Monkey Hotpad

My fabric dot com order came yesterday, and with it came the InsulBrite, which is basically a poly quilt batting with a layer of mylar in the middle, which cats enjoy sleeping on.

You can also use it to make hotpads and oven mitts.

I got the Amy Butler In Stitches book for Christmas, which has some nice potholders in it. I'm not sure if I'll ever make any of the exact projects in the book, but there are a few inspiring things in it (it mostly inspires ME to buy her fabric, however, so watch out. . .).

I didn't really make this one like hers (who wants to miter corners when you can round them, huh?). I took one that I liked out of my drawer (a Crate & Barrel model) and copied it, although I enlarged it quite a bit. I wanted it to be big enough to set a large casserole on.

I used bias tape around the edges, I couldn't find the right size Clover bias tape maker in my messy room, so I pressed by hand. I used a bias binding foot to apply it. There's a place I didn't catch on the back side, but I'm not in the mood for fixing it. These feet are wonderful, but I always need to practice a bit to get in the groove of it again, ha.

You can slip your hand in it and use it as an oven mitt too.

Tomorrow I'm helping dd's Girl Scout troop sew some doggie and kitty bandanas for the Humane Society, so I spent the morning sorting through my quilting stash and pressing and cutting some squares of fabric. I'm going to have the girls serge them and decorate them. It's nice to move a few yards out of the stash, and to see some cute old fabrics I'd forgotten about.