Even as we deck the halls for the holidays, the new year is fast approaching. Maybe a small gathering of friends or family will mark the beginning of 2020 at your place. I’m making a couple of fun table decor projects this week to add to a New Year’s Eve party. I relied heavily on the features and stitches of the PFAFF quilt expression 720 to help me create and wasn’t disappointed!
PFAFF quilt expression 720
First up, napkin rings!
Celebration dinners have a bit of formality to them so I thought quilted napkin rings to use with the cloth napkins would be a fun way to personalize a party. I used the Sequence program on the quilt expression 720 and put the star stitch 6.3.13 at the beginning and end.
I used the roman numerals for 2020 – MMXX – as a bit of nod to the formality of a black-tie occasion, but also I was thinking the napkin rings could be used for a party celebrating other black-tie events like watching the Oscars. I know, any occasion to quilt something new!
See the heart in the top right corner of the Color Touch Screen below? Press to save the sequence in a personal file on the machine to use again.
Sequence ready to stitch
To make one napkin ring I cut a black piece of fabric 2″ x 3½″ long, and a piece of Inspira Fast and Easy Tear-A-Way Light stabilizer the same size to put under the fabric when stitching. I stitched out the sequence using a neutral thread so it would pop on the black fabric.
Sequence stitched out
Then I sewed a 2″ x 1½″ piece of white with gold fabric to each end of the stitched black fabric, pressing the seams to the black. To complete the napkin ring, I cut a piece of the same white with gold fabric for the backing at 2″ x 5½″ long and placed it right side up on top of a piece of batting cut to the same size.
Materials for one quilted napkin ring
I placed the stitched top piece right side down on the pile and stitched around the edge to join the three layers, leaving a 2″ turning gap on one side of the black fabric and backstitching at the beginning and end. I used the ¼″ quilting foot for the IDT System to sew the layers together and to sew the next step.
Clip the excess layers from each corner to help make them lay flat once turned. Turning the ring right side out took a little bit of time and I used a tool (plastic letter opener) to push out the corners to make them square. With this step complete, it’s time to topstitch; finger press the gap opening closed and, using the inner edge of the ¼″ quilting foot as a guide, topstitch around the entire napkin ring.
Topstitching with the ¼″ quilting foot
Make as many napkin rings as you would like. To locate the saved sequence, go to stitch menu 10 and select the first personal menu; then select the saved sequence to use again. Get them all to this stage before moving to the next step.
Using the PFAFF quilt expression 720 features makes quick work of fun small projects like this one. Come back tomorrow for the next steps to complete the napkin rings.
Topstitched napkin ring