looking ahead

 We're in for some very springlike temperatures this week. The snow has greatly receded, the grass is showing itself, along with puddly places and mud. I can see my raised beds. But there are still high snow mounds here and there.

I've been working on re-covering a chair pad which sits on the rocking chair. Annie slashed it when she was little, and ever since I've kept things in the chair to discourage them from even thinking about it. But I had some corduroy - barely enough - to try and make it nice again. 

See the pins? That is where it doesn't quite reach enough to enclose the pad. I knew it would happen; I am hand-stitching it to the pad (and the previous cover, which is not removeable), and then I hope to take a long scrap to attach it like an applique over that section to cover it. Unless I decide to make a more obvious patch from another fabric scrap that grabs my fancy - we'll see. But stitching the edge the other day to the pad was very difficult, because the needle is straight and the pad is curved and stiff: it's comfortable to sit on, but not squishy, if you know what I mean. I actually have some curved needles, but they're very thick and more suitable for leather or whatever. I found some quilting ones on Amazon, though. That will make it much easier. (When my sore thumb gets over pushing that needle through two days ago!)

The "quilted" places didn't have buttons, they were just sewn, so I just sewed them, but then I had the thought to use embroidery floss to "tie" them as you sometimes do in quilting. I think that will look cute, and I can just go over those areas.

 And then I'll still have to keep the cats off it.