Over the weekend I sewed a better version. The wonky one will now be our backup.
{new bathmat}
Improvements:
* (Almost) straight edges! I laid the towel and the sheet on top of each other on my largest cutting mat (right sides facing IN) and smoothed them out flat. Then I laid a smaller cutting mat on top and traced around it with washable fabric marker. Then I pinned it. I usually avoid pinning, but I learned my lesson last time. It is very difficult to get nice straight lines when sewing bulky fabric if you don't pin.
*More absorbent - I sandwiched an extra layer of towel in between the front and back for a plusher feel. I just cut it a smidge smaller than the outer layers and slipped it inside before sewing the quilting.
*Nicer quilting effect - I didn't freehand it this time. I used a ruler, drew some straight lines in random places and then sewed along the markings. Apparently I remain incapable of sewing a straight line without a visual aid.
{new bathmat}
Nice make! I like this a lot. I often try to cut corners and do things freehand and it's always better when I don't.
ReplyDeletei love this idea because it seems i can never find bathmats that look good with my curtins.
ReplyDeletewonky. great word, rachel. and the mat looks great too! so clever. i love when you post about home projects. (and food and flowers and thrift store finds.. pretty much everything.)
ReplyDeletegreat, rachel! i really like the way you quilted it.
ReplyDeletep.s. i also avoid pinning whenever possible! i need to work on that...
this is so much more chic than our shaggy mess of a bathmat that's glued to our bathroom floor.
ReplyDeleteI like the lines. It's charmingly etch-a-sketchy.
ReplyDeleteLove it! I can sew a straight line, but I prefer diagonals, which I recommend for your next project. The small white lines add a bit of necessary visual interest. Job well done!
ReplyDeleteI like the word wonky!
ReplyDeleteTHis is a really good idea!!
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Very elegant and resourceful! You might like trying a tip I just learned:'draw' your quilting lines with strips of blue masking tape. Just tape it in the pattern you like, then follow along one (or both) edges with your presser foot just a hair to one side. (Don't catch the edge with your needle.) Remove the tape and 'voila!' You can even reuse your tape.
ReplyDeleteNice improvements! I'm thinking of doing as soon as our current bathmat has some more wear and tear. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend's place doesn't have a bathmat and I think that is simply unacceptable. This is my next to-do!
ReplyDeleteKate-inspired.blogspot.com