Spring Table Topper & TGIFF

 

Welcome to Melva Loves Scraps and Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF)!

A new page has been turned as we start the month of May.  The weather has turned from cooler temps and chances of snow to warmer days, spring-like winds and chances of rain.  Spring is my favorite season, followed closely with Autumn.  The days of warm sunshine, comfortable temperatures so that you can have windows open and enjoy the varied sights, sounds and scents of the season.

To celebrate May Day, I created a "souvenir" Table Topper with the fabric I purchased while on vacation in Arizona in March.  It is a "sister" to the thank you gift I sent to the couple that welcomed us to their home for a few days in Green Valley (shown below).

I had only a 8" strip WOF of the light-colored hummingbird fabric remaining.  I wanted a simple patchwork as the center of the piece.  Since I could get six 7" squares from it, I matched some lavender squares for the middle 4-patch...  

Taking inspiration from the various colors from the orange-ish floral/hummer print, I selected fabrics for the borders from my stash.  A flange binding offers a pop of yellow against that purple border and makes me smile.  The iris bed was begging to be the background for the photo shoot. 💜

I couldn't resist adding a tag to the back of the topper that features the third fabric that I purchased... 

As you can see, it was a little short so I added a strip of teal that coordinated well.

The finished size is 39" square... The rounded corners reflect the edges of our table, allowing it to come nearly all the way to the edge.... and way better than bought ;)

We celebrated the turning of the calendar page with a "surf & turf" meal... bacon wrapped filets, shrimp orzo salad and fruit salad.  The orzo salad is one of our favorite summer side dishes... And because of that, I'll share it with you!  

This is a recipe that Dave and I enjoyed with his sister and her husband when we went for a visit to South Carolina several years ago (which is why there is a photo of them with the recipe).  

I use a GF orzo pasta.  I either go without the feta or use shaved parmesan cheese.

Marcie doesn't like olives so she subs capers for them.  We prefer the kalamata olives over the capers.  It is all about personal tastes.

The shrimp I used this time was precooked and I diced it.  I have also used salmon rather than shrimp.  Enjoy!

Time for the party to start... Remember, the party is for celebrating your finishes. ;)

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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