Scrappy Heart Candle Mat

It always feels good to complete a project, especially when it has been around for a long time!

This little candle mat took a lot of twists and turns while I was working on it. At one point I bought all new fabric for the quilt top and then decided it needed new Yo Yo hearts to match and with each change or new idea the progress was delayed. Finally, about a month ago, it all began to come together. I had the top pieced, the hearts were almost finished and it was time to decide on the style of machine quilting. I had originally planned on free motion quilting because I liked the look and it was the perfect size to practice on, however, I discovered that my sewing machine was too old and did not have the tools or needed adjustment capabilities. That was very disappointing and forced me to consider alternative quilting options but there weren't many. The truth was, my heart was set on the look of stippling so I came up with a solution. My idea was to sew the top to look like free motion quilting or "faux free motion" as I like to call it. I wasn't sure if it would work or not but decided I was willing to rip out the stitching if it looked terrible. I started in the middle and worked out, twisting and turning, starting and stopping frequently to lift the presser foot, and low and behold it worked {sort of}. It is not perfect and not quite what I imagined however it is close enough for me and the best part is ~ it is finished!

Now onto the next project... 

Have a happy day!!