Feathering My Nest

Today I want to show you something I made that I think combines form and function. Because of the way my kitchen is configured, I either have to have my mixer out on the counter or on the floor of the pantry. Since it's a full-size Kitchenaid, I didn't want to be lifting it from the floor every time I wanted to use it. That would be a cleaner look for the kitchen, but Oh! my aching back!

Rather than have it sitting there collecting dust between uses, I decided to make a cover for it. Of course I went about it the hard way. There probably is a pattern out there somewhere for a mixer of this size, but I was sure I could figure it out on my own. After all, I can measure, can't I? So what's the big deal?

I did manage to get it done, but not without a lot of basting, ripping, and trimming to get the kind of fit I wanted. I was going for a streamlined look, without unnecessary bagginess if that makes sense. I found some fabric that had a nice punch of color, and a solid for piping (yes, in my mind's eye there was piping, so of course nothing else would do!). I also wanted it to have some body, so I bought some fusible fleece to stiffen it.

I started by making a rough paper pattern, and doing a mock-up with muslin. After the above mentioned basting and ripping, I finally had a muslin pattern to work from. (I used the muslin pieces to line it.) Here's  my finished project:

Front View

Side View

I like the happy colors, and now I don't have to add dusting the mixer to my list of chores!

Now go out there and feather your own nest!

Immi