Saturday, January 4, 2020

Lines in the Sand Placemats

This set of eight placemats was meant to be a Christmas gift. I'm only a couple of weeks late, so it still counts, right?
I used Alissa Haight Carlton's Lines in the Sand pattern. You can download it for free here. They are really quick to sew up, but a hint if you'd like a fast finish - don't quilt them the way I did. Straight lines, a quarter inch apart, for the quilting took some time. Of course the benefit of dense quilting is amazing texture and a placemat with some body to it. I used grey Aurifil thread on the black Essex linen background and a light green Aurifil thread for the stripes.
I used the same linen for the binding, which was a bit thicker than I'd prefer. I do like the way it lets the stripes shine, though. A gorgeous green Carolyn Friedlander print is perfect for the backs.
After binding all eight by hand, I feel like I've bound a queen sized quilt. I haven't done the math, but the perimeters together might come close. I finally wrapped up that hand sewing late last night. Oh well, being late just means I have any early first finish of the new year!

5 comments:

FlourishingPalms said...

I'm so impressed that you made eight of these! I made four and thought I'd done a lot of work! :-) I really like your color choices. In fact, the best part is that you used a dark background. When I made mine, I used a taupe-colored linen with orange accents. Of course it was a lovely combination. However, the very first time I used them on our table - we had company - a guest tipped over her glass of red wine. Sheesh. Even with quick attention, that placemat has never looked as nice as the others. So, see how smart you are?! As always, I enjoy seeing your lovely makes. You are an inspiration!

Debbie said...

These are really lovely and I think your quilting takes them up a notch. Very nice!

KaHolly said...

Oh. My. Goodness! I love, love, love these!

Sharsel said...

Beautifully done. You have a lot of patience to quilt all 8.I will try for 4! LOL

Sharsel said...

Omgosh, the quilting is beautiful! Quite a feat. Love them though! Great job, going to try it. May take me a month for 4! LOL