Hot Pads and challenge quilts

Today I'm sharing the pictures of some hot pads that I recently made.   I'm tired of small pot holders and hot pads that don't protect my hands or the counter, so I fixed that problem by using two layers of insul-brite and I made them BIG (10" square).  They worked really well, and I used up some scrappy crumb blocks in the process.  I decided to use these as a practice for a new method: finishing the binding completely by machine.  I sewed the binding onto the back and turned it to the front and machine stitched it down instead of by hand.  It worked out okay, not great, but not too bad.  I definitely need to practice it some more.

At the same time I made these guys, I made a table mat for my kitchen counter peninsula.  It is sized for the counter and covers it completely, something like 24X60.  I'll have to get a picture of it for another post.  It works nicely because I can put the mat on the counter than put all the hot dishes/pans right on it without worrying about the counter getting damaged, thanks to the insul-brite inside.

In the meantime, I'm still working on the challenge quilt for my guild.  It's due on the 28th, so I have to really get myself in gear and work hard this weekend.  All I can say at this point is that the challenge fabric is UGLY, and I am cutting it pretty small so it won't look too bad, and using one of Bonnie Hunter's patterns.