Me and my big mouth...who'd have thought I'd be able to keep it shut all this time?

Way, way back in August I was asked by the lovely peeps at Fat Quarterly to take part in a design challenge.

Obviously, I had to be the sole of discretion and not spill the beans ahead of time what I was up to. I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to be in fat Quarterly and having been given the go ahead today and had a quick sneak at Issue 7, I have to say, it is FAB!

Not only am I really really pleased with how beautifully they have presented my contribution, but it really is a beautiful issue, aptly titled "Colour".

I won't spoil it by telling you too much about it, but you can see the whole article in issue 7.

If you are a subscriber you may already have had a flick and seen my little piece, as well as all the other gorgeous contributions, but in case you aren't a subscriber, I can highly recommend you go straight here and get yourself a copy.

Although you will have to have an ounce of patience as it isn't available until tomorrow. But hey, if I can show patience all these months, you can for one more day!

Ever since I was invited to join the Flickr group "My morning cup", I've been hooked on these little 'mug rugs' that everyone seems to be making at the mo.

They are very sweet and I love the idea of them. However I am partial to a tray to put my morning cuppa on, so they weren't actually going to work for me.

But, as I said, I love the idea of a splash of colour on the table and adding texture when a full cloth may not be desired or practical. Just a little decorative touch to break up a surface.

So I have extended the idea a fraction and made a couple of mats for various positions in the house. The first one above is now sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. It's already, within the 24 hours it has been sitting there, been used for a fruit bowl, the coffee break, oh and I think breakfast juice and glasses.

I've just finished this second one and it is now sitting on top of our new fireplace. I absolutely adore our new fireplace, but couldn't quite put my finger on what was missing.

A touch of soft fabric to break up the hard surface...perfect!

I'm hoping to make some of these for my shop, so if you like and are interested, drop me a line and I'll make sure I do some in the colourways you like.

(I managed it! and they are right here and here)