Deconstructing: Day 43

Off On A Very Slight Tangent

One of the things I keep talking about is the importance of having the tools of your particular trade easily at hand and in good condition. Today my project is that of upgrading one of my major "tools": 

My Ironing Board

I love my board, and I have been thinking about making a new cover for it for quite a long time. Not that it needs it :-/. 

See the first photo!

Layer 1
Such a sad state, my current cover. Though it was wonderful when new, you can see the collections of stains from leaky steam irons.
Now I have a new iron, so this is a perfect time for a new cover.

The ironing board itself may be quite the collector's item. Look at these great legs. It is definitely hand made, but I don't know the story about it. It is likely that my father made it for my mother. He was a great carpenter, and could have easily put this together for her. She gave it to me when she was getting a new one, and I have had it for many years.

Oh, you should really have one of your own!
Look at THIS ONE on the etsy.com site.
Wow! Very expensive, but it looks much like mine.

Layer 2
Here's the second layer of padding...just as embarrassing with the stains multiplied underneath the cover layer.

Layer 3
This is part of the padding. I didn't take all layers off, as I don't want to take the poor thing apart limb from limb. No surgery here.
This has a waffle-type texture like the really old mattress pads.

A close-up of the weave.
I do like to show you the great details.

Here I have placed a piece of waterproof fabric on the working end of the board to give it some substance and to keep any leaking iron water from penetrating the substrata of the padding.

The new cover fabric.
(Do you remember this from my little brown rabbit project? I used this for the inside of her ears. )

Pins in place so I can turn the board over without the layers sliding out of place.

Board on it's back, and now getting ready to do the tacking down process.
You can see the previous padding layers.

Excess fabric trimmed around the edges so I don't have too much bulk, especially on the corners.
Guess what?
I even have some fabric left for future projects.
I save and use everything I can!

I will have to train my Assistant to take pictures of me in my element. You should have seen me smiling as I was hammering those nails! I find any excuse in the book to find a project with these tools. In fact I bought a nail gun a few years ago, but still love the feel of the manual hammer in my hands...
but I digress (once again).

Finished product, underside.

Just look at those happy nails.

The corners are a little tough, as there is so much fabric to tuck in there.
I know, I know, I could have mitered the corners, but I chose not to do that.

Finished product, topside.
Here is little bunny showing her ears of the same pattern as the ironing board.

By now you have probably figured out that I LOVE to give you ALL the details.
To me it's just very interesting. And I enjoy going back later to see what I did.
I'm hoping you like this too.

An amazing thing tonight:
I'm not playing Cinderella! It's only 9:30ish.
Will wonders never cease!

Have a good Thursday. See you then.