is crazy! Involving rolling the sides up tightly then using both hands, in multiple positions, as I sew. I am now a professional contortionist who can pull, tug, center, and line up material all at once.

I get it! I understand, why the price for “long-arm” sewing machines is so high. I used to wonder why anyone would pay such a ridiculous price (thousands of dollars) just for a sewing machine. How silly. Now I see why, cause they CAN with any people who end up sewing upholstery. It is so tempting to just say screw it, and buy a machine that will make it easier. Imagine quilting without the hassle of Climbing Mount Everest.

Oh, don’t forget the necessity to own stock in needle manufacturing and Bandaids. The number of EXTRA NEEDLES required as I break them on multiple inconvenient occasions is amazing. I have become a professional needle changer on my machine, thanks to this car seat project. Maybe I should time myself to impress you.

I don’t plan to give up, as my middle name is stubborn. I manage to actually succeed in getting the pad connected to the sitting surfaces of the upholstery.

Ever seen, “The Croods”?… Da, Da, Da!!!

Basting a Car Seat

Basting a car seat together with the pad. The plan is to attach this pad to the upholstery with quilting seams. I get to work, cutting the pad into the basic shapes in my sewing room.

By the way, cutting a furniture pad with scissors makes a guaranteed blister on your hand, thereby increasing the joy with which you approach the rest of the project. NOT!

I cut the pad to fit the surface that you sit on going to the edge of the seat on the bottom. Then as it goes up the back of the seat, I follow the surfaces going up and over (under the headrests) carefully marking where the knobby things are and the corners.

Next, I get to work hand basting the upholstery on top of the padding so I can later roll it to allow sewing the quilt lines on the sewing machine. This is where I discover that needles do not like to penetrate a thick pad and upholstery material. I even have to grab one of my Grandma’s thimbles to save my fingertips after a while.

Searching for Padding

I am searching for padding everywhere! Closets, shelves, heating room, garage, and shop. I find a packing pad, the kind you wrap refrigerators in to move. Perfect for the padding underneath.

Pulling it out of its hiding space I get a whiff! Peeee Youuuuu! Badly in need of a bath, so another delay as it is put in the wash, and dried multiple times.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock,Tick Tock.

The packing pad is what I use to lay on the seat and measure the sizes, shapes, and surfaces by marking it with my good ole sharpie pen. Who cares, about the marks, they won’t show after the upholstery material is put on top.

Measuring Begins

Measuring begins as I get into the back seat and start to measure with my trusty measuring tape. There are sure a lot of curves and thing-a-ma-jigs involved with a Subaru back seat. Hmmmmm.

Two seats divided in the middle with various seat belts on the seat parts with bendable and moveable requirements. Curves everywhere and don’t forget those little knobby things that you have to push down to pull the seat forward or the head rests.

How on earth do you hold it down on the seat? Velcro, elastic, string? Oh my goodness. As I pulled fabric over the seat I realized it was probably too light to absorb that drink that my youngest grandson will probably spill on his first outing.

So, everything screeches to an abrupt halt as I immediately go on a search for absorbent padding to use underneath.