Lighten Up!

Fall is on the way and FALL CLEANING may be on your agenda. It is a self-defense exercise in our house!
It is a great time to "Lighten Up" and declutter your closets and home. You may be planning on getting new bedding to spruce up the bedrooms.
Before you decide what to do with the old quilts or bed spreads here is an idea that takes just a little time but may make a great shelter gift for your local rescue.

Simple straight line sewing...nothing difficult or fancy about this project.
I took the old quilt that was clean and in good repair and cut out several pieces that would make 2 large, 2 medium and 2 small pet beds. I cut the same sizes of fleece material*, placed the "right" sides together, and using my little portable sewing machine, I sewed almost all the way around leaving about 8 inches open to be able to put my hand inside and reverse the fabric.

The next step was simply to sew up the opening and a nice thick pet blanket or bed was ready to make the shelter pet (or your own, for that matter, if you make an extra one to keep!) comfortable as they wait for their forever home!

You have recycled and made a neat donation for the rescue. They are easy to wash and when their service is done they can be discarded.

* A note about the fleece: I bought it on sale....but I also have found VERY inexpensive fleece "throws" at our local Christmas Tree Shop that will be used for the next batch. I have a few of these older quilts that are taking up space in the closet and will use them in the future for pet beds for another shelter in my town.

Another shelter gift you might consider is recycling your pets toys if you have more than they actually play with.
My spoiled dalmatian Lizzie has many "like new" toys that are headed to the rescue with the quilts. She has her favorites that keep her interested in play but other animals will get to enjoy the excess toys and we get a neater toy corner in the living room. I just fluffed them up in the drier with clean damp face clothes to remove the dust and they are as good as new.

Think creatively and help your local rescues with needed items and the spirit of giving will Lighten Up your whole mood as we move into Fall!

Carol Chretien, for Art Helping Animals


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