Dish Mat

Are you one of those people who lays out a dish towel on the counter for dishes to dry? I have been doing this for years. Whatever doesn't fit in the dishwasher gets hand washed and set on a towel to dry. When I saw this idea by Sarah on Spoonful I knew it was something I wanted to make. I love that it is simple enough that even I can make it. I picked up a fat quarter of this fabulous kitchen fabric over a year ago and knew it was the perfect choice for a dish mat.

You will need a fat quarter (or any size you want) of fabric for the top and a matching size piece of terry cloth or toweling for the back. I had terry cloth left over from another project that I used for this dish mat. When I made a second one for my sister (out of cupcake fabric which she is using for diaper changing pad instead of a dish mat) I purchased a couple inexpensive white towels from Walmart.

Isn't this fabric awesome? I wish I knew the name of it and could get more. Pin right sides together and sew together, leaving a 4 inch opening to turn the fabric right side out. Clip your corners and then turn your fabric right side out. Press and pin your opening shut. You can blind stitch your opening shut or skip that step if you can close it when you top stitch. Now top stitch the mat, leaving about a 1/4 - 1/2 inch border. Press again and you are ready to use!

Perfect for those dishes drying on the counter since the terry cloth provides extra absorbency. Or perfect for a diaper changing pad for your cutie patootie. Just make sure you prewash your fabric and toweling to prevent shrinking.

Thanks Sarah for a great idea and easy project!