Magnetic Non-Slip Ironing Mat Tutorial

Before Christmas began this year I decided that I was going to make 100% of our Christmas gifts. Well I managed to do all but one guy (who's almost impossible to buy for). My mother in law made it a challenge for me. I knew she'd been wanting one of these or these things. I've never seen them before but it's pretty much ingenious! After doing a little research on them I found that they weren't that expensive, but wouldn't a handmade personalized one be SO much better. The price is about the same (depending on how stocked your sewing room is) but this one will match her laundry room to leave out all the time. I took to the challenge and created one that turned out quite well. She'll be my guinea pig and I'll tell her to let me know if there would be anything to change (she hasn't gotten it yet, so SHH).

You will need:
1 yard of top fabric
1 yard of bottom fabric
6" of non-slip footie pajama fabric
Magnets
1 yard of Insul-batting

**These size are for a standard dryer. Double check the measurements of your dryer.

From your top and bottom fabric cut one piece of each 19 3/4" by 31 3/4". Also cut a piece the same size out of the Insul-Batting.

From the non slip fabric cut 2 strips 2 1/2" wide. TIP: Someone mentioned that a cheaper alternative to this special fabric would be puff paint dotted either directly on the back or on these strips and then sewn on. Position the far edge of the strip 5-6" from the edge. Zig zag around the edges. I placed a piece of sew-in interfacing (3" x 16" strips) on the back to give it some strength. Make sure you go nice and slow or use a teflon foot. 

Cut 4 rectangles that will house your magnets (the size depends on your preference and size of the magnet). My pieces were about 2 1/2" x 5". Sandwich the magnet in between, place in the corner, and sew around the edges to hold the magnet it.

Be sure to sew the magnet pocket to the wrong side of the back fabric. 

Take your 3 layers and sandwich and pin them together with right sides of the fabrics together. The shiny side of the Insul-Batting must face your ironing surface to reflect the heat back to the top, so put the shiny side of the batting away from the wrong side of the fabric. 

With your sandwich of fabrics all pinned together, sew around the edge with a 3/8" seam allowance. Remember to leave an opening to turn right side out and backstitch at each end! I suggest putting a walking foot on with these odd layers of fabrics. 

Be sure to clip a 45 degree triangle from the corners. This reduces the bulk and makes for a cleaner corner. 

Iron the opening and hand whip stitch it together for a clean finish. Optional: You can topstitch around the entire mat rather than hand-stitching the opening.

Place on your dryer and iron away! The magnets hold it in place and the non-slip fabric makes sure it's not sliding around. You could even get creative with a quilted top or something fun depending on your style and creativity, the possibilities are endless! Now your hubby has no reason not to iron those good clothes or pants because there's no need to haul out the bulky ironing board. :)

I couldn't get a very good picture of it because our laundry room is under construction and the lights are all goofy. I'd love to see yours or hear ideas for improvement!