Madrona Road Table Runner

 The Modern Quilt Guild did a really fun challenge forever ago.  We received a package of fabrics from the Madrona Road collection by Michael Miller.  The only 'rule' was that we were to try a new technique.

I had been just LOVING Jacquie Gering's book Quilting Modern so I decided to do something from the book.  I have also always wanted to do a string quilt, and so I settled on the Fractured Quilt from her book.  Obviously this is just a small table topper, but I had a great time creating the squares to put it together!

As you can see I just straight line quilted it in all different directions.  All in all I think it turned out pretty cool.  These colors don't match my house at all so I gifted this runner to my brother and sister in law because it matched their kitchen!

I used the remaining fabric to piece the back!  tada!

Pumpkin Table Runner!!!

Well!  I'm back!!  I'm really going to try and post ONCE A WEEK!  Wow... that seems like a big commitment now...  I think I can!  I have SOOO many projects to show you from the past year.  I've been sewing a bit here and there just no time for blogging.  Anyhow.... 

 

I'm going to start it off with my very awesome pumpkin table runner!!!  I LOVE THIS!  I started it not one, but TWO years ago.  I found the pattern from the Plaid Scottie. It is still available here on her website.  

 They are all 12" blocks of a scrappy log cabin.  I made 7 blocks because my dining room table is soo big.  It was super fun using up all of the orange scraps in my stash!!!

The beige fabric actually has music notes all over it!!!  I'm in love with this print.  I bought three yards of it, and sadly I'm almost running out..... I guess I'll just have to buy more!

I actually free motion quilted this on my fantabulous BERNINA.  I'm so in love with my machine.  sigh.  I started with the BSR, but then bailed on it.  It kept beeping at me.  I suppose I can just shut off the beep, but it seemed easier to just try my foot instead.  It worked pretty well.  The stitches aren't perfect, but no one at my house is looking that close. 

I tried my binding a new way!  I sewed it to the back and then brought it to the front.  I used my awesome #10 Edgestitch foot.  I know everyone says to use a walking foot for binding, but I just found my Edgestitch foot helped me be really accurate!   I'll be using that foot from now on.  It looks great on the back because the stitch is right in the ditch. (forgot a picture...sorry)

 

So what was I going to do with all the leftover scraps that didn't make the 'audition' for pumpkins?  They all went to the back!!!  No scrap was unused!

 I quilted with Aurifil thread.  It was so great!  I had a small spool and wasn't paying attention... and I ran out like 7 inches from the end!  I guess I should have FMQ'd bigger loops!!!  (The really amazing thing was that the spool and bobbin ran out at the SAME TIME. wow.) Anyway, I was so hell bent on finishing that I grabbed some other thread that mostly matched, and finished.  It turned out fine, but I definitely like Aurifil best!

Fun pumpkin!

Did you have any big finishes this week?????????

Ghastlies Table Runner

Hello!

As usual, I'm running around performing and teaching!  It's been a wonderfully busy couple months!  I've sewn a few things!  AND I have some VERY exciting news coming up this week!  Stay tuned!

Don't you just love Alexander Henry's Ghastlies?  I mean, its the best Halloween print ever!  My mom especially likes to decorate for Halloween so I made her a table runner using the Ghastlies fabric!!!!  

This is quite possibly one of the most awesome table runner patterns in the world.  It is called Divided by 3.  Here it is on Keepsake Quilting's site.  I saw it at Thimbles in Lockport and bought the fabric to make it!  I have another one already in the works.  It's a great runner to showcase fabrics that you love!!!!

I chose to make the borders all black.  In hindsight I probably should have used the pink fabric as the small border between the pictures to make everything 'pop' more.  Oh, well!  Pardon the binding clips.... 

This is the right side of the runner.  I had a great time picking out the scenes from the fabric to display.

 

I love the detail in the print!!!!

 

Here is the left side!  

 

These three kids are my favorite!  The girl on the left is holding a hammer!!!!

 

Close up of the angry pregnant mommy and the wanna be flapper!

 

The back!!!

I just quilted in the ditch.  I still haven't really mastered quilting... so I thought it best to hide it!  =)  I finished hand sewing the binding on the train and then delivered it right to mom.  I still need to get a final picture!

Thanks for stopping by!

French Braid Table Runner ~ the beginning

I have always wanted to do a french braid quilt.  I just love the design!  My dining room is purple, and I found this bundle of great purply fabrics!  So, I thought a table runner would be a great place to start!

At my CMQG retreat I got all of the fabrics out and the fabulous Emily helped me to pick my color run!!  

Then she even gave me the awesome purple for the center squares. 

It will be around 80 inches.  I have a lonnnng dining room table.  =)

It's party done, and I'm so happy with it!!!!  The dark purples are what's left for the ends. 

In order for the center squares to really work the purple had to be just a little bit different than the purples in the fabric.  You can really see it when the dark purple fabrics are added at the end.

I can't wait to finish it!  This pattern is everything I thought it would be.  =)

Pumpkin Table Runner ~ TOP done!

Well, I'm happy to report that at my CMQG quilt retreat (yeah, I know, I haven't talked about it AT ALL, ha!) I finished piecing the TOP of my Pumpkin Table Runner.  Remember my first post about the single block that I finished?  If not, click here!

I decided to make the runner 7 blocks long instead of 5.  I have a large dining room table, and I wanted it to work.

Yes, I'm showing you each individual block.  I love each and everyone of them!!!!

I wish you could see the beautiful color of my background fabric.  It's a tanish/creamy color with goldish music notes.  It's not as white as its showing up here.

I used 1 & 1/2" strips to make these log cabin blocks.  I cut A TON of them.  I have so many left over.  I cut so many because I was so excited about all the orange I had in my stash.... I think I'll have to make the back 1&1/2" strips!!!!

Isn't the little one so cute?  You should have seen my set up to "audition" all of the fabrics for their proper pumpkin placement... an orange mess!

I really had fun doing the pattern that the Plaid Scottie provided for free!!!  Check it out!

Oh, and there's the big block and two others... There's one more block hanging off the table.

And another picture to show that the blocks are sew together, I just couldn't get them all successfully into one picture.

The pumpkin size order in the runner is : Medium, Small, Medium, Large, Medium, Small, Medium.  I think it works!

I can't wait to finish this!!!  Any quilting ideas?? 

Pumpkin Log Cabin Table Runner ~ IC 41

 I was sad to miss Iron Craft last week... I had a GREAT idea too... it just didn't happen.  sigh.

This week's challenge was Halloween!!!  I already made a Bling Bling Pumpkin... so what to do....

Well, about a week ago Kaelin over at The Plaid Scottie posted about a FANTASTIC Pumpkin table runner!!!  

She even included the pattern for FREE, download it here.  

It's so adorable I would have definitely paid for it....  =)  I've been itching to do it, and this week's iron craft gave me the perfect 'excuse' to work on it. 

It was really fun going through all of my scraps to find yellow, orange and brown.  I LOVE SCRAPPY projects.  =)

Kaelin uses linen as her background and it looks awesome.  I think that if I ever get a chance to make one for my mom I'll use linen.  I am just in love with this music note fabric I bought a while ago.  I seriously think I need to buy a bolt.  It's subtle gold music staff and such a beautiful creamy color.  =)

I found an awesome fabric scrap for the 'stem'.  It's got a lot of goldy/browny/orangey color in it.  I thought it would be perfect!  I think it turned out well.

More stems!

So far I only have this one block done.  I chose to start with the biggest pumpkin because