Snug as a bug in a rug

Ages ago now, we inherited a mini bed with mini quilts to match, for when daughter no.1 graduated from her cot. It is so handy having a sister-in-law with slightly older children. 

She made the big journey from cot to bed over a year ago now, and I wanted to make quilt covers to mark the occasion. Better late than never. 

I reused old sheets for the ever-winning combination of being cheaper/pre-softened/lower consumption/umm...just nicer. My collection built up slowly but surely, coming from a mixture of my mum's airing cupboard, Spitalfields market, my Granny's old sheets and Ilford Oxfam shop. Nice.

I cut one sheet the same size as the quilt with a seam allowance all the way round. The second sheet was the same width, but with an extra 40 cms or so to make a nice flap. I sewed them right sides together with the longer flap folded over in the middle. This simple-yet-complicated bit of sewing made my mind go completely blank for a bit and I had to stare at it until it made sense. There are lots of tutorials about this on the net but I like Amy Karol's one best. It is for a bag but it is essentially the same principle. 

To finish off I added some buttons to hold it all together. My trusty old Toyota struggles with buttonholes but luckily, my friend Kate has an amazing new sewing machine. My word, that thing is amazing: automatic tension, speed control, you basically just drink a glass of wine with your foot on the pedal and some buttonholes appear. At least that is what I did. 

It was all very much like the sewing machine scene in 'Fiddler on the Roof' where the whole village gathers around to marvel at the new invention. I couldn't find  clip of it on YouTube. But I did find this. Next time I sew I'll know what to sing.

Three of the four quilt covers

The fourth. That stain is Marmite.