Pressing Board and QBSA Block for May

A little job I have been wanting to sort out for a good while is to make a pressing board to have near my sewing machine.  Up until now I've been using a folded up towel and while it works, it slides off and moves around and is generally a bit blah.

I finally remembered to ask my lovely other half to cut me a square of wood from supplies he had stored up in the rafters in the shed (hence why I needed him to do it - I wasn't grovelling around in the dust and cobwebs up there for anything!).  I measured up the spot I wanted it for and left him with it.

Later he brought in a (thankfully) dust and cobweb free piece of board, nicely sanded all around which fit perfectly.  I promptly wrapped my old towel around it and gave it a test drive and even in that state I loved it!

No time to sort it out that day but today I made an envelope using the old towel and then covered the lot with some fabric I had and here it is:

Yes, I know, its not very exciting to look at but I love it because it fits perfectly!  When the sewing cabinet is fully open it looks like this:

I use the bit on the right for my small cutting board and to layout the pieces before I join them and now I can't wait to get started on a project to test it all out!

Before I go, my partner in Quilting Block Swap Australia for May is Kelly from Queensland and here is the block I am sending her:

Kelly was after an Ohio Star block in pinks and as she is collecting blocks to make a quilt for her grand-daughter's 'big girl bed', I thought the little sleeping animals would be just right.  I hope she likes it!