minibarn

I have already gotten a lot of good help on the subject of kraft-tex but now I would like some opinions on placemats. My idea is to make quilted placemats w/Christmas fabric then applique gingerbread people, w/the recipients names embroidered on them, to the placemats. I can't decide on the exact look. I will put the gingerbread people on to the left or right of center (suggestions on which side?), and I thought about leaving the head part unattached so that silverware could be slid down in there...like a pocket. So the applique stitching would start at about the shoulders on the gingerbread people. Should I do a pieced placemat or just use a solid fabric? I guess that part is up to me but I thought maybe some of you would have some really great suggestions because ya'll are more creative than me. I could do more than one gingerbread person per mat, but there are just two mats so I thought I could do a girl for the wife and a boy for the husband, just one per mat.

Thanks for ideas and suggestions.