Posh Pumpkins Placemats

I have a recent finish to share with you today - my Posh Pumpkins Placemats.

 

They started with these panels that I purchased way back in the summer of 2013.

I had also purchased these 1/2 yard pieces of coordinating prints. As usual, it all went into a project bag, onto my shelf, and there it sat waiting until now.

I did some simple borders around each of the centers, mixing them up so none of them were the same as another.

 

 

The piecing didn't take long to have them finished and ready for quilting.

Using one piece of backing and a few batting leftovers, I was able to load 4 at a time on my longarm frame and quilted right across all of them at the same time.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the first batch completed.  After looking at them on and off for days, I still can't decide which motif is my favorite. 

They're all a bit different but adorable.

 

I love the whimsical flowers and the variety of designs on each of the pumpkins.

Do you have a favorite?

For the backing I used another Sandy Gervais print that I found a few years of in my stash.  It's from a different fabric line but the colors coordinated perfectly.

On and off, I've been working on trying to get better at finishing binding by machine.  This time I tried a method I learned from Bethanne Nemish and I'm happy with the result. 

Although I had planned on using a pumpkin stitching pattern, it turned out to be too large for these so I used Ground Cover instead.  Thread used was Glide Burnt Orange on the top and Light Tan in the bobbin.

I had barely enough fabric to complete the bindings on each placemat.  This was all I had left of the yardage, just a couple of 2 1/2" squares of each print.

These placemats make a great addition to my fall decor and although I won't get to use them for long this season, I'll be able to enjoy looking at them for many years to come.

 

Jonan's Semper Fi Quilt

Over the summer, one of my cousins commissioned me to make a quilt to be a gift for his son who will be deployed in January. He wanted it to be an heirloom and it was really important to him that it would be made by family for family. He asked that it be Marines theme so after hunting around online to see what themed fabrics were available,  I drafted a design, which he loved BTW, purchased the fabrics needed and created this quilt.  I've named it:

Jonan's Semper Fi

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the stack of fabrics that I started with. 

After adding a few narrow borders around the center panel, I offset it with the chevrons.

A full round of Red Sawtooth stars alternating with the Gold grunge blocks was next. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a couple more borders to bring the panel back to the center and to bring it up to the queen size he requested, the top was done and it was ready to be loaded on the frame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I originally had another stitching design planned, in the end I chose to quilt it with the Shooting Stars panto as both me and my hubby felt it was the better choice.  The top thread used was Glide Affinity (variegated) in Brunette.

Being that this is a gift for my second cousin from his Dad, I wanted the design to pay tribute to his service and to feature the stars without overpowering the panel. I think I succeeded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The backing fabric was another Marines print that I found.

Here's a close up of the print so you can see the detail.  The thread used on the back was Glide's Military Gold. As always, Quilters Dream 80/20 batting provided just the right weight and detail.

Once I shipped this off, I waited anxiously for my cousin to receive it and to hear his reaction.  He said "I'm so pleased. The detail, weight and feel of the quilt is exquisite." I was beyond thrilled that it exceeded his expectations.

My cousin has already warned me that he might send another request my way in the future. I won't mind that one bit.  :)  Creating this quilt for his son was truly a pleasure and it warmed my heart the entire time it took to make it.