Placemats :: Lots and Lots of Placemats!

Back in January I was asked if I could make custom placemats.  Not just any placemats, placemats from a drawing they had made from tile they had seen.  Tile can be a big inspiration for quilt ideas and upon seeing the drawing I thought it was something I could figure out.  

My version may not be exactly like the drawing, but she was totally fine with that.  Mostly it was about the shapes, colors and size.  

12" x 15"

It took a while for me to figure out the best way to go about it.  How do I make each one the same?  How can I make sure each point, each intersection will line up?  Can I do it on EQ7? I pondered.  I played.  I drew shapes and cut them out like a puzzle.  

My first thought was to work with a top and bottom section. (horizontal)  It didn't work exactly the way I wanted it to.  Eventually I figured out that if I made two rows of triangles it just might work. There was still the issue of making each placemat, each section, each piece and each color line up...but I came up with the solution!



Paper pieced!  Only because I needed certain sections to line up and only because each placemat had to be the same.  Yes, it was a lot of work!  It looks relatively simple, and in all honestly it was once the math and templates were figured out.  I made a test placemat, sent off fabric swatches and waited for the thumbs up.    

I should mention that I needed to make sixteen (16)...yes, you read that right!  Sixteen placemats!  Which is why I needed approval on the colors and test out my pattern.  You might wonder why anyone would need that many placemats?!  She said she her children tend to make a mess while eating...and this way she could just switch them out every time. 



Here's a close up of one finished placemat.  You see how the top pink needed to line up? And the light gray on the top right that needed to line up with the light gray on the bottom? That was the reason I thought paper piecing each triangle was my best option.

I printed templates and marked them with numbers (previous picture), and colored each section in the triangles so I wouldn't mess anything up.  Triangle one...sixteen times.  Press. Trim. Repeat.  Then I stitched each triangle in the top section, then the bottom section...

 

...then stitched the top and bottom together...yes...sixteen times!  Here's the proof!  They all matched!  I'm sure you won't surprised when I tell you that after seeing all these on the design wall, I started getting ideas for a quilt or three!!  Another time perhaps!



You might think the hardest part was done, and in some ways it was.  But imagine this: trimming 16 placemats, cutting 16 pieces of batting and backing, making 16 sets of binding, and then quilting 16 placemats, sewing the bindings on and eventually hand stitching each and every binding to the back!  

I cannot lie, this process from start to finish became very repetitive and mind numbing by the end!  I know I shouldn't complain and I'm not...it was a lot.  A lot!

 

Usually I make my placemats larger than the 12" x 15" requested.  These days you have to be flexible with the 'norm'.  You have to consider table size and shape to living space available. 

In the end, I love these placemats!  I'm so happy I was able to work with a design, figure out the best way to achieve it and actually complete it.  Plus, it gave me ideas for future projects!  And if that's not enough...I had scraps...leftovers!  And got a little crazy and make a quilt with them!  To be continued...

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Pleasure In Scraps

There is pleasure in scraps.  Scraps can be anything from funky shapes to half square triangles to strips of fabric.  If you try to define what a scrap is you would most likely get half a dozen different definitions from half a dozen different people.  And frankly, it doesn't matter.  I'm a scrap lover through and through!

19 1/2" x 19 1/2"

I can't remember where these scraps came from or what I was working on that I had a stack of triangle-ish pieces, but I sure was motivated to see what I could put together with them! 



The colors were dreamy...they worked together for me.  Each piece could easily have been a funky triangle, but I opted to make improv diamonds instead.  All different sizes, all with a different 'wonk' about it.  Piece by piece, section by section.



I know there are many people who don't feel they can 'let go' and ride out the process of improv.  I totally get that!  I feel that way about putting together a quilt with quote unquote 'traditional' blocks.  And I even feel that way when it comes to quilting a quilt.  



This one I kept adding and taking away.  This looks good here, this not so much!  I knew this piece had a center and needed a border of some sort.  Something that would enhance the overall piece.  

When I settled on the triangles, I had to decide the orientation.  Should they all point out or should they point in?!  I fiddled with it on the design wall until I decided some will be in some will be out, and the rest would point up!  Play with it!!



Here is just a few of the perfect colors for quilting!  Aurifil must have every color in the world, all of which I wish I had.   The triangles and diamonds were color coordinated with thread and I kept the lines straight.  I didn't use a ruler, instead I used my dual feed for the guide.  



I decided I may as well go with Free Motion Quilting for the rest of the quilt.  I won't even pretend I nailed it!!  But the effect was what I wanted in the end.



It's a rare day when I know exactly how I want to quilt a project.  I admire anyone who looks at a section or a quilt and knows precisely what it needs!  If there is a secret...I'll pay you to tell me!



I don't now about anyone else, but this time of year it is so hard to find the exact right time to take pictures outside!  Where the morning use to be perfect, it isn't now.  Evening photos have to be in the magic '15 minute' time slot, that of course changes from day to day!  



Figuring out what to do with scraps, fabric bundles or a super duper special stack of your favorite in the whole entire world fabric...is hard!  I can improv this and that just fine, especially with scraps.  It's the 'normal' things I struggle with!!  

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A Few Projects & A Couple Supplies!

I feel like I should share the project(s) that inspired my Scattered Petals Wall Hanging.  After all, it was the catalyst that inspired me to make that wall hanging and it might be rude not to show how it all began!

Before I made another pile of triangles, I picked through what I had and put together a table runner. The colors blended well together and it felt like a nice calming palette to combine in a quick and easy project!

14" x 42"

The simplicity of a triangle is always appealing, so I thought that along with the improv was sure to be a great combination.  



Clean and simple, you can't go wrong!  Let's take it a step further and add some quilting.  I mainly used grey thread for an all over semi-straight line quilted detail.  



I decided to add a little more pizazz by adding lines of blue, green and aqua.  Very subtle, so subtle you can barely see it!

Besides this runner I also make a couple quilts.  Baby quilts actually.  Using scrap hand dyed fabrics, I put together enough triangles to make two different quilts.  By different, I mean the same?!  Maybe I changed the size of the back ground fabric and left the layout the same...you know, different but the same!

29" x 39 3/4"

The background fabric is Kona Shadow.  I've always loved grey of any shade combined with a rainbow of color.  In this case, the colors are hand dyed scraps.



Simple quilting with 1" lines, all in grey thread and an added quilted design element vertically...a little more of a visual punch!

29 3/4" x 39 3/4"

This one was a little more 'daring'!  I threw caution to the wind and used Kona Frappe for the front and Kona Aloe on the back.  I dug deep in my stash for both of these colors.  It was all about using what I had.  

 

The grey quilt was the first, but with this one I increased the background pieces slightly.  I wanted it a little bigger.  Not nearly enough, but next time I will know better!

  

Each triangle was cut using this template.  It was the perfect size to show the scrap strips and make an impact visually!  

I always forget how much I like triangles!  And I always forget how quickly they go together!

  

The splurge of the month!  I'm trying to build my Hand Quilting arsenal!  

I kept waiting for a confirmation from Connecting Threads, it never came.  It helps if you actually complete the transaction...it sat in my cart for a few days before I noticed it!  DUH! 

The neutral Perle Cotton should get me through a few hand quilting projects.  And looky there...thimbles!  I'm not much of a thimble person, these adhesive thimbles were suggested and I pounced at the chance to give them a try.  I've been known to put first aid tape on my thumb when I hand quilt bindings on, so I'm thinking these won't be much different.  We shall see!

What is your favorite acrylic template to use?  I like triangles!!  Hexagon, diamonds, clam shells? Inquiring minds...

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Triangle Kick (WIP)

My initial thought was to use up some hand dyed scraps.  Lots of little bits and pieces.  Pieces I couldn't bear parting with.  Even though I have been getting better about scrap collecting...meaning letting go sooner...I just don't have the will power to toss my hand dyed beauties!

While I was waiting for fabric to arrive for a custom quilt, I took the time to sort these scraps.  Pink, yellow, aqua, blue~some purple, green and peachy delight!  Not trying to be too fussy or precise, I pieced sizes big enough for triangles.  Such a lovely stack they made!  

This aqua and gray was the first!  Its a baby quilt.  Baby sweetness!  Very simple design, but delightfully trendy and hip!

Why stop there?  With a stack of triangles and a renewed energy...I decided 'let's go with yellow next'!  C'mon baby!

I am in the process of sewing the binding on this one...but I like it!  Some of the light yellow pieces in the triangles match the background, so it looks like there are different sizes of triangles.  There are not!  

And lastly, yummy pink and pewter gray!  How about that?!  

The quilting on all three are geometric straight lines.  I used 1/2" - 1" lines randomly throughout.  Small quilts like this are a breeze to quilt the 'heck' out of!  I'm still finishing up the pink and yellow baby quilts.  Hand sewing on bindings is a happy place for me!  I love it!  

I cannot wait to wash them up, see the crinkly quilting come to life!  I'm not sure which combination is my favorite or which design...so I am going to say I love all three equally!

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