Tutorials
8.24.2015
Gifty Galore Project 8: patchwork trivets with circular quilting
For my Gifty Galore project, I made these cute little patchwork trivets with circular quilting from the Sew4Home Blog.
When I first saw the pattern, I immediately knew I wanted to use some pretty scraps I had from the Mama’s Cottons Line Dried fabric collection by Connecting Threads.
Trivets are such useful little household items. They protect your table from hot dishes and add a little bit of charm to the tabletop. These trivets have a sewn-in twill tape loop for hanging.
Rick rack trimming and vintage inspired fabric make these trivets a welcome addition to any table top or kitchen.
Following this pattern was relatively easy, except for the fact that I had no idea how to “pinwheel” my center points properly. Once you have your triangle shaped pieces sewn into a circle, the pattern says: “on the back, you can use your seam ripper to remove just a couple stitches on both sides of the seam at very center. This will allow you to swirl the seam so you can press everything nice and flat. This is a quilting technique called pinwheeling.” I tried that, but the center where my seams met still looked lumpy. Using my creative license, I decided to add some quilting in the center to flatten out my lumps. I quilted along the seams to make a star or asterisk shape and I think it looks nice! At this point I gave myself a quick pat on the back for making a good save.
Back of the trivet using Ticking Stripe from Connecting Threads fabric collection Liberty for All.
I also improvised on using the circular quilting attachment, which I just didn’t have. They suggested using a compass instead, but I didn’t have one of those either! I quilted my circles by eye, and though they are not perfect, I think they are charming.
The rick rack trimming is the perfect complement to this project. I absolutely love rick rack. It has such a nostalgic feel, as do these trivets. It goes so well with the fabric collection.
Rick rack trim perfectly compliments the nostalgic fabric.
I hope you have as much fun making these trivets as I did! I also learned quite a bit about piecing and making corners line up, which I will definitely be using in my next project.
As always, we would LOVE to see how your projects turn out. Head over to the new Gifty Galore Flickr page and post your project photos there for everyone to enjoy! Of course, we would also love to see your pictures on our Facebook wall. Please post any questions about this project below in the comments and we will gladly respond to you directly.
