DIY Quilted Dish Drying Mats

If you like pretty and practical DIY projects, then you’re in luck! That’s exactly what I have for you today 😊

Have you ever noticed how much space those dish drying racks take up?

Either you get in the habit of putting it away every night or you leave it out on the counter – taking up alllll that prime kitchen counter real estate.

So annoying.

And then you have to clean them on the regular and that’s just doubly annoying.

Enter dish drying mats.

Super simple concept, with high practicality.

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.

I first started making these almost 10 years ago now.

The first versions were made with older towels and some fabric remnants.

Really, nothing fancy or complex.

They worked like a charm, except for one thing – they tended to tear along the seam where I joined the towel with the cotton fabric.

Even though I had done a top stitch around the perimeter, there was still too much pressure on the fabric during the washing/drying cycle.

After an embarrassingly long time of dealing with torn dish drying mats, I finally set aside some time several weeks back to whip up a new batch.

Only this time, I made one big change.

DISH DRYING MAT ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Here’s what I did:

I started by cutting a piece of terry cloth and a piece of quilting cotton the same size. I measured the area beside my sink to see how large of a piece I wanted. This can be entirely customized to your own kitchen. Just cut two rectangles or squares of equal size.

Place your fabric pieces right sides together RST (good sides facing each other).

Using a ½” seam allowance, stitch around the perimeter leaving a 3” section unstitched for turning the drying mats right side out. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end.

Trim your corners and turn your drying mat right side facing out.

Use *one of these or a chopstick to poke your corners out.

Press, rolling your sides out for a nice finish.

Turn your unstitched seam allowance under by ½” and press.

Using a *Hera marker, plot quilting lines equally distanced apart, making sure you stitch a line at both ends, enclsoing your unstitched seam.

Quilt using your preferred thread weight.

Use regularly.

MACHINE WASHING INSTRUCTIONS

Here’s the great news – these are so easy to maintain.

I just toss them in with the rest of my towels and wash them with regular detergent.

I then toss it in the dryer and fold and stack until I’m in need of one.

Between drying sessions, I like to hang it over the oven door rail so that I get a shot of the pretty fabrics I chose while giving it a chance to dry off.

Easy peasy!

MATERIALS FEATURED

You don’t need a ton of materials to whip up a stack of these pretty and practical quilted dish drying mats. Here’s what I used:

• A few fat quarters from the Nature Study bundle
• Terry cloth
• *Rotary cutter     
• *Self-healing cutting mat
• *50wt white thread
• *Turning and quilt line plotting tool
• *Sewing machine
• *Iron
• Ironing board

These are so fun and quick to whip up.

Grab your favourite fat quarter bundle and go to town stitching up a set for your best friend and a set for yourself 😉

Happy stitching!

xo,

Shannon

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