Crafts: sewing a duvet cover ...

... we have a lovely, spring/summer weight cotton quilt that we love.  It's nice and bright and looks and works great, that is until the temps plunge down to the 50s overnight.  That's what's been happening around here lately ... and since we leave the windows open, it gets right chilly in the house and this quilt just isn't enough.

What to do?  What to DO?

How 'bout making it into a duvet cover ... so on the warm nights we can use the light quilt, but once the temp drops, we stuff a down comforter in and it's cozy warm!  Well this project took MAYBE an hour today ... seriously!

Our bed is a queen (as are the quilt and the down comforter).  I took a flat queen sheet (happened to coordinate with the blues in the quilt cover!) and pinned it to the bottom and edges of the quilt. 

Because I didn't want to fuss ... I didn't iron the sheet nor did I cut it to fit ...   Instead, I tucked equal hems on either side and then used the extra fold at the top as an envelope to hold the down comforter in (so I wouldn't have to add ties or snaps or velco or buttonholes, all would have taken too long!).  A simple 9-st/inch straight stitch (about 1/4-inch inside the edges) attaches the quilt on three sides. 

Here, you can see the down comforter (really white) tucked into the cuff of the blue sheet while the top of the quilt is loose, but lays flat without additional attachments. 

The back of the new quilt/duvet cover looks neat and tidy (and when the down comforter isn't in, it is just a thin sheet layer added!)  The blue sheet coordinates nicely -- and we could even flip the "duvet cover" over and it would look like a completely different cover!

Doesn't the "new" winterzied duvet cover look lovely?

Family: crafting during college football games

Poor String Bean -- she just really does not like college football ... and since we have cable this year, we actually can WATCH college ball so she is definitely out of luck.  So, this morning she and I spent a mommy-morning running errands with the first stop being the craft store! 

We chose fabric for a ballet-class bag for her, wall decals to do her room (I spent today washing the walls in her room so the walls should be ready tomorrow for decorating -- we'll definitely post pictures!), and miscellaneous other craft necessaries.

Here's her very first sewing-machine sewing project!  A simple drawstring bag for her ballet-class stuff.  And boy is she proud ... she was also amazed at how much faster it is to machine sew than it is to hand-sew!  Her stitching is really pretty even -- thanks to a piece of blue painter's tape placed on the plate that she could use as a stitching guide.  Looks like we have a sewer in the family -- she must take after dh's side of the family (unfortunately, I sew for necessity rather than enjoyment or skill).

Here you can see both sides of the bag ... and it's full with her stuff, so a perfect size!  She looks pretty proud of herself, doesn't she?

And, boo hoo, ND lost to Michigan ... lots of gnashing of teeth tonight ... but at least String Bean is happy!