I made them...now what?

Does anyone else out there have projects in their sewing stash that have been sitting around for years? Hmmm, I've got a couple or a few.... Like this "quilt block of the month" kit. I don't even know where they came from, but I had three of them, all slightly different. They come with pre-cut fabric and instructions. Well, my sewing muse popped in for a visit and I decided to sew up the blocks for fun. Once they were done, I had three 12" blocks of blue and white. Quite lovely, actually, but what to do with them now they were sewn? Three blocks? Not quite a quilt...but maybe pillow tops? Nah. Placemats maybe? Except we don't usually use placemats, so why?

Then I went shopping with my Mom today and she stopped to admire some placemats. She said, "I don't do much to change my decorating anymore, but when I need a change I like to get a couple new placemats for the table." Placemats??? Well, now I had a plan. I came home, took my blue and white quilt blocks, added red on the sides to make them the right size (and patriotic!), and then chose a simple floral pattern for the flip side so they are reversable. They have a layer of thin batting in the middle for padding. Now I have a fun gift to give to Mom next time I see her!

It feels good to clean out even this little bit from my sewing room closet. The placemats turned out cute. Of course, now I'm thinking it might be kind of fun to have some on our own table. Maybe. I'll think about it. :)