Remember I talked about this a while back?
Something scrappy to make an imperceptible dent in my scrap collection. The back is made from offcuts of the Days Gone By Quilt backing, as is the batting layer and the last scraps of binding.
It’s to protect the butcher block benchtop in the kitchen when I’m prepping the Husband’s lunch and snack kit for work. A steel Thermos of boiling water; two Thermos travel mugs of freshly-brewed hot coffee; one Thermos travel mug of hot home-made soup; fruit, cheese and nut mix. (And before you marvel at the quantity, he starts work at 4.30am and gets home at sometime after 5pm, with a mid-morning sandwich delivery to his truck door as it passes by the end of our road, and while I’m walking doggo.) It has finished at 26 x 17 inches (66 x 43cm). which is a good generous size.
So, this is the first – and larger – one, for when it’s all made and is sitting waiting on bench 2 to get packed into his snack bag, together with three water bottles. There’s a second, smaller mat in progress for bench 1, where I’m assembling everything in a slightly tighter space due to kettle, coffee machine, etc. Getting this lot assembled while I’m barely awake and in a short time requires consistency, method and a lack of interruptions and surprises. Doggo knows this and stays snoring on his bed. Husband knows this and concentrates on drinking his coffee and eating his breakfast. Interruptions or changes to the routine turn it from a tightly choreographed dance to a severe case of flapdoodle.
Up to now, I’ve used tea towels, but I want more padding and something the right size.
Hence another pair of scrap-gobblers. Mat #2 coming soon…
You have given me an idea for my bench tops … I don’t have the extreme hours you have every week but my bench tops are older now and I really don’t want a new kitchen… I’m quite happy with the one as is … but protection will be a good thing …
let’s finish my sisters quilt and then I’ll make this my next ScrapHappy project 😘
It’s handy if there’s an area of high traffic or heavy/sharp/awkward equipment that needs to be set down there regularly. Plus, anything that uses up scraps…
You know my kitchen… it’s always high traffic 😁
Bring on the scrappy mats!
Ohh yes … and I’ve got a few scraps 🤩
What a good wife!
When we were still in France and Mr. Tialys had to leave at 4.15 a.m. for his flight to the U.K. he was lucky if I opened one eye and said goodbye🥱.
People say that… but I think keeping him properly fed and hydrated is a bit important when he has to spend all those hours driving 51,000 litres of inflammable liquid. I’d rather he didn’t stop at greasy transport cafés for an order of wide fried and anonymous brown liquid. So there’s an element of self-interest there too…
here’s to hoping you don’t get too many cases of flapdoodle ^^
Amen to that. It makes the whole process three times longer!
It’s a good project to use a handful of scraps, both pretty and useful. I could use a couple new placemats for the kitchen table.
I like it because it’s scrappy, and I don’t need to be too precious with it, because it’s large enough for all sorts of purposes, and because it looks a whole lot better than a folded tea towel.
What a good idea for your scraps. I’m thinking they would be nice for setting hot pots onto the dining table, too. I have a collection of small pot holders but a mat would work a lot better.
Yup, all that too! Plus it looks pretty in the kitchen because it goes with my grey and white ‘patchwork’ tile backsplash.
Flapdoodle… that’s a new word for me. I like it. It has character! I use those glass cutting boards to protect our counters. Makes clean up easy, too. Especially the short space in front of the microwave. I have used dishtowels as batting for kitchen things, too. Makes a great back side to a placemat, too. Handles spills easily. I always had them on the table when the boys were little. They were spill masters. LOL!
Flapdoodle means silliness or nonsense. I’m not sure glass would work for me in this particular context; I think putting a heavy steel Thermos flask and steel cups down on a glass surface would be a bit noisy! To each her own. This works well for us.
I love this view of your life getting hubby off safely into his day…plus the scrap quilt connection! It’s brought back to mind my dormant thought on stitching scrappy placemats as a COVID diversion.
“Flapdoodle” is that a personal made up word or is it a regional/cultural term? Conjures up quite the visual!
Nope, flapdoodle is a proper grown up word you can find in the dictionary. It means silliness, nonsense, a nonsensical person. Think headless chicken…
Hilarious! Thanks for the new addition to my vocab!
😀
Like everyone I am impressed with the Stepford wife routine, and glad that flapdoodles or even tizwazs are avoided due to this fabulous worktop quilt.
Nah, nothing Stepford about it! I’m not gliding about fully made up in a frilly negligée (what our family refers to as a ‘negglejiggle’); in return for the largesse the Husband has to put up with 2am-face, bed hair, rumpled pjs, and a do-not-disturb-me-on-pain-of-death attitude. Still, we both think it’s worth it!
The mat is a lovely arrangement of leftover fabric, but what I love is the tenderness of this early-morning send-off and the meet up at the end of the road. Looking after one another is a lovely mutual dance.
You are exactly right. As so often. On days when for whatever reason I can’t do the dance, I feel not gleeful relief, but concern and guilt that he’s not getting properly cared for!
Your scrap gobbler is great! (I love that description, along with flapdoodle 😃). It serves its purpose so well. I can understand why you do this morning preparation with such love, but it must be so nice not to have to do it when you are on holidays!
Oh, the days off are a real treat! A lie-in, leisurely coffee and breakie in bed, and no routine getting things set out the night before.
Wonderful!
Thanks! Glad you like it.
That’s not only a great functional idea, it’s also pretty. =) Gosh his days are long!
They are long, and he has to manage his fatigue carefully given he drives a dangerous goods tanker. Some of what he takes to work is to help with that. I’ve noticed that the Thermos especially is causing tiny dents in the wooden surface, hence the idea.
That is a lovely mat and so practical. Since your man works so hard to keep you both I understand you wanting to care for him by making his food box up. I am sure he appreciates it far more than a cafe stop. I hadn’t heard ‘flapdoodle’ before but it is a brilliant word so I shall use it|!
He does appreciate the effort, I know, so I feel it’s time well spent. And I’m delighted to have introduced so many people to the delights of flapdoodle!
Nice mat and I learned a new word! Flapdoodle. That will certainly come in use at some point. 😉
I’m looking forward to seeing a rash of Flapdoodles springing up across the internet!
I am trying to find a good time to use it in a conversation at work. 😉
My personal list would contain Trumpism, Racists, Covid-19 deniers, anti-vaxxers… well, you get the idea. They’re all a bunch of flapdoodles.
Yes, I think I could use it very well in situations in which I would describe someone as a “flapdrol” in Dutch.
Hehehehe! It might be just slightly less rude!
Well that cover turned out quite nice for scraps. You did of course crack me up with the ‘severe case of flapdoodle’ I promise not to borrow it. It’s all yours but I can see it from here. When you have a rhythm and system for things and someone comes along to make a mess of it pandemonium ensues. You two are such a great team at taking care of each other.
😀 I make you a gift of flapdoodle if you should ever find it useful!