Quilting

Shoo Fly Place Mat

Version 4

Once again I'm playing with the idea that quilting can change how a quilt looks.
This place mat is made using 6 Shoo Fly blocks.

Quilting

Shoo Fly Place Mat

Version 3

 

 

 

 

I'm playing with the idea that quilting can change the way a block looks.

I'm testing the idea out on a place mat made of 6 simple Shoo Fly Blocks.  

In this case I'm using a kind of star to focus attention on the center of the blocks. 





Here's how I envision quilting this design:

Quilting

Shoo Fly Place Mat

Version 2

This quilting is very different from that for Version 1.












The quilting is continuous. Here's how I suggest doing it:

Quilting

Shoo Fly Place Mat

Version 1

A place mat made with six Shoo Fly blocks is a little more interesting than one made with six Nine Patch blocks.



So I decided for a change to try designing quilting for a Shoo Fly block place mat.




This is what I came up with.

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mats

Review

 

Over the last week or so I designed quilting for seven place mats made from Nine Patch blocks. I thought it would be interesting to put all seven together to compare them.

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat

Version 7

A place mat made using six 6"x 6" Nine Patch blocks is easy enough to make but not all that exciting.








I've  been experimenting with quilting designs to see what can be done to spice it up a bit.



At first it was a chore but I'm starting to enjoy it.

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat

Version 6

I decided to try a geometric design on this place mat. No leaves or flowers; just geometric patterns.

These are the three elements that make up the design. The first one starts in one corner and after traveling back and forth ends in the opposite corner. The other two more or less end where they start.

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat

Version 5

This place mat is the result of sewing 6 Nine Patch blocks together.










Add a little quilting and it looks totally different.





This design uses only two elements.

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat

Version 4

I've been playing with quilting for a place mat made from six 6"x 6" Nine Patch blocks.

As Sophie pointed out in her comment the other day, place mats are great for practicing free-motion quilting and experimenting with quilting designs.

There are two place mats on the left because I decided to play with color as well to see how that affects a quilting design.

I used two elements to make today's design.

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat

Version 3

Yesterday's place mat used a simple loop for the quilting.








Today's place mat uses a simple loop once again.

However, the loop is used two different ways. Sometimes it follows the side of a square. Sometimes it follows the diagonal.




The quilting proceeds in the following manner:

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat 

Version 2

Yesterday I designed this quilting for a place mat made using six Nine Patch blocks.







Today I designed this quilting.

In both versions the quilting is meant to be done using thread that contrasts with the background.

Yesterday the design used a flattened semicircle that was repeated over and over. Today I simply replaced the semicircle with a simple loop.

The quilting proceeds as follows:

Quilting

Nine Patch Place Mat

Version 1

Six 6"x 6" Nine Patch blocks make a 12"x 18" place mat.

This definitely needs some quilting to make it interesting.



Way back when I  came up with this design using semicircles.

Getting the semicircles to meet nicely at the centers of the white squares might be difficult.



If I flatten the semicircle, then I don't have to worry about the centers. And the design still works

So can I quilt this design?

Yes I can. And here's how:

Place Mat

Because place mats are small they are quick to make. This means even blocks that require a few extra pieces aren't that much of a chore.

Placemat

Making place mats is a great way try out new ideas and techniques. It lets you develop design and sewing skills without a large investment of time or materials.

Place mat

Something Simple

It's been a while since I designed a place mat I'd almost forgotten there was such a thing.

I decided I'd see what I could do with this simple 6" block.

Quilting


Log Cabin Placemat

Three days ago (17 November 2010) I was playing with Log Cabin placemats and made this with the intention that it would be completed by the quilting.

Colors

Log Cabin Placemat

I want to make a placemat using Log Cabin blocks.

What if, instead of square, I make my blocks rectangular and use 3 of them to make a placemat?

Quilting

Circles Placemat

This placemat design comes from my 20 August 2010 post.

I want to experiment with ways of quilting it.

Applique

Circles Placemat

I want to create placemats by adapting some of the applique designs I created for circles 27 July 2010.

Applique

Swoosh Placemat

I used this swoosh to design several applique patterns 9 July 2010. Now I want to adapt some of those patterns to placemats.