What's Underfoot in my Studio. Literally.

Hi All,

I thought I would share with you a few additions/purchases for my quilt room which I'm really liking.  A while ago I was watching HGTV and saw a commercial for a Gelpro floor mat.  The commercial said it was great for chefs or others who stand in place for a long time.  I immediately thought of my quilt room.

Do you stand when you cut?  I do.  I feel like I don't get any accuracy or the right torque if I'm sitting.  Sometimes if I'm having a major cutting session, I do get tired and my legs and back get sore, so I decided to investigate the gelpro mats and found them here.  I read the reviews and ordered one. 
They have many colors available and of course, I got red.  I should have considered the color of my floor--I don't think the red goes with the color of the wood, but as the floor is in our rented house, I'm not too upset about it.

I have to say that I've been using it for three-four months now and I LOVE IT!  I have spent lots of time standing on it and it really helps with the fatigue.  I can imagine that long-arm quilters who may stand for long periods of time would really like using this, too.  (No one is paying me to say this, by the way!)

Last Saturday, I went with my husband to Harbor Freight.  I don't really like going there, but since my husband will occasionally accompany me places I know he isn't too interested in, I went along.  If you have never been to that store, it is hardware and they have coupons.  As we looked around, my husband pointed out a set of four "anti-fatigue" interlocking floor tiles.  They are made for the garage and so are industrial grey, but the set was only $5.99 with a coupon!  I got them because I've been needing to solve another floor problem in my studio.

I don't know about you, but for some reason, I manage to knock my iron off the ironing board.  Again, I have a wood floor in a RENTED house and I really don't want to damage the floor.  Three of the tiles were the perfect lenght for the nook where my ironing board stands, so that was easy.  I cut the 4th in half and attached it to the end pieces so to make it wider.

(Can you see how they interlock?)

Some floor is exposed under the ironing board (where I didn't have another half-tile), but not in a place where the iron will land.  By the way, have you ever knocked your iron off the board onto  carpeting?  And the carpeting melted to your iron?  I've been there!  Yikes!  Anyway, it has only been a week and I have managed to not bump the iron off, but I have noticed that it is nice and cushy to stand on while ironing, too.  It was a great investment for 6 dollars. 

I love when I can find solutions for problems I may have in the quilting room.  Is there any non-quilting tool/product that you can't live without in your studio?  I'd love to hear about it.

Have a great day!
JoAnne