Blogtoberfest day 26 - a finish-along tick

I got something finished from my quarter 4 finish-along list. Go me!!

I asked for this checked fabric from Sarah in a "fugly" fabric giveaway a few years ago. She thought it was horrible, I disagreed. She also sent my wee skull tidy that still houses all my Perle cottons and the Single Girl quilt pattern that I still haven't sewn. One day! Sarah's a wee doll, though. Mad Auld Aunty Sarah from Shetland or the Wee Dude as she's known in our house. *g*

I bought the Christmas present fabric almost immediately because it was such a good match. And then they both sat. And sat. Well, my festive table mats finally bit the dust last year to refrains of "if only we knew someone who could sew!" from Spouse. Funny guy! So in the spring I purchased Essex yarn dyed in olive to be the main body of them. (The red and white Christmas bundle were an impulse buy from Hobbycraft a few weeks ago.)

And again they sat. But no more!!! And I made 8 - even though we normally don't exceed 5 for Christmas dinner. Just so I have them, y'know?

I do love how the Essex gives some texture and colour. And, yes, I ran out of fugly check on the last one! I kinda like having one different, though. There's a wee bit of the check pieced in.

The backs are all different. I started collecting holly fabrics when I first found quilting but some of them are a bit yuk! They make awesome backing, though, and I do like them all different.

I also had stitched on the bindings ready for hand doing the backs when I tried Lynne's awesome machine stitched binding. Rats. Or I would actually have done them on the machine. But a few nights hand sewing had them all stitched - it was just like a big quilt, really.

And in light of my handmade table I might go for new napkins, too. These would be cute, I think. Not too trendy but not TOO brown and traditional either.

So a tick on the list! And I have done the quilt maths this morning to get the borders on the Critters Churndash. Hopefully a wee session this afternoon will get that top done. Although I'm waiting til December to get the backing - it's not in shops yet!!