A trial run for the top

Here's how I made a mock-up of the top piece of the mantle (to go on wood head board once we have one).  In the final version, the board will be fabric covered on both sides, with a short band around the circumference that has a velcro strip for attaching the decorative panel.

I made a cardboard stand-in for the wood (half the board), then cut out two pieces of quilted fabric the same size, and whip stitched to both sides of the board:

I then cut out a piece of the outer fabric the size of the board + seam allowance, marking 2-1/2" circle cutout.  I cut a piece of facing to line the cut-out, and sewed along the cutting line:

I trimmed out the center, and clipped the seam, then turned facing to the inside:

facing turned to the inside

right side

I then cut a band roughly the circumference of the board, folded it lengthwise and sewed along the seam allowance.  This will be the part that will have the velcro to attach the decorative panel:

To reinforce and finish the inner seam, I sewed a length of bias tape over the seam:

I bound the seam with the bias tape.  (This would be the point to sew the velcro to the band, which I omitted in this trial run).

Attaching cover to board

I placed the cover over the quilt-covered board, tugging to position it correctly, and pushing the cutout facing through to the other side:

(the real version will have velcro on the band)

Then I slip-stitched the bias-bound seam of the cover to the quilted fabric on the underside of the board and tacked the facing to the quilting under the wood panel

Here's what it looks like right side out:

Notes for future use:

• Sewing and turning the facing makes the outer fabric "shrink", so cut a generous seam allowance
• check & trim if necessary before attaching the band.
• with two cutouts in the full size panel, fitting the cover to the quilted underlining will be a bit trickier.  On this model I left one open side.