Tulip Place Mats- tops done

I have been working like a demon on my spring place mats in the hopes of getting them finished for the Easter weekend in time for a family dinner.

The appliqued stems and leaves took much longer than I had expected.
I had to practice applique with my new machine for a bit before I trusted myself to applique the real thing on the place mat tops.  I found I was getting pretty good at it by the 5th place mat! LOL!

I managed to find what I think is the perfect lime green batik fat quarters to use for the outer borders and for the backs.  5 out of 6 place mats tops have the applique complete and the outer borders on. Not bad, I think! :)

Tomorrow I plan on 'enveloping' the first 4 place mats.  (Sew with right sides together, then turn right side out....) Will I get all 6 quilted by Saturday's Easter dinner??? Probably not, but I have decided that I will use them unquilted if necessary, and then quilt them after the weekend.  Also our number of dinner guests has increased so I also hope to make a 7th place mat!  Ambitious, I know...

A note about applique; I'm very much a beginner here, and the 2 sided fusible web "Steam a Seam 2" works quite well once you get on to it. But why don't they have the sides labeled?  What's wrong with labeling "Remove first" on the paper side which is supposed to come off first and then labeling the second side "Trace here" or something obvious instead of having both sides blank!  Yes, I traced some of my leaves on the wrong side, the side that comes off first...  But I managed to 'wing it' :D

Here are photos of the completed tulip tops! Nice and bright, eh?!

Quite "springish" , if I do say so myself!  LOL!