A new cover for my ironing board

For some time now I've been meaning to make a new cover for my ironing board. The old one isn't really that old but it's certainly in bad shape.

The cover has a foam backing and as you can see the foam has been compressed by use and the metal mesh is showing through. Here's a better view of it.

I've been putting on old towel over it because when you iron the mesh pattern shows on the laundry which is very annoying. I knew the cover wouldn't last when I bought it but it was the only one I could get for my size ironing board. When I took the old cover off the reverse side had the metal mesh pattern burnt into it and much of the foam was missing.

I bought the cover about a year ago and with only three of us living at home there isn't that much ironing - well not as much as when my two daughters lived here as well.

Anyway I hunted through my stash for a suitable piece of fabric and I was going to use layers of wadding as the padding. Then I hunted out a couple of old towels and decided to do a layer of wadding over two layers of toweling. The new cover is nice, soft and well padded so I'm actually looking forward to doing some ironing later. I can't remember what I originally bought this fabric for or even if I had a plan for it, but it looks good on my ironing board.

Last night I did a little more work on my 'It's a dogs life' block. I didn't quite finish it as I still had some of the lettering to do. So this morning once I'd finished my cover I sat and stitched the letters. Job done, that block is now finished.

I washed all the fabric solvy out and the block is now drying on a towel. The dark at the bottom left of the picture is my shadow. Having finished this one I set up the new block ready for stitching. 

This blocks looks like it will stitch up quite quickly. Then I can start putting the quilt together. I bought this pattern as a kit so I have all the fabric needed to complete it, I just need some wadding. I go through phases with the fabric, sometimes I really like it and at others I hate it so I'm not sure if I will use the kit fabric or mix in some from my stash. I have a little time to make up my mind as I haven't started the last block yet.

A little earlier today I had to take Scamp to the vet. The end of last week he started scratching a lot so Richard gave him a bath. He has his flea treatment applied every month and there is no evidence of fleas. I checked him out for ticks and mites but couldn't find any evidence so hoped the bath would cure the problem. He certainly stopped scratching but started to lick around the top of one of his legs. He stops if you see him doing it and tell him to stop but he has made himself quite sore so a trip to the vet was needed. It seems like an allergy but the sore area now has an infection so he has antibiotics. He is good at taking tablets so he should soon be back to his happy little self.

Now I need to go and cook dinner and maybe later I'll get a chance to do some more sewing.

Lyndsey