Before I link to someone's tutorial, I generally ask for their approval. In my email to them, I explain the idea behind Throwback Thursday and Win-It Wednesday. One of them once responded, telling me how "brave" I was promising to show a finished project before I'd even started it. At the time, I didn't think much of it.
This bathmat, though, almost had me rethinking things...It looked and sounded easy enough, cutting the squares all the same size was the biggest problem I expected to encounter. Turns out, that part was pretty easy.
It wasn't until I started sewing the squares together, and then sewing the rows together, that I started getting a little nervous. I was having a difficult time getting everything to line up perfectly. But it turns out, this project was really very forgiving, and even if the squares don't line up in perfect rows, it still comes up looking really, really good (humble, huh?).
You'll notice I didn't include the optional embroidered footprints. I think it's a really fun idea, to trace your feet and embroider them. But I started thinking, does the lucky winner of this bathmat really want to step out of the tub onto a stranger's footprints every day? Would you want your husband stepping on my feet everyday? Maybe you wouldn't mind, I'm not sure. But I didn't want to creep anyone out.
I used some of my favorite scraps, and if you've been reading awhile, you probably recognize some of them. This is the last of some of these fabrics, and I can say that I'm not that sad to see some of it go. I thought I'd never tire of that Alexander Henry fabric, but after the placemats, I think I've finally seen enough of it. I do, however, have a new Alexander Henry fabric (birdseed!) that I'm dying to use for a project. I think I have the perfect thing in mind...Soon...
I like this photo of the bathmat in my bathroom. I like how the patchwork squares (24 in.) turned out almost the exact same size as the travertine squares (18 in.) on the floor. I thought it'd be too many squares, but in the end, I think it's fun. No matter, because this particular bathmat is off to someone else's home. But I'm feeling reassured that the next version will look quite nice in my bathroom. I also like that you can see a tiny square of my current fuzzy, boring, tan bathmat.
I even cut up my favorite pink towel to use as the back of the mat. I toyed with the idea of using one of our old scrap towels, but those are pretty much covered in paint, and I was thinking that might also freak out the winner. So, a triple-washed, seldom used, favorite pink towel provides the backing.
Meg's tutorial was great. Straight-forward, easy to follow and fun. The concept was simple enough, really, that once the dimensions were figured for you (lesson learned: pay close attention to the seam allowances!), the whole project was a matter of common sense. It came together really easily. I cut enough squares that I already have a good start on my next one, which will feature browns and blues with maybe just a hint of red here and there. I'm excited to get started on it.
Leave a comment on this post by next Wednesday, and you'll be entered into a random drawing to win the recycled bath mat. Free!