Christmas Table Mat

My table needed a bit of Christmas cheer.

So I decided to make my Christmas Tree pattern into a table mat as a smaller version and complete circle.

As I suspected it would, it worked perfectly.  I followed my own tutorial:  https://freezeframe03.blogspot.com/2011/12/tutorial-christmas-tree-skirt.html

With only minimal changes as I show in this post.

I did not purchase any fabric, I pulled out my Christmas fabric stash for this table mat.

Instead of using 5” Charm packs, I cut 4” squares from my stash.

Instead of stacking 5 charm squares, I stacked only 4 squares.

Instead of aligning the wedge ruler at its 24” measurement, I aligned it at 16-3/4”. Instead of aligning right at the lower right hand corner of the strip, I moved it over by 1/4”.  Had I not moved it over, the two strips would have been too much the same width.  As with my tree skirt, I wanted alternating wide and narrow strips.

As with the tree skirt, I discarded the strip on the right and used the center and left cuts.

The rest of the circle construction follows the tree skirt tutorial.

Of course I didn’t want a hole in the center of my table mat so I had to fill that in.  I have these handy dandy circle cutting rulers.  They work like magic for cutting a perfect circle.



I sewed a long stitch around the circle then pulled the threads for a slight gather to make it easy to turn under the edge.

I pressed the edge under.

Lay out the mat so the center opening is as round as you can make it.

I then pinned the heck out of it so that the mat opening would not shift while I just top stitched the circle in place.

That worked well enough.

Since I won’t see this slightly imperfect opening once it’s quilted, I have completely forgotten it isn’t perfect.  It is not at all noticeable.  You know I’m loving that!

I have a layer of Warm & Natural batting and a backing.  I just quilted in the ditch.  (My tree skirt does not have batting as I wanted it to be very drape-able).

I sure wondered why I had so much of this fabric, but some has been put to good use here and the Christmas fabric drawer does not bulge any more.  (Room for some new pieces, right?!)

The binding is, as always for me, cut on the straight grain.  I avoid bias bindings at all cost.  LOL

I LOVE this table mat.  It measures 33.5” diameter.

There were squares leftover (because I just cut a strip then cut the strip into squares).  Too lazy to figure out exactly how many squares I needed.  So this second table mat or runner was made with the scraps.

The back looks kind of pretty too.  Bonus!

It sits so nicely on my little bench by the door.  I think it just needs a few little wrapped gifts added to it.



I love that I bought NOTHING to make these.

Merry Christmas to all my bloggy friends!

Instagram

Instagram Rant:

How strange that I do not own a single device that will load Instagram photos.  I see everyone’s names and their words, but not a single photo.  I have searched for the problem, tried all the suggestions, but still nothing.  When I first signed up all went well for several days.  Now nothing!  This is why those of you on Instagram no longer see comments from me.  I can’t see what I would be commenting on.  **I’m saying bad words now**

Rant over.

Update:  And suddenly 8 days later I am seeing photos again.  So I suppose it is going to be an intermittent thing and I will enjoy while it lasts and pout when it stops again.  

Fall Table Mat

From the leftovers of the orange and black Recliner Quilt I made a Fall table mat.  The borders, binding and backing also came from my stash.  Nothing new was purchased to complete this mat.

As I am trying to use what I have and reduce the scraps stash, I pieced together enough scraps of batting for the table mat.

When I need an invention made, my son-in-law is talented enough to make them a reality.  I struggle with these thread spools standing on end while sewing as my machine struggles to pull the thread from the bottom of the spool.  Well, we don’t have that problem anymore!

Wha-la!



And now it is time for some Christmas sewing.

Here in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week.  We will cook and stuff ourselves on Thursday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Recliner Quilt

A recliner quilt.  That’s what I call it anyway.  I had a request for a quilt for using while in his recliner chair.  So narrow and long was the request and orange was the color desired.  “Just orange”?  “It could have some black but not be halloween”.  Okay, there’s a challenge if ever I heard one.

I did not use a pattern.  Just half square triangles set on point.  

I was anxious to try these triangle rulers I found at the quilt show.  Wow, did these half square triangles (hst) make up fast!

I love that the ruler has guides for trimming off those dog ears as you cut the triangles.

Cut and neatly trimmed and ready to sew!


I designed as I went along.

I used all three triangle ruler sizes.







I was thinking I would probably only use these little triangle rulers this one time, but really it went so easy and much faster than I thought it would.  Finding enough orange fabrics took more time than making the hst.  I have another quilt planned using these rulers already.

Before I knew it I was basting the layers together!

And quilting!

And binding!  By the time I get to sewing the binding on a quilt, I’ve had quite enough of fighting the quilt in a small space up against a wall.

So when I get it to my lap to hand stitch the binding, I’m a pretty happy quilter.

And done!

