Cut Work Christmas Table Topper

I think this is the first time in my almost 3 years of blogging that I haven’t posted at least once a week. Sorry-I’ve been busy doing less-than-glamorous tasks! I’ve also been playing with various ideas for the class sample for my upcoming “Reversible Christmas Table Topper” class. I’m happy to show that today:

This is really easy and forgiving free motion work combined with some cut work-plain old cut work by hand, not on the machine with a gazillion dollar attachment! I used a red batik for the “back” and regular quilting fabric for the green front, fused them together with Misty Fuse and used a variety of threads to finish.

One of the keys to this technique is good thread tension-there is no batting to hide your thread in. You can cheat by using thread that matches the other side of fabric-then less-than-perfect tension will not show as much.

I like the way the grid looks against the center poinsettia motif. I wanted to put some gorgeous swirls in there but I thought that might be a little too challenging for newer quilters. Now that I see the completed grid, I like it.

The center was done free hand and I marked the grid and the large circle. I experimented with different threads and if this were just for me, I would have used a metallic thread. I kept it simple-I didn’t want thread to be an issue in class.

You can see that this is not an exacting process and I don’t mean it to be. I like the “bohemian” feel of it and I never aim for perfection anyway.

I find the edges charming-I like an undulating edge and the holly leaf and berry capture the feel and meaning of Christmas. If you’re local you can sign up for this class at Meissner’s here.

As always, I have a practice sandwich to work out my choices upon. Just to see how loose I could be with the grid, I followed the print of the batik for my lines here-no marking at all. If you examine closely, you will definitely see wobbly lines-charming! See, you really don’t have to be exacting with this project.

On my class sample, I did mark my lines for the grid. I forgot the old painter’s tape method of marking lines but I was reminded recently by Kathy Schmidt in her blog post here. If I do this again, I will definitely use tape to mark my grid-thanks Kathy!

This detail shot shows the cut work in progress-you’ll have these little floppy guys until you do your final cut and the piece falls out. It’s embarrassing how good it feels to see pieces drop out one-by-one and your pattern begins to emerge. Oh dear, now you really know how ridiculous I can be…..

The cut work is not something you sit in your sewing room and do (unless you have a delightful room!). This is something you do outside on a beautiful day, in front of the tv or with some some delightful music, books on tape, etc. It’s a relaxing, Zen-like thing.

Driving out of my neighborhood the other day I couldn’t help but notice this HUGE pumpkin-672 lbs! I have no idea what they are going to do with it. It certainly makes you smile when you drive by-fall is here!