Peeking Santa

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

When I was a child (back in the 80s - I'm vintage now!), my aunt made our family a peeking Santa toilet seat cover. It was a decoration I looked forward to putting out every year! I knew my boys would also appreciate the quirkiness of one, so I've had it on my to-make wish list for several years.

On Christmas Eve this year, I found myself with a few hours of sewing time, so I decided this was the year!


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

The original was made from felt, and the pieces were all hot glued on. Now, as a mom of three boys, I cringe thinking how the one from my childhood would never have been able to be washed!


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My mom threw it out several years ago, so I asked my aunt if she still had one. She did! However, hers (pictured below) isn't quite like my memory of the one we had.


Felt peeking Santa toilet seat cover from the 1980s

A bit of internet sleuthing led me to this one, which is quite similar to my memory! (The post is no longer available) I decided to use it (using Google to translate the blog from Portuguese to English) as a guide for mine. However, I would make mine with cotton fabric with the goal of being washable!

I started by tracing the toilet seat lid onto tissue paper. Nowadays, every toilet seat is a different size and shape, so I wanted this one to specifically fit the seat in the boys' bathroom. The toilet seat in that bathroom is a traditional size and shape, but I decided to add just a bit of wiggle room to the length and sides so it might fit a newer toilet lid size and shape too.

I purchased Kona solids in Pesto and Rich Red, used white from my bolt of Moda Bella 98, and used Kona Black and Meringue from my stash.


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

I fused Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 to the fabrics, traced the shapes, and cut them out with scissors.


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover
Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

I cut two layers of the Kona Pesto for both the top and bottom of the cover (so four toilet lid shapes in all), then fused the Santas onto two of the pieces. (I did remember that the peeking Santa had to go "upside down" on the cover so it would be right-side-up when the toilet lid goes up!)


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

Next, I made two quilt sandwiches - layering a Kona Pesto piece, Warm & Natural batting, and the fused Santa Pesto piece. I pin basted both sandwiches.


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

Using my walking foot and matching 50wt Aurifil threads (#2692 Black, #2024 White, #4026 Dark Green, and #2250 Red), I used a straight stitch to stitch just inside the raw edge of each piece. (I only realized I forgot to stitch around the Meringue face piece when writing this blog post! But it will be fine since it's under other pieces on all sides.) Stitching around each piece was the only quilting I did. I did consider adding more, but it was Christmas Eve! No time to quilt it to death!


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

Next, I sewed around the outside edge of the two sandwiches, right sides together. I only stitched around the top half of the lid. Basically from Santa's left ear to his right ear.


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

After tuning the cover right sides out, I folded the remaining raw edges under, and stitched them down, but only on the front sandwich and back sandwich separately. This created a large opening on the bottom half of the cover.


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

To finish the cover, I stitched red satin ribbon at each of the bottom four corners. I stitched back and forth over the ribbon many times to strengthen the join.


Quilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

I ran to the bathroom to see if it fit - and it did! It's a tad too big, but once the ribbons are tied, it doesn't slide off. I also tried it on another toilet in our house that has the newer oval-shaped lid, and it fits that one really well too! I'm pleased as punch with myself for thinking ahead so I won't have to remake it if we move or get a different toilet!


Quilted Santa toilet seat lid coverQuilted peeking Santa toilet seat lid cover

I wish I could have gotten a picture of my boys' reaction when they saw it! They giggled and smirked just like I did when I was a kid!

It makes me smile! It's quirky and off-the-wall and reminds me of my childhood. But I also smile because it's quilted, lined, and made from cotton fabrics so it will stand up to many washings over the years! (You know you're an adult when you're excited about the care instructions!)

How about you? Did you (or do you) have a peeking Santa toilet seat cover? Do you have any other quirky holiday decorations?



Linking up with Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter, Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication, Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting.

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8 comments:

  1. Cute!! I bet your boys did have a good giggle over it! We didn't have one, but I remember a friend having one...funny back in the 1960's too!

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  2. LOL, no, I don't have one! I never even heard of one! That is something I would have loved making for my boys, and who knows? Some year, I still might! Middle-aged men still like weird things. The little boy never goes away! =)

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  3. This is so amazing!! I'm a mom of 5 boys so yes, it would need to be washed!!! Maybe there was better aim back then?? LOL You hit this out of the park and it's hilarious and so charming. Great job!!

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  4. This is too cute! I have seen something like this before, perhaps my grandmother had one? I love that yours is washable!!!! Very important! I'm so glad your boys will have this as part of their holiday traditions!

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  5. How cute. Great idea to make it washable.

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  6. What a riot! I am sure the kids will get many years of enjoyment out of it. Totally get the need for the washable cover. Hope your Christmas was wonderful.

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  7. Nothing quirky that I can remember, although this one would have been a big hit for sure. So adorable! Thanks for sharing it on Wednesday Wait Loss!

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  8. I love it! I remember seeing one just like this when I was a kid, too, though I can't remember who owned it. Not us, I know that much. I can just imagine the giggles from your boys :)

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