It measures 44” X 87”. I was going for an 80” length but this quilt had a mind of it’s own for length.  Extra long is much better than too short.



Then someone came along and said “you should add glow-in-the-dark skulls on it.”  And the other someone said “YEAH!”  And I said “seriously???”

That might look like Halloween to some, but not to them.  They just like that stuff.  Actually we are a bunch that enjoys a little creepiness in our everyday life.  Especially if it glows in the dark!  I have a very happy new quilt owner...that’s all that matters to me.

I’m trying not to keep adding to my scrap drawers so I’ll share in my next post what I did with the leftovers from this quilt.

Upcycled Nightshirt to Infinity Scarf

My friend has been upcycling thrift store men’s shirts.  I think they look quite fun.  But I don’t want to make them.  She shared an infinity scarf she made from men’s shirts.  That item caught my attention.  

I always have a Goodwill bag going.  I had a new nice warm flannel nightshirt that was accidentally put into the dryer after washing.  So I wasn’t going to be wearing it anymore.  It went into the Goodwill bag.  When I saw my friend’s upcycled infinity scarf, I thought about that nightshirt and what a nice warm scarf it might make into.  Out of the bag it came!

I cut two useable pieces from the nightshirt.  Then stitched the buttoned front placket closed and moved the label from inside the collar to the back yoke above the pleat.  I left the pocket alone.  I can hide something in there.  I stitched these two pieces together end to end to make a full circle.

Here you can see the pocket.  I also cut the cuff off one sleeve.  It can be buttoned around the scarf any way and where desired.  It also slides around...it is not sewn down.

The placket, back pleat and label shown here.

Just before turning the scarf right side out, I saw where I had accidentally snipped part of one layer.  Aaargh!  I had to unstitch some of the serging to make the repair.

I cut off the buttons section of the other cuff and sewed it over the snipped section.

My apologies to someone who is NOT going to get a new flannel nightshirt at a steal of a price from Goodwill, because that nightshirt is going to be keeping my neck warm this winter.

Thank you Leslie for your awesome infinity scarf inspiration!  I’ll be keeping an eye out for other desirable upcycled clothing ideas.

Candy Wrapper Pouch

I just made this sweet little candy wrapper zip pouch!

What fun!

Yes, eating the candy AND sewing the pouch.

These wrappers are from the giant bars.  So finished, the pouch measures 4” X 7.5”

I didn’t choose very exciting lining or a bright zipper.  I just wanted to use a piece of fabric that was never getting chosen for anything.  Just in case the whole thing was a fail.

I couldn’t be more pleased.  I must make more.  Oh gee, I’ll have to eat more candy.  Isn’t that a shame!  :-)

I used this tutorial to make this pouch:

https://www.punkinpatterns.com/blog/2011/03/sweet-tooth-pouch.html

Halloween Postcard Greetings

A few more Halloween greetings mailed out...

A Raven at Halloween is always a favorite.  I have a kinship with him for shiny things.

A black cat.

Glow-In-The-Dark Skulls!  From fabric leftovers of another make.

Here they are, glowing in the dark.  Of course they glow way better in real life.  

Take them to your bedroom at night.  They will watch over you while you sleep.  

Isn’t that a creepy thought!

**insert Vincent Price’s laughter**

Glow-In-The-Dark Pillows

Creepy good glow-in-the-dark pillows for my grown grandchildren.

There’s no such thing as too old for glow-in-the-dark, right?!

20” pillows accented with their favorite color.

And my favorite black & white stripe binding.

I tried getting a “glowing” photo.  Didn’t photograph well but they glow really well. Even the bones fabric is a glow-in-the-dark.
They aren’t Halloween gifts.  These kids like this creepy fun stuff all year long.  It must run in the family...it was hard to mail them away.

Happy season of frightfulness!

Be My Valentine Quilt

My third unfinished quilt is FINISHED!

Be My Valentine

This quilt got its start in 2016.

I paper pieced the hearts from a pattern I drew myself.  A heart paper piece pattern is not hard to draw at all.

I lay thin sheet boards on my bed for pin basting.  I have one full size sheet that is 4’ X 80” (because I have low ceilings upstairs).  I have an extension sheet that is 30” X 80”.  I used the smaller one for drawing my quilting lines.

When a fabric has a wide flat selvage with printing info on it, I like to make it a part of my quilts.  Just for fun.

This is a smaller quilt that measures 58” X 76”.

I used two of the fabrics for the binding.  They are pretty close in looks, so it isn’t easily noticed.  But I like it.

It feels so good to have all of my unfinished quilts finished.  

I couldn’t wait to start on the next quilt.  I meant to start and finish one.  But I’ve got two new ones going at the same time.  I planned one.  The second came as a request that I don’t want to put off too long.  So I’m just working them both at once.  What a happy quilter I am! :-)