Vintage Blooms Quilt Designs

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Pattern Number 2 is Ready!

I have been so blessed with all the response for my first pattern, The Sewing Machine Mat, Spring Mat.  This pattern makes the sewing machine mat in a larger size to fit newer machines with larger sewing throat bed areas.  I want to thank everyone that has purchased a copy of the pattern and I truly hope that you are enjoying making and using your mat under your sewing machine in your sewing rooms. 
During a recent beach trip to the beautiful Gulf of Mexico at Panama City Beach, Florida, my friend Faye asked me to create a smaller mat for her featherweight sewing machine. She says, "I want smaller pockets, just the right size to tuck in a bobbin or pack of needles, or a small piece of chocolate!"  And so I decided to name this mat the "Summer Bikini" because it was created at the beach, and it will be tiny and just fit in the area where Faye keeps her featherweight machine, and because that is about the only bikini I will have!  So after a bit of pattern designing and quilting, the designs were made and packaged together as Pattern #2.  The mat is created a lot smaller to fit just perfect under your featherweight sewing machines.


Summer Bikini Sewing Machine Mat with Bikini Beach Mug Rug 


This is a close up photo of the machine quilting designs on the sewing machine mat and the companion mug rug.  This mug rug pattern combines easy paper piecing and machine applique, finishes at 5 x 7 inches.


Note:  The pattern sample was created using batik fabrics and was longarm quilted with the pattern, Surf’s Up, by Gammill Girls Quilting, located at Front Porch Quilt Shoppe, Ozark, Alabama.  If you choose to have your fabrics for the base and pocket of the mat professionally longarm quilted, please check with your favorite longarm quilter to note their requirements.  A larger size fabric may be required, as needed to feed onto the longarm machine.  After the longarm quilting, you will cut your base and pocket to the correct size and put together, then add the binding to make the sewing machine mat.  
Pattern instructions and fabric requirements are given for the mat to be quilted by the maker, not by the longarm.   This mat, “Summer Bikini”,  was created to be used with your  smaller sewing machines, the pockets are three inches deep, and can be stitched to whatever size width you choose.  The pattern sample has four pockets that are five inches apart.  This mat is perfect for the classroom and retreats! The pockets are just the correct size for tucking in extra bobbins, sewing machine needles, and small spools of thread.  
The finished size of the mat is 17 x 20 inches.

This is the perfect companion mat for all of you that have the smaller classroom machines and the featherweight sewing machines.