Disappearing #$%^@$%&%#& 9 Patch

Donna Jordan and Jordan Fabrics had a nice video (they all are nice).  You can see it below.

My bright idea was to do this quilt.  I bought some adorable fabrics from the Dear Stella line.  However, when I assembled my disappearing 9 patch, I ended up with my fabrics disappearing into each other as I did not have enough contrast.  See the squares below.  On their own each fabric is adorable, but not so much when side by side.  I used the gold/yellow fabric as a buffer.  Yes, I could have laid this out better. 

Here is the reverse. 

This was a cheerful fabric.  Allowed me to hone develop my quilting skills.  I was comfortable enough that this would serve a baby's hiney quite well and would be cheerful to look at and use despite my gaffes.

 With my goofy pieces, I experimented with some layouts for placemats (for my own use)

Maybe not inspired, but it made use of what I had on hand.  It is bright and cheerful, and no baby hiney will grace them. I used the facing method....meaning that I quilted the top piece to the batting using nothing more imaginative than just stitching in (and occasionally out) of the ditch.  I then placed the back fabric over.  Sewed a 1/4th heavy seam (v. scant) leaving enough room for my hand to fish out the insides to turn it over.  I then top stitched the opening narrowly with the seam allowance tucked inside.  No ^#%$^%$^& binding to fool with.

I still had a few pieces left over.  I searched YouTube for coasters, and I found a whole genre of "mug rugs".  So I fashioned one with a left over piece.  Because I wanted quilting on both sides, I simply sandwiched.  Did my mediocre quilting (developing skills exercises).  Cut it squarish and used the overock foot on my Bernina 910 (yes it is old) to finish the edge.

It looks better in person than the photo!  It works.  It lays flat.  Will protect your surfaces from heat and inadequate handling of your beverage.

After making that, I had an idea.  I had some OLD fabric from dresses that my Nana must have made for my Mom.  My Nana was an expert seamstress, and I haver her 1924 Singer Red Eye sewing machine.  It is a treadle.  I don't use it.  The cabinet has served as my makeup table for all of these years.  Though I did open it up for the first time this weekend to see exactly what it was.  You can tell that it was well used...... I had a little mist in my eye seeing how my Nana and put pin cusions on the arm to keep pins handy.  (I will also mention that her father (she is Armenian and she lived near Constantinople coming to this country to escape the genocide in 1920), was a tailor).  He died by swallowing a pin.  Be mindful if you carry yours in your mouth.

I made one of these rug mugs for my sister, and I put a square of fabric (Teal rose on white background) on the obverse side). I'm glad that I saved the dresses.  They were beautifully made by my Nana, but they were not wearable due to seam failure.  I'm glad, because I almost donated them to a vintage shop.

With my interest in looking at quilting projects, I elected to salvage the fabric.  I'm glad I did.

I will aim for better/elusive perfection.  But for now, Perfection is the enemy of the good.  I need good, not perfect, experiencing putting things together--to include how colors works (or not).  You learn by doing and from your mistakes.  I found these ways to transform my mistakes into useful and cheerful items.