Not Quite

What I Had in Mind

I had seen some clock faces that used vintage French images that I thought might make some cool coasters. So I mined websites like The Graphics Fairy and Knick of Time for vintage images and played in Photoshop Elements -- "played" is a euphemism for how much I don't know how to do in that program and how much frustration I feel when I try.  After much (MUCH) trial and error (mostly error), perseverance won the day and I came up with clock faces I liked. A bunch of fabric went through the GO! as I cut out oodles of 5 inch circles (and 4 inch batting circles).

 I used Tap Paper to iron the clock faces onto linen.  So far, so good.

I used the coaster technique I've seen multiple places on the web and wrote about on this blog years ago here. (I left out the Insul Brite since I think the layers of folded fabric and the batting was thick enough for me). Then I sewed up my first coaster -- hmmmm.

Oh, dear. I didn't like it. It wasn't awful, but the edges are too wobbly for me. I tried another one and, predictably, it came out even worse. Perhaps using the linen was a mistake. Or perhaps it was that I interfaced the back of the linen.  Did that make it too stiff to get a smooth round edge on? I'm not sure.   In any case, I didn't like the result. Though I still liked the clock faces . . .

I was bummed.  I hoped to rescue something out of it though.

I pulled out my grandmother's old pinking sheers. They are built like a tank, weigh about as much as one, and have clearly been so well used and loved (not by me) that the blades are dull as can be. Using them should count as a test of endurance, or at the very least a trip to the gym.

Anyway, I made up four coasters using the method I began with -- which I like because it gives me double-sided coasters.  Then I fused the clock faces to the tops.  Not what I had in mind, but okay, I think.

From the front:

From the back: 

Four from the front, outside light:

Four from the front, inside light (hoping for a better picture):

And four from the back, looking pretty and delicate:

And just because, a pretty little candle tea cup:

So, not exactly my starting vision, but good enough, I think.  A touch of shabby chic.  (Well, I'm hoping, anyway).