Cushions, hats, and other industry

This past weekend I finished the dog bed I started back in December. I do have a picture of it, but it's downstairs and I can't be bothered right now. It has an inner cushion and a removable cover (with piping!--my first piping attempt, while not a roaring success, was at least not a dismal failure) for washing. I've been saving my fabric scraps, thread and yarn ends, holey socks, and dryer lint for several months; this is what it's stuffed with. As a result the cushion's heavier than if I'd used normal stuffing. This is a good thing: the dog can't pitch it out of her basket like she did with her former pillow. Hopefully she won't chew this one up too.

I also sewed a quick baseball cap for Franklin. We had one but lost it, and all his others are winter hats. I made it from cotton canvas, bias tape, and interfacing. Already he's had compliments from strangers. Actually, he gets a lot of compliments just for existing--I never realized how much people like babies, but when we're out together, I get approached by all sorts: women my age, grandmas, grandpas, dads, little kids... Anyhow, I liked making this hat so much I think I'll make another. The pattern is my own.

Busy bees that we are, Partner and I (mostly Partner) finally tore out the living room carpet. Half of it is now adorning our patio; the rest is cut into decent-sized strips, rolled up, and stacked in the garage. The plan is to use it over winter to keep the bare vegetable beds covered and weed-free. The now-exposed floorboards are actually pretty good looking, though they need scrubbing, sanding, and varnishing.

Just to prove that Franklin does indeed now sleep in his stroller while I garden, here's a picture. I just have to time my gardening activities for when he naps. Yesterday I took my books outside to study while he napped in the shade and was attacked by mad kamikaze aphids. It's impossible to brush them off without killing or horribly maiming them. But my garden is a better place without aphids, and if they commit suicide, all the better for me.