Four years after getting a new kitchen, I still think happy thoughts about it at least monthly. I’ve got well-organized storage space, I’ve got comfortable counter space, I’ve got outlets everywhere. And I’ve got pretty things in the kitchen: salt jars and utensil jars and towels and pot holders.

There is just one ugly thing in the middle of all the nice stuff, and that’s the folded-up paper towels under the oil bottles to catch any drips.

Well, now that ugly thing is finally no more. Instead I have decent quilted coasters under them now. I happened to look at the paper towels and couldn’t stand them any more, and made coasters out of scrap fabric then and there. It would probably have taken me less time and fewer mistakes if I hadn’t undertaken the project late at night, but I just wanted the problem solved.

With some careful measuring and piecing, I got two double-sided coasters out of an eight-centimetre strip of a curtain fabric sample. That almost deserves some kind of prize.