Party Time with American Beauty by Dani Mogstad

Welcome to the excitement of the 4th of July! As we prepare to fire up the BBQs and take a refreshing dip in the pool, there’s no better way to accessorize your holiday celebration than with American Beauty by Dani Mogstad for Riley Blake. I’m Alexis Plunkett of @StitchedbyAlexis, a quilter and photographer from Southern California, here to add that extra punch of holiday pizzazz to your next gathering.

Join me as we explore a range of festive projects, including a reversible star table runner, versatile dinner napkins perfect for any occasion, and a stylish string quilt pillow cover. Whether you’re hosting a casual cookout or a formal dinner, these creations will elevate your decor with patriotic flair.

Grab a seat and get ready to be inspired as I share these delightful makes and gorgeous fabrics with you. Let’s make this 4th of July celebration one to remember!

Star Table Runner

Oh, the Ohio Star…

Star blocks tug at my heartstrings, and incorporating them into a table runner adds an extra layer of charm, perfect for dressing up for parties and holidays.

This ‘Star Table Runner’ by A Spoon Full of Sugar is versatile for any occasion. Its dimensions, at 13 1/4 inches wide by 38 3/4 inches long, make it suitable for standard square, round, oval, or circular tables, as well as entryway or party tables.

I opted for a uniform look by replicating all three blocks instead of going for a scrappy feel and quilted it with a timeless 1 inch wide straight line in white. The fabrics work so well together and are super classy with their deep blues and rich reds.  Below is a list of the American Beauty fabrics I used:

• Background (table runner): American Beauty Tonal Navy
• Binding: American Beauty Burst Red
• Star Background: Confetti Cottons Riley White
• Backing: American Beauty Main White
• Center star: American Beauty Floral White
• Center star outside: American Beauty Geo Navy
• Outside star: American Beauty Tonal Red

And guess what’?!  it’s reversible! With the large floral print, you can easily flip it over for a different look, or to hide any accidental ketchup spills from your party. 

Dinner Napkin

Have you used a napkin for something other than a napkin? Say decor?  Napkins are a great cost effective way to add color and texture to an otherwise boring tablescape.  

Here are ideas on how you can use a napkin for decor:

• Fluffed in a ball jar or champagne flute on a tablescape 
• Lined in a basket to serve cookies, muffins, chips, BBQ buns or biscuits 
• Folded to strategically hold utensils. Tutorial found HERE.

Utilizing scrap leftover from my projects I crafted a napkin using a 17 inch square in a matter of minutes. The tutorial can be found HERE.  

String Quilt Pillow Cover

String quilts are a fantastic method for utilizing fabric scraps and packing a visual punch. With relatively little planning, I grabbed my American Beauty scraps, a few pieces of Riley White Confetti Cotton fabric, a ruler, and made a 4th of July string quilt pillow cover.

For your project, I followed THIS tutorial and changed up the dimensions to fit my pillow insert.  See below:

• White squares: 9.5 inches
• Backing pieces: (2) 13.25 x 18.8 inches
• Binding: (3) strips measuring 2.25 inches wide by the width of fabric (WOF)
• White strips: 1 ½ inch strips

Notes:

• ¼ seam allowance 
• I hand stitched the binding to the reverse 
• 20×20 down filled pillow form used

The results of these 3 mini projects with American Beauty collection are adorable and perfect for your next 4th of July gathering. If you want more mini projects like these, be sure to follow @StitchedByAlexis on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter for the latest releases.