I sewed the top row of boxes together. This photo also shows my old cutting mat. You can see where it was worn out. That area also doesn't lie flat any longer. I rotated the mat so I could get more use out of it, and there is a corresponding worn area just out of sight in the lower right of the mat.
So, the mat. How's it work? In a word, FABULOUS. I always use a sharp rotary cutter blade, and working with this mat I exert very little effort. It is smooth and a pleasure to work on.
I never thought I'd miss the grid, and I don't, but I miss the ruler. but I am going to have to install a ruler along the bottom edge because I used to lay fabric strips along the ruler to know how long or how wide they were. Piece of cake.
The mat is so smooth it is slippery. And since my work table is at an angle, EVERYTHING slides off. Even pins!!! This will probably resolve itself as I use the mat, but in the meantime, I have to set up a little edge at the bottom to catch errant pins, rotary cutters, rulers, scissors, etc. And since the mat does not go up to the top of the table, it isn't held in place up there, so things slide under it. I can fix that, but these are things that aren't the MAT's fault. It's because the table is at an angle. But the mat is a freaking dream. The mat passes my test with flying colors.
The mat has NO ODOR at all, and it's just a pleasure to work with. I'll be ordering one the size of my big table later this week. I will also order some double sided tape to hold it in place.
Here's my mat: 2' x 4' Rhino Self Healing Large Cutting Mat (No Grid.)
