New Table Runner

Yes, I have other projects to work on but in between those I made a table runner!  We bought a new high top dining table last fall and most of my table toppers are too small.  I posted this topper I made a month ago, which looked ok...
Angela Walters, Quilting is My Therapy, had a quilt along this past winter where she provided a block pattern for folks to put together in a full size quilt.  I actually thought of the table runner idea and made 3 of the blocks but never got past that step.



So a week or so ago, with no computer to research or kill time on, I pieced the blocks and added the border.  I think my bud, Susan, will recognize the border fabric!   Susan was with me when I bought 1/2 yard in black and another 1/2 yard in blue at our favorite quilt shop in Trenton, Florida.  I used both fabrics to make wine cozy's for friends. 

The size turned out perfect for the dining table and looks good in the dining room.  We are still looking at replacing the hanging light, which is currently green!  Not sure why we ever picked that color but it will be changed sometime!

The table is slate and wood so gray worked perfectly.

I quilted diagonally in the border, which I think looked best with the blocks.  You can't see the quilting except for the blocks anyway.   I liked the geometric look. 

Angela has lots of quilting tutorials on her site and I think she has another quilt along going on!  Be sure to check it out.  See, I have been doing some work while on my hiatus!

This program has been temporarily interrupted...

OK, I know I need to finish my 'eyes' quilt, as it's due May 31th...but I just couldn't resist playing with Linda Kemshall's latest video on using up your scraps!!!

Yesterday I worked on making the strips (after I came home from a great lunch & margarita with my bud, Carol T.!).

I made 3 sets of strips.

And two of the six sets/blocks I made from the strips! If you want to know how to make these, you'll need to sign up for DesignMattersTV!  I don't get any magazines and put all my $$'s to this online resource.  It's not cheap but well worth it in my mind....so don't ask how these are made!  HA  Go sign up!!!

So many different layouts are possible....

This is how I used the blocks.  And the leftover strips I put in between each block.  To be honest...I almost cut the block apart so I could stitch together again!!!  But I didn't...but I do have 3 other blocks left over to do something else with!...hmmmmmmm

This will end up being another table runner.  I know..I need another table runner like a hole in the head!  But, it's fun to be able to change them out frequently!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Table Runner update!

On Wednesday, I met my bud, Carol, for breakfast then headed home to play!  I started off trying something different on my table runner!  I recently mentioned Hilary B., who is a wonderful textile artist from the UK.  The last few weeks, Hilary finished  some unique pieces for their textile exhibit, which were completed with thread sketching, as Hilary referred to it!   Hilary has some wonderful video's on YouTube that you need to check out!
This is the piece where I added a center strip, which gave it some color but I wanted something different on our table runner so this is what I did on Wednesday!  With inspiration from Hilary, I decided to use her technique and add some leaves to my table runner.I   know they are hard to see but look at the bottom left and top right!  Leaves via thread sketching!

So this was how I did the leaves!  I started off tracing a leaf shape (actually several of them!) onto tracing paper.

This was a leaf from the book FALL: Photographs that I purchased several years ago. I traced the leaf onto a piece of tracing paper.



 I love the book and have used tracings of the leaves as patterns (this quilt has several of the leafs that I used for applique).

Next up I pinned the tracing to the table runner and started to stitch along the lines.  Free motion is the best for this type of stitching.  I used a 12wt heavier thread to stitch with.  Hilary used or uses black thread for her collage pieces, which are spectacular!  I wanted a contrast so I used orange to blend with my center strip.

It wasn't  hard to remove the tracing paper.   I ripped the outside edges first, as the paper gets perforated easily, hence, removing the remaining pieces is quite easy.

I just used my little tweezers and small forceps (from Harbour Freight!) to remove all the other remaining pieces. Easy to pull off!!

And this was the results and I'm quite happy with it so far.  I may add some smaller leaves but I need to reduce them to the size I want.  The book, FALL, has huge photographs, 9" x 11".

This was really fun and I think added to the piece.  It's just for Bob and I so no big deal!

After I sewed the leaves, I headed downstairs to do some playing with my Gelatos and making some new stamps!  I have so much fun alone!  HA  Will be posting those results later this week!!!

I finished the binding on my table runner this a.m.!  (the flowers/vase are from Jan!  Thanks, Jan!!) This started off as a piece of batik...

Thought it would be a good time to practice my FMQing...yikes...I haven't been doing any free motion work other than my self portrait so figured I should get back in the swing of things!  Not good!!  I just couldn't get comfortable with my hands or speed...plus my seating here is different....ok, that's all the excuses I can think of!!  But I'll keep trying!

After looking at the quilting, I thought I'd just cover with some paint....so I mixed some of my white paint with textile medium then rolled the paint on top.  Looked ok but still a little bland so I went back over some of the feathers with a deep grey, almost black thread.  

That worked for me...then I added a black/white batik for the binding.  It doesn't look too bad on the table and with my b/w dishes I think it will be a fun addition for when the ladies come to lunch on Tues.

It's quite warm today and we've had the air on since last night.  Good sleeping at least.  I'm going to take Kalee to the post office and maybe for a walk.  We didn't walk yet this a.m. so we need to get moving!!