Thimblebug, That is so awesome! Now I am inspired to try one for our table. Much easier to use the topper than to try and place square mats on a round table. Thanks for the inspiration.

I broke it. Okay, the colors looked good in the store!!! This has to be the world's ugliest mat. Thought I would make one for my kitchen.

Front... shield your eyes
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Detail
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Back
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Tracy, Did you see my plaid mess? Yours isn't bad, I love the border treatment you did. If you don't want it in the kitchen, ever thought about the laundry room? How do the dots grip on the back? I did not put them on.

Tracy: Sorry I don't think its ugly at all. Specially like what you did with the binding, really carries the theme of the chile peppers.

I liked it Dedemac! I did use the puff paint...pretty useless :(.

Thanks so much for organizing this retreat!
Really having fun with my every block a different fabric version (do have one repeat). So far I'm up to twenty blocks and thinking of going for twenty four. Have decided to use sashing to make it just a bit bigger as I'm doing a lap quilt instead of the bath rug.

Okay, I did a "do-over" of my bath mat since my mom needs one and I was not happy with the last. I need lots of practice for FMQ and found this a good way. Lots of things I learned doing this one. First, don't make your designs so close the an edge, second, scallops? What was I thinking? Third, Make sure you have enough thread of the right color!

Laid out
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Up close, the quilting. I was going for wreaths, but clearly haven't a clue what I am doing. Oh one more lesson. Don't do pebbles/blobs unless you have a lot of time on your hands!
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Another view in case the last one too blurry
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And the back, still need to clean up grey threads and oops, fix some spots on the binding!
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This one was kind of fun :)

Tracy, You get bonus points!! That is over the top. What did you use for the plastic slider on the machine table?

It's that tablecloth cover stuff from Walmart. I must say, it's not that helpful :). Hey thanks for the bonus point...need as many as I can get!

Okay Tracy. I liked your first attempt but your second is just on beyond....! The scallops add a lot and the quilting is the cherry on the top.

Think maybe I can post pictures now. Hope this picture of mine that "grew" into a lap quilt works this time.

I really had fun with this. I did it as a scrappy using a different fabric for each square and then adding sashing as well.

mom-6 that turned out really nice done scrappy like that!

That is amazing :) everyone did a fabulous job!!! :) HUGS!

This was a really fun project. I'm thinking I would like to do a larger version (2-1/2" strips for the outlining and correspondingly larger focus fabric squares) as a bed size quilt.

Mom6, your project really looks. I really like the pattern and think it would go great with Asian prints behind a black grid. Yeah, like I need another quilt on my list.

I'm with you EmmaS. That would be gorgeous. I still need to get my oriental block swap quilt from a couple years ago together before I do another oriental quilt. Like that's going to stop me. LOL!

Mom6: Do I ever understand. You are a mother with young children, I am retired, true a lot more time but still not enough.

Actually my kids are all grown and the picture is me with my DGS who is now a third grader. And supposedly I'm retired but really I've just changed focus. Helping friends with their businesses - which just happens to include working Renaissance Festivals on weekends, as well as periodically babysitting DGS and sometimes other kids, is so much more fun than working in an office supply store (even though I liked my job when I was doing it - just was ready for a change after 19 years there). And besides I can somewhat dictate when I choose to do what during the week which gives me sewing time in the early mornings several days a week. It's really nice not having to be at work at 8 am every day.

Mom-6 you look to young to have grown children. Isn't retirement heaven? I really should have done it first. It took me a long time to stop doing the things I had to do just because I worked.

Thanks EmmaS! Flattery will get you everywhere!
I actually kind of got a late start - first DS born when I was 27. But I made up for lost time with the other 4 boys within 6 years, then DD exactly 10 yrs and one month after the oldest. She's the mom of DGS and was 29 in November.

And yes I'm loving retirement, even if I'm just as busy as before.

I ran with the mat, actually I ran left out the door to the garage or DH's Man Cave. He needed a mat to wipe his shoes when it gets muddy.

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The mat is made with denim and old used curtains, it is 2 feet square. When it gets too dirty to wash, I will just pitch it.

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I am still waiting for a picutre with my grand puppy on his mat. Daughter says he uses it a lot. I will post when she sends one.

Last year I made a shower rug mat for my son-in-law. I purchased a nice fast drying, dark brown, hand towel, then made a patchwork, dog print and solids to fit the other side; embroidered the towel side with his last name below a head shot of a lab dog. It is reversible and guess what?....he uses it with the towel side up!!!!!!!!!!! (My creativity patchwork facing down. Why did I bother?---I guess he likes his name!!!) I bound with a matching dk. brown cotton. It turned out great and he DID like it, but evidently not my quiltwork.