Ever since I saw this sewing machine mat on the Bloom blog I've been meaning to make one! I've needed one of these mats for ages to put my sewing machine on so it doesn't mark my dining table. Up until this weekend, I've just used a folded up table cloth - well that's all changed as I spent the day yesterday making this - the pattern is called 'Beyond Measure' Part II and was featured in Homespun magazine in 2010, and is also available to purchase and then download as a PDF file from the Bloom shop. This fabric was from The Dressmaking Collection - Vintage Notions by Amy Barrickman for Red Rooster fabrics, and has been lurking in my stash for simply ages waiting for the perfect project! I think I bought the fabric from Fancy Moon, but it was rather a long time ago! I decided to stray from the pattern again, and quilted this with lots of straight rows 0.5" apart, and used a black Mettler quilting thread. All these pockets are so useful for storing all my quiltystuff essentials, like fabric markers and pins and thread snippers and a chocolate bar or two...
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...the top edge of the pocket is piped (thanks to my residential course last year with Philippa Naylor I wasn't fazed at all by piping!!) As you can see, I adapted the pattern to suit this fabric, rather than using all those 2.5" squares. The twill "tape measure" was a purchase a couple of years ago when I went to the Festival of Quilts at Birmingham, and was from Antique Angel. My local quilt shop, Quilters Haven also stocks some similar twill tape, so I'll have to stock up from there, as it looks great as an embellishment on sewing projects! Oh and if you're wondering what those cute little sew-in button magnets are for, then scroll down to the thread catcher. See? This is such a cunning idea! The removable thread catcher clicks into place with a couple of magnets. Roslyn Mirrington is such a great designer, she really does think of everything! Mr F will be so pleased that I won't have all those loose threads on the floor making the place look untidy when I'm having a sewing-fest. I bought these sew-in button magnets from Sew and So's at Bungay, and they were MUCH cheaper than the ones I bought from the Spring Quilt Festival at Duxford last month...
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...and it simply clicks into place. See? So no more loose threads and no more trimmed off bits and no more snipped thing-ummy-bobs on the floor. I wish I'd made one of these sets before - my machine looks like such a smarty pants on it's new mat!! Oh and yes, more piping around the top of the thread catcher - Philippa WILL be impressed! I also had a cunning plan for the back of the sewing mat - I used some non-slip matting that I cut to size and slip-stitched into place by hand so that when I'm sewing my Bernina stays put. Note to self - don't try stitching non-slip matting with a sewing machine - it wont move!! Oh and of course it has been embellished with one of my "Quiltystuff" labels too...
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....although my sewing machine is a lot smaller than this mat (I have the Bernina Activa 230 PE), I decided not to scale the size down, as if ever I'm lucky enough to own a larger Bernina (bit of a hint to poor Mr F - I've got a very very special birthday coming up in a few months and he might want some suggestions for a very very special present!!), then I won't need to buy more fabric to make another mat! So if you see him, tell him how much money I'm saving him hehe!!
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