Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Bathmat, take II

Remember my wonky bathmat?

Over the weekend I sewed a better version. The wonky one will now be our backup.

new bathmat
{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
{new bathmat}

12 comments:

  1. 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.

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  2. i love this idea because it seems i can never find bathmats that look good with my curtins.

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  3. wonky. 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.)

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  4. great, rachel! i really like the way you quilted it.
    p.s. i also avoid pinning whenever possible! i need to work on that...

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  5. this is so much more chic than our shaggy mess of a bathmat that's glued to our bathroom floor.

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  6. I like the lines. It's charmingly etch-a-sketchy.

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  7. Love 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!

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  8. I like the word wonky!

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  9. THis is a really good idea!!

    please visit my blogs :)
    http://dreamingchiffon.blogspot.com
    http://notthathaute.blogspot.com

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  10. 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.

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  11. Nice improvements! I'm thinking of doing as soon as our current bathmat has some more wear and tear. Thanks for the tips!

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  12. My boyfriend's place doesn't have a bathmat and I think that is simply unacceptable. This is my next to-do!

    Kate-inspired.blogspot.com

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