Sewing Machine Mat/Caddy Tutorial

I'm sure that there are a gazillion tutorials on how to make a sewing machine mat/caddy out there and perhaps you've already made one.  Maybe I was just waiting for the PERFECT fabric to make mine so when my friend Lucie came to visit a couple of weeks ago, she gifted me with just that...the PERFECT fabric!

Remember these gorgeous sewing-themed fabrics?

I used some of them to make one for Lucie and one for me.

Here's what I did.

I cut a 20 1/2" x 20 1/2" square out of two different fabrics, one for the front and one for the back.  I also cut a 20 1/2" x 20 1/2" piece of low loft batting to sandwich between the two layers and used 505 quilt basting spray to hold the three layers together.

Using my long 1 1/2" ruler as a guide to establish a cross-hatch pattern, I marked the sewing lines on the lighter of the two fabrics with my Frixion pen and then sewed along the lines in both directions.

To make the sleeve for the pockets, I cut two pieces of a different fabric and another piece of batting at 5 1/2" by 20 1/2" and sandwiched them together in the same manner as above.

I prepped enough binding not only to attach to the upper edge of the pocket sleeve but also to go around the entire mat which I sewed on in the same way we would to bind a quilt.

I trimmed the pocket sleeve along the bottom edge, making sure that it was square. 

I then marked the lines with my Frixion pen for where I wanted the pockets to be.

I aligned the pocket sleeve with the bottom edge of the mat and pinned it in place... 

then sewed along the lines making sure to secure my stitches at both ends so that they wouldn't come undone.

I trimmed around the mat to make sure that it was square and then sewed on the binding in the same way as I would to bind a quilt.  

Here it is, all finished and ready to put to use!

And voila!  BIG Bernie and I are very happy campers...oops, I mean sewers!  

All of my "go to" tools in one place and easy to find.

Now how easy was that!!!

Happy stitching!