"Strings of Sunshine" for Show and Tell Saturday and Project Quilting

I completed my Project Quilting - Season Five - Challenge ONE - Strings.  I named it "Strings of Sunshine".

Sharing photos of how I completed my quilted table topper.

Heat on bond lite for the back of the dresden plate block.

Up close to the quilting...

Wiggle lines, swirls, and small meandering for the background.

Embroidery stitched binding - I chose the zig zag stitch where the stitching runs up and down each zig zag and I made it smaller.  It kind of echos the points of the dresden plate points.

Views from all angles.

The backside.

A full view.

 This is the table that I made the Strings of Sunshine Table Topper for.  My daughter and her husband have it on their patio. When we visited them, we ate most of our meals on this table.  On a cloudy day it will bring sunshine to their little table, as it rains there almost every day.

I selected two fabrics for the backside and placed the seam off center.

There were a lot of leftover scraps.  I used them for another quilted project for a Sunday's Scraps Post. I will share it tomorrow on Sunday, Jan. 12th.

Thanks for following along with my Strings Quilted Project for Project Quilting.  Everyone who completed a quilted project will be sharing them by Sunday, Jan. 12th at Noon on the Project Quilting Flicker Site. Hop over and check them out and hop over to Persimons Dreams Blog - Host of Project Quilting.

Enjoy!
Marcia 

Project Quilting String Creation in Progress

Overnight, I came up with some more ideas, so I cut more fabric strips this morning and added in a few more yellow prints.

At lunchtime, I stitched them together.  I had drawn out a sketch and I was thinking I would make the blocks into leaves.

I made a plastic template and cut the squares into a big leaf shape. 

I ironed light Heat 'n Bond on the back of the blocks.

And I traced around the template and cut them out.

They are kind of chunkie big leaves.

When I was done quilting, late this afternoon, I stitched some more and started cutting and laying out the pieces.

I changed the plan again.  I stitched so many strips sets at and I am not liking the leaves. I decided to make a plastic template and cut out some sections for a Dresden Plate Block.

I wanted the sections to look really scrappy so I moved the template around on the strip set to get different variations.

I needed 21 sections.
Here is how I stitched the sections.

This is not really a tutorial on the Dresden Plate Blocks --- just showing you what I did.

I pressed the points and then I stitched them together and pressed both sides of the Dresden Plate Block.

I love it!

I had decided to place the Dresden Plate Block in the center and scatter the leaves around it.
 

They look too big!  Then I laid it out on a yellow print fabric.

I still don't like it. Then I split them in half.

I tried a couple different layouts.

  
I still did not like it.  They were too free form with the Dresden Plate Block in the center.

 I really wanted something to scatter around the block.  I already had put all the work into the strips for the leaves.  How can I use them?  I decided to cut them into small sections of the Dresden Plate.

I laid them out around the center block.  I like it.  But I don't love it.  I want it to look unique, but not traditional.

I guess I will have to sleep on it!

I thought I would like the plain muslin behind the blocks but I am thinking I might like a yellow print fabric or maybe strips of yellow fabrics.  (More stitching on my lunch break tomorrow).

 Any ideas or suggestions?

I know my completed quilt will be a 29" square, because I am making it for daughter's square table.  I want it to fit perfectly on the top.

I hope you are enjoying following along. I made several of changes all in one day. I need to quilt it soon. Hopefully, Friday night. On Saturday, I will stitch the binding and take photos and upload them to flicker for Project Quilting.

Enjoy!
Marcia