Ok, so I was just at my father's house for Thanksgiving. It's a brand new mansion of a home.... VERY gorgeous and ornate. My original idea was to make them a set of elegant placemats for their new table. I was going to use rich, deep colors as I was thinking would befit their new dining room.

But now that I've been there, two things have changed! I saw they have MANY sets of placemats! But no table toppers! So I'll do a square to fit their large, round table.

Second thing that changed is his wife's color scheme in the dining room is VERY colorful!

In the picture, the table has 2 or 3 leaves in it to make it big enough for family thanksgiving. When it's just them, it's a 60" round table.

So if you were making a table topper for this room, would you try to do something bright and colorful like everything else? OR would you go with the understated, tame colors since everything ELSE is so bright?

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...DiningRoom.jpg[/IMG]

I'd do understated. Everything else is so colorful and rich, go with something muted and tame to be there, but not announcing itself.

Ok.... understated is what I'm going to do! If, in the end, I don't think it'll be perfect for their house, I know it'll work in mine!!! hehehehe This one will have a splash of purple and metallic gold... a small splash. I hope that'll give it a bit of zing and panash. :D

Oh, and I've pulled fabrics and am ironing them out right now!! I should have it all cut out in the next hour or two. Wheeeeeeeeeee!

That is a tough room to plan for!! :D I think whatever you go with--it'll work. :wink:

Oh good, Well, where is it?? You are always soo speedy and I can't wait to see what you are gonna tackle for that room. (Which is really pretty btw)

Ugh! It's not as pretty as I was hoping it would be so far! I'm hoping it's just because it's too early to tell, but usually I know I love something from the start. LOL I'll keep going, but this may stay here at my house. LOL!

Oh my. Where did they get those chairs. :shock: :shock:

sewaholic, I was wondering the same thing I love the way they look.

The chairs are a mish-mash, collected from around the house so that 12 people could sit at the Thanksgiving table. LOL The 4 painted ones my Dad's wife and her kids painted themselves.

HI. I like the painted chairs.
For the topper, I was thinking burgundy with splashes of purple and gold.

ranger

Ok, here's what I have so far:

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ogresstop2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ogresstop1.jpg[/IMG]

There will, of course, be borders and stuff. LOL
What do you think? Honesty is good here!!

I LOVE THE COLORS!!!!

I think that's pretty. It's very busy, but that's a busy room so it should work!

I love it!!!

Really??! I'm surprised... hehe I thought for sure you guys would think it's not pretty enough. It IS very busy... I'm not in love with the ecru floral setting squares in the middle. I like it, but I'm not in love with it. LOL

Thank you for your opinions!

Ok, here's 5 rows set out on the table:

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ogresstop3.jpg[/IMG]

The pattern that I'm going from only had 4 rows by 5 rows. Since my Dad's table is a bit larger than most, I added one row......

... so now it's square. His table is round, so I was thinking that a square would look better than a rectangle.

I plan to add a thin border strip around this (after putting in marbled hunter green setting triangles) and then a pieced border of more of those 1 1/2" squares that I made the 4-patches out of.

Okie doke, going with the square idea.... here it is w/ the setting triangles and corners in green!

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ogresstop4.jpg[/IMG]

the green really pulls it together, I was having a hard time looking at the other s by themselves. Funny how color can change everything.

That is gorgeous!

Thank you! I'm in the middle of piecing the diagonal rows together. Next step is a thin border stripe and then a border of the same 1 1/2" squares that are in the middle. Then the binding. I have to work sort of fast because this is a Christmas gift, and after this I have two sets of placemats that are also gifts! LOL

The green sure does bring it all together, is turning out beautiful :D

the green brings it together nicely, had trouble with it before that. going great

looking good kiddo

Very classy looking - I love it!!

I like this idea. If it "too understated" she may not use it. :oops:
I agree that bringing in the wall color is a good idea.

I would pull colors from the large painting and the four chairs. What color is the table that it will be laying on? Good luck.........

I love what the green does! This is very classy!

It is looking really good now...it desperately needed the green, but you knew that already :wink: I'm wondering how it is looking now?

I need to get off here and go work on some of my gifts ...so I'll be waiting for a new pic of this one!

oooooooooo i love it and that green pulls everything together. Great job kiddo..... Its got my vote :wink:

You know we're honest. We would tell you if it didn't work. At first the floral bothered me. But visualizing the borders, etc. I think it's going to be great. And I just love the 4- patch. Colors are very striking. Onward, ho.

Gail, thank you! You and the other ladies here are excellent sewing buddies. I wish we could all spend time together, in one big room, talking and sewing.

I am finished with the top of this table topper. I sandwiched it and began quilting.... but my machine is misbehaving!!! The bottom bobbin thread is visible on the quilt top, and of course that looks terrible. I could see it was happening, but I thought adjusting as I went would be ok, but now I have a good bit to rip out.

Here's where I'm at now. I am completely working things out as I go... as far as colors, size and everything. LOL I hope it finishes up well. That purple is a nice, dark batik. And the backing fabric will fold up and over the edges to become the binding. That backing is a darkish green with metallic gold dots all over it. It's lighter than the dark green marble that the setting triangles are made of.

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ogresstop5.jpg[/IMG]

And here's the dining room again:

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...DiningRoom.jpg[/IMG]

Oh yes, I am thinking it will be perfect!! Another great project for you!

Thank you so much! I've come to a screeching halt in my work progress on it, tho..... I've NEVER had my machine misbehave on me. But it is now. I kept sewing too long, hoping it would work itself out, but it didn't. So I've got some ripping to do. I was quilting the 3 layers together, and need to undo it all. Urg.

LOL

oh, oh, Brazen. Must be time to put your machine in time out if it's misbehaving. :lol: If I were closer to you, I'd go and help you do some of that "unsewing."

Oh no...I just hate unsewing! That is sooo pretty too! What do you think is wrong with your machine? Want to borrow my froggie? At least he puts a smile on your face while you are unsewing. :?

That frog is CUTE!!! And funny, too. LOL! I don't know the technical term for it, but my machine made the bottom bobbin thread come up and show on top of the quilt, and you can't see the top spool thread at all.... it's not in nice, normal stitches on top. I'm using my regular "invisible" thread on top... it looks just like fishing line. I always use that stuff, and it usually works fine. I'm using the same 100% natural cotton batting as always. Same fabrics. So I don't know why it's misbehaving!!

You probably did, but I'll ask anyhow. Did you clean the bobbin case, etc. down there? Change the needle? Be sure the needle isn't in backwards. Several times I've brought my machine to the shop and found out that it was something as simple as that. Good luck.

I hope you get everything worked out but I can tell you it sure is pretty.