Easy Patchwork Bathmat Tutorial

A while back, I had saved a picture of a bathmat Meg made. I finally got around to making my own. The one we had in our bathroom was soooo soft, and I love it, but it was just too big.

Step 1: The mat will be 11 squares long by 8 squares wide (finished, it will be approx. 22"x16"). Cut out (88) 2 1/2" squares from coordinating fabrics. You don't need the same number of each fabric. I just used what I had on hand, mostly scraps, and had more of the yellow cotton and white eyelet than anything else.

Step 2: Lay out all of your squares on the floor/table, 11 across and 8 down. Sew each row together using a 1/4" seam allowance and press the seams to one side. Then sew the rows together and press seams. I recommend stacking each row, then laying out the finished strips one at a time before sewing all the rows together.

Step 3: Add any embellishments now. I didn't on this mat, but plan to make more and add some embroidery.

Step 4: Cut terry towl to size (22 1/2" x 16 1/2") and place the patchwork face down on towel to pin. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew the patchwork and towel together, leaving a 3-4 inch opening on one side for turning.

Step 5: Turn righ-side out and press. If you've done any embroidery, you may want to "quilt" around it. Topstitch around the edges, closing the gap as you go. You're done!

Here's a close-up of the one I made:

And the whole thing in our bathroom.

I plan on making another, slightly larger, mat soon. A Charm Pack would be great for this project.