Patchwork Please Zakka Sew Along

And so I am excited to tell you that I am stop number 5 on the Patchwork Please Zakka Sewalong.  When Lindsey and Debbie asked me to be a part of this, I had to tell them to put me on the dunce's list.  No pouches, zippers, bags or other complicated items for me and they very kindly agreed to let me have one of the book's easiest projects.  So, if you're a beginner or nervous sewer (sewer? sewist?), this is the project for you.  

For those of you who don't know, Patchwork Please is the work of Ayumi Takahashi of Pink Penguin, who is incredibly talented and has an amazing way with fabrics which you will discover if you have the book.  So I am making the Diamond Patchwork Placemat.

I have made it exactly as it is in the book and it is a quick easy project to put together with a bit of very simple paper piecing that enables you to achieve the four diamonds running down each side with perfect precision.  I used Liberty lawns and Essex linen for a fresh crisp British look.  In my head I pictured tea at Claridge's.

Instead of the ricrac decoration Ayumi used, I cut strips of Liberty lawn 5/8" wide, folded them in half and set them into the side seams for a little extra decoration.  I quilted in straight lines down the side section and with a diagonal cross hatch in the centre where one would place one's teacup.  

There are giveaways along the way in this sew along and I have four for you.  First I will be picking two winners who will each win one of these Aurifil embroidery floss thread sets.  You will be one of the first people worldwide to get your hands on these as they are a new Aurifil product and can be used for embroidery, cross stitch and hand quilting too.  To enter to win one of these, leave the comment "aurifil"in the comments. 

I will also be picking one lucky winner of this cute fabric and sticker pack from Form and Fabric.  Only open to attendees of the London Fat Quarterly Retreat, to enter to win this fabric pack, leave a comment "#fqrlondon" in the comments section.  

And finally I will be picking a winner of these Pellon charm packs with samples of interfacing and batting.  To be in with a chance of winning these (US only), leave a comment Pellon in the comments on this post.  You may enter all three giveaways but only one entry per person per prize.  

To see all the other Patchwork Please blogposts, past and present, here are the links:

June 3: Penny | Sew Take a Hike :: Bell Pepper Coasters
June 10: Maureen | MC Handmade :: B,L,D Towels
June 17: Anna | Noodlehead :: Lettered Tea Cozy + Pouch
June 24: Angela | Cut to Pieces :: Polka Dot Cafe Apron
July 1: Lynne | Lily’s Quilts :: Diamond Patchwork Placemat
July 8: Lindsey | LRstitched :: Yum Yum Apple Bib
July 15: Sukie | Don’t Ya Know :: Dino-Mite Hat
July 22: Jennifer | Ellison Lane :: Book for Baby Quilt
July 29: Krista | Poppyprint :: My Scrappy Box
August 5: Kerry | Very Kerry Berry :: Swedish Bloom Time Quilt
August 12: Tamiko | Patchwork Notes :: You’ve Got Mail Wall Pocket
August 19: Monica | Happy Zombie :: Happy Hexagon Trivet
August 26: Krista | Spotted Stone Studio :: Piece of Cake Shopping Bag
Sept 2: Lori | Bee in My Bonnet :: Triangle Patchwork Box Pouch
Sept 9: Amy | During Quiet TIme :: Vintage Pencil Case
Sept 16: Svetlana | SOTAK Handmade :: I love My Ipad Quilted Cover
Sept 23: Amber | One Shabby Chick :: Handy Market Tote
Sept 30: Deb | A Quilter’s Table :: Sweet Trips Embroidery Pouch
Oct 7: Leila | Where the Orchids Grow :: Prettified Pincushion

And if you are joining in the sewalong or just want to follow everyone else's progress, head on over to our groups and pages on flickr, facebook, Threadbias, Pinterest and Instagram using hashtag #patchworkplease.  And don't forget to head on over to Lindsey's blog for the weekly link up with a chance to win prizes from Aurifil and Pink Chalk Fabrics.