I always considered myself as someone who "trys to make quilts". Well not anymore, I think I can offically call myself a true quilter. What sparked the change? I wore out my first cutting mat! It was getting rather scabby looking. Yesterday I was squaring up a big stack of blocks and I heard a snaping sound. I turned the mat over and discovered I cut all the way through the mat! I now have a mat with a four inch square whole in the midddle of it. The good news is that I can use the section that popped out as a 4 in square ruler. Lost a mat, gained a ruler. I have worn out blades before, but this is a new one.