Friday, February 28, 2014

Putting the Pieces Together - Quilter's Tablescape

Although this may look like a Quilter's Tablescape and I am calling it a Quilter's Tablescape - the reason for the table has nothing to do with quilting!
I am actually having my daughter and a couple of ladies over for an interesting afternoon discussing the possibilities of starting a Non-Profit Organization.   Of course, since I am hosting the meeting,  I looked through my dish stash for the appropriate setting.  I was taken by some dishes that my sister and niece bought me last year for Christmas.  

These plates remind me of puzzle pieces or  quilt blocks, which made me think of the theme of "Putting the Pieces Together" for our meeting.  Since we will be piecing together the steps we will have to take to get our project off the ground, I somehow thought this was appropriate!

 I mixed and matched all my Signature Sorrento dinnerware with the multi colored salad plates to get a kind of patch-work look going.  

OK, Never mind the fact that what we are doing has nothing remotely even close to quilting or sewing, and also never mind that the table is set for 6 and there is only 4 us!!  It is just a good excuse to set a fun table with all the fabric I have!
 I took my plate down to my fabric stash and pulled some fabrics that coordinates with the plates.
I cut them into fat quarters (18x22") pieces and made a bundle for each place setting.
But I needed something for the centerpiece, so I decided to make some fabric flowers. Making a paper template for my flower scallops, I used the tip of a teaspoon to trace around to keep the scallops in a somewhat uniform size.  Then I cut strips of fabric in varying lengths and widths to make different sized flower layers. 

 By just doing a running stitch along the edge and then gathering up the fabric, it made a nice flower.  
I liked the fullness with two layers together and adding buttons as the center of the flower. I glued the flowers to some dowel rods for stems and stuck them in my Sorrento Stoneware Wine Bottle for some height to the table.


















By attaching a few more of the fabric flowers to my wire dress 
form, it balanced out all of the sewing paraphernalia I put on top of my cutting board as a centerpiece. 

 We had just gone to a restaurant the other night where they rolled the flatware up in the napkin nice and tight and it looked really cute.  I made a mental note of the it, thinking I might have to use that idea done the line.  I tried it for this table, but my gold checked napkins that I wanted to use were much smaller that the napkins they used at the restaurant - so they kept coming unrolled - so I solved that problem by sticking them in the coffee mug - and I liked the result!!  

So, or should I say "Sew"?  That is my table,  All ready for us girls to get down to the business of starting a business.  Anyone wondering what kind of Non-profit organization we are starting?  That will come in another tablescape once we get closer to our goal!!
Wish us Luck!

Sources:
Salad Plates - a gift from my sister, Carol and niece, Nikki - Thanks Much!!
Sorrento Signature Dinnerware - collected over the years mostly from stores in Ohio's Amish Country
Rattan Chargers and checked napkins - Pier 1 last year
Quilted Placemats - Marshalls

I am linking to the following Parties:
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
What We Accomplished Wednesdays @Green Willow Pond
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage