As I mentioned recently, I am working on upping my needle-turn applique skills. I also needed some new, spring place mats so decided to create Tulip Place Mats. These are fun, funky and almost a marriage of vintage and modern.
Inspiration
I wanted to do something simple and quick so that I could receive an immediate reward. Tulips were an obvious choice, as was a 2×3 square background. This allowed me to use some of my smaller pieces of fabric. I really love the funky look of the fabrics.
There is both a vintage and modern feel to the fabrics, which then translated into the quilting. I like the contrast of the sepia-toned background with vines, trees, birds and bees with the bright colors of the flowers.
Applique
I chose needle-turn applique and really enjoyed relaxing in the evening, sewing and watching TV with the hubby. I have a super-nice lamp that sits next to my chair and provides ample lighting. It really didn’t take long to finish all 6.
Quilting
Did I mention that these were a mixture of modern and traditional? The quilting also can be seen with one foot in each camp. I decided to do straight line (random) quilting for the background and custom motifs for the flowers, stems and leaves. I used complimentary colors for thread and had a great deal of fun.
What was really fun is that I could load all six Tulip Place Mats on the long arm at one time. This made it easy to move along and keep consistency.
What’s Next?
New Spring place mats are completed, maybe it’s time for another set based on a holiday? season? What themes do you use when making place mats?
Other Place Mat Posts
Also, check out these other posts about Place Mats.