My January challenge for Island Batik is a placemat challenge.
I am taking an on demand Mid-century Modern quilt class from Carole Lyle Shaw and had originally planned to make my placemats using some of her techniques but the more I got into the class the more I decided to use the technique in a later planned quilt. I just want to go on record as recommending this class–she goes over some great ideas, techniques, and consideration when/how to use different colored fabrics.
The first set of placemats is from a pattern called Release the Geese by Sarah Bond (@slbphilly on Instagram). I took this awesome class last summer and she gave us patterns to make copies of so I got to thinking about combining to make fun placemats. Sarah Bond’s classes are easy to find if you subscribe to her Instagram or go to @quiltfest and check out the shows/online classes. F. U. N. I’d love to take her mini geese class someday…
I used the technique I use to make Double Wedding Ring quarter blocks. In this whole “trying to figure this out” as I worked I decided to use Latifa Saafir’s 12″ Clammy acrylic I have to make the “melon” in the center… I eyeballed it and it worked AMAZINGLY well!
Once together I made a second one in greens using the same . Both placemats used the “stash builders” (four 5″ strips of various fabrics) the backgrounds are Island Batik’s foundations fabrics. I used some of the great black that was sent in my Island Batik boxes I got at the beginning of the month both as backing and as binding once I quilted the placemats.
Ok full disclosure: I’m a singleton. I also live in a tiny house. My placemats don’t have to match I only use one at a time. 🤣
That being said I also wanted to make some New York Beauty blocks into asymmetrical placemats. I have HUNDREDS of NYB block patterns. Seriously, it’s almost a problem how much I love them… many are of unknown origins (out of magazines) but several of these 1/4 blocks are from Tobacco Shed Quilts off Etsy.com and the double flying geese is from Carl Henstch (on Instagram as @3dogdesignco).
The fabric bundle I used to make my NYB placemats was one of the AMAZING colorways Island Batik posted back in December. I could not stop myself from buy a fat quarter bundle of Floralicious and now I am so glad I did–I love how these turned out. Again, I backed them with some of the black fabric Island Batik sent.
I used needles from Schmetz–which I love and ALWAYS use in my machine. I also was happy to use some of the great colored 50wt thread that Aurifil sent. I am crazy for their neutral grey and use it without fail for piecing but have a fairly limited amount of colored threat so it was SUPER generous of them to include several spools in my box from Island Batik.
This was a fun way to ease into the new year and I am looking forward to more quilt adventures!
Archipelago Quilting 