Raven and Pumpkin Placemats

I made four more Halloween themed placemats this week from a print panel of four placemats in a pattern called Raven's Claw by designer Andra Tachiera for Northcott.  I had bought a panel of four of these last fall and wrote up their completion in my post for 10/23/19.  I lamented to my daughter that I wished I'd bought another panel to have at least six. She encouraged me to Google it, and I was able to find another panel to buy and bring me up to eight.

I used flannel rather than batting in between the front and backing. I learned from my 7/12/18 post about patriotic placemats that batting was too lumpy bumpy. Layering the flannel, then the backing right side up, and last the placemat print right side down, worked out well. I did not intend to bind these so the difference in bulk between the placemat center and edges was acceptable.

Instead of the binding I sewed with the placemat facing up all around ⅛" out from the edge of the bordering black line, instead of ¼" in from the edge, leaving an opening for turning. stitching relative to the printed line rather than the edge gave me a crisp black line around the perimeter once I turned the placemat right sides out and pressed.

I was able to use the same peach colored thread for top stitching as I had for the previous four. It still went better than orange or black, even though I did have to vary the backing a bit. I only had one yard each of those pearl bead prints but at least the tonality was a good blend. I have four placemats of each backing.

I have not done any free motion quilting on these placemats. Perhaps I will simply outline the pumpkins or the two ravens. But, once I start, where do I stop? Maybe only the two ravens in black... Or maybe also the two central pumpkins in orange... Since I seem incapable of deciding how much or what color thread, I have allowed indecision to dictate that I do nothing. My set of eight will be put into use this year in their free-from-stitching configuration and then stored  away until next Halloween 2021. Fortunately they store away flat. 

Had I given in to my fondness for pumpkins painted in scrolls, harlequin, or polka dots, I would be trying to cram three dimensional odd-shaped white-elephant type decorations into already overloaded plastic bins in the attic, instead of laying these placemats in a drawer in the dining room hutch. Well I did buy these two chunky flat compromises in Halloween 2019. I could not resist.