Spicing up the Kitchen

So I've had a month to get my act together for my swaps, and I am really struggling.  I am starting to feel the pinch of time, since this swap is due at the end of the month.

My partner asked for placemats and said she liked the usual fabric designers.  From the beginning, I wanted to make a double sided placemat in fun, bright colors, which is what she said she liked.

This was my first idea, but when I posted it, the general consensus was that pink in the kitchen was a no-go.  I guess I was stuck on the Amy Butler fabric, though, because I just couldn't get that print out of my mind, until I made this:

Easy Reusable Grocery Bag by Keika Lou

Somehow, that seemed to help, and I could move on.  Then I came up with this

Then I came up with this:

which I think was entirely too green, and not very exciting.

My next idea was a little better.

although I should learn not to take photos late at night because the color just doesn't do it justice.  This is a beautiful robin's egg blue Kona matched with Moda's Bliss by Bonnie and Camille.  This one turned out OK, and I think I will like it when I get it quilted.  The appliques are from Sandi Henderson's Bits and Pieces book, which BD#1 got me a couple of weeks ago.   Each placemat has a different applique. 

I lightened this photo and the colors are better, but it lost a lot of the detail in the process.  

For the other side, I picked Kumari Gardens by Dena Designs as my fabric inspiration.  I just loved the butterflies.  Somehow, the design just doesn't pop like I wanted it too, so I pulled it all apart and started over.  Here was the first try:

And here is the detail:

Well, I'm a little frustrated, but as they say, it's a work in progress.