A collaboration

Usually when I come to make things I only have to please myself.  Not this time though.  This time I had a Little Helper who had some ideas of her own.

Before I ever had the idea for the flowery dresden placemats, I'd been mulling over the idea of a fabric placemat for my Little Miss.  It was one of those times where the idea of how it should actually look was slow in coming.  I knew I wanted some patchwork, some embroidery, some appliqué, but how exactly?

Eventually the picture in my mind started to take shape and so I asked LM what she thought of the placemat plan.  She wanted to know if hers would be a flower too?  No, I explained, I was thinking of something different, a little more special, just for her... possibly with a picture of her favourite animal, a cat on it?  She seemed to like the idea but I could see she wasn't really feeling it yet.

No doubt she couldn't imagine what I had in mind, so she asked what colours did I think it would be?  "Well", I said, "I was thinking some pink?", because she likes pink.  "And purple?" she piped up, quick as a flash.  "Yes, we could have some purple too" I agreed.  "How would it be?" I asked, thinking this would clinch the deal, "If you picked all the fabrics out that you like and I'll put them all together for you?"  I was right, it worked like a charm. So, after a joyful twenty minutes of choosing, discussion, suggestion and counter suggestion, we arrived at our selection.

I must admit to being a little dubious of some of her choices.  But although some of my suggestions were well received, she seemed like a customer who knew her own mind, so I happily ran with it.

In the end, I think she got it pretty spot on.  She certainly paired some things I wouldn't have.  (Bright purple and bright yellow, for example.) But, I have to say, I do love them all together now.

And what does my Little Helper think of it?  Well, I'm glad to say that she is thrilled to bits and we've used it at every dinner time since.  There appeared to be only one problem.  When I revealed it for the first time, after much 'oh wow-ing' she looked at it for a moment and said "There's one thing though Mum... cats aren't red in real life you know."


Ah, I hadn't thought of that.


S x