Fleece Selvage Dust Mop Cover Explained

I have had several requests for a tutorial for the Fleece Selvage Dust Mop Cover, but because there are so many different shapes, sizes and styles of dust mops it would be difficult to show a tutorial with proper measurements for each kind of dust mop. However, I am happy to share the technique that I used, then all you have to do is adjust the measurements to fit your particular dust mop.

Measure your mop head to determine the size for your cover. Cut your selvages at least 1 1/2 inches wide (2" is even better). It is not necessary to sew the selvages to a foundation, but a fleece foundation could be used, if desired. Sewing the fleece selvages together for this project is done a bit differently than sewing regular cotton fabric selvages. It is important to leave the rolled edge in tact. (It's this rolled edge that gives this dust mop cover it's "exceptional cleaning ability"!) As shown in the above photo, place the rolled edge of a selvage piece next to another rolled edge and stitch the two pieces together. Continue in this manner until the piece is the desired width. Trim the ends of the piece to length. Now you need to decide how you will attach your cover to your dust mop. I suggest that you use the original cover for your mop as a guide for how to attach your fleece selvage cover or you can just add fleece selvage ties on each end as shown in the smaller photo. Simple as that!

Self-Patterning Yarn

I just love self-patterning yarn! It's so much fun to watch each new pattern develop as you are knitting and there's no hassle of changing colors. This yarn is Classic Worsted Tapestry in the Rose Garden colorway. It's an acrylic wool blend, so completely machine washable and dryable...perfect for these toddler socks!

A Use For Those Fleece Selvages

Remember those fleece selvages that I couldn't part with back a couple of weeks ago? If you need to refresh your memory, you can find the post HERE. Anyway...I found a use for them! The credit for this idea goes to my sister, who suggested making them into dust mop covers! Have you ever noticed how your fleece jammie pants attract every thread and pet hair within a 50 yard radius? Fleece is the logical material for dust mops, not those flimsy "specially treated" disposable dust cloths. This cover only took minutes to make and the rolled edges of the selvages are perfect for picking up and trapping those unruly dust bunnies! When you are finished cleaning the cover goes right into the washer and dryer and can be used over and over!

A basic "How To" for the Fleece Selvage Dust Mop Cover can be found HERE.

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Just a little something to hold you over until Thursday's big feast!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chunks

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, melted butter, egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt just until blended. Add chocolate chunks. Spread batter into a greased 9 x 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

This May Be It

Yesterday someone suggested putting the dark squares on point and using the background fabric for the triangles in the harlequin pattern. I think this may be the one or at least it's the one that I like best so far! Again, a case of "less is more". It still needs something (maybe a colored border on each side of the pieced border?), but I'm definitely getting closer to the look that I want.

More Border Ideas

Here are a couple more border ideas for my Dear Jane quilt. The top photo shows a 2 inch harlequin border and in the smaller photo is a 1 1/2 inch sawtooth border. I'm not sure that I have a preference to either (except that the harlequin border goes together a lot faster than making all of those tiny half square triangles for the sawtooth border) so I would like to hear your opinions and suggestions!

Armed And Dangerous

I believe that I know just enough about machine quilting to be dangerous...enough to operate the machine, but not really enough to know what I am doing! I have so much to learn and who better to learn from than the experts and professionals? This month I joined the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild's Armed and Dangerous group, which is made up of guild members who have long, mid and short arm quilting machines and frames. In just one meeting I learned about proper tension, thread type, batting and the importance of changing the needle with each quilt! Most of those lessons came about from this one little Project Linus quilt that gave me fits while I was trying to quilt it. It turned out alright, but a lot of the problems that I had with it could have been easily avoided if I had known a little more about machine quilting on a frame. My thanks go to those ladies who are so willing to share their knowledge with a beginner! Hopefully with some more practice and a little information from my quilty friends I won't be quite as "dangerous" when operating my machine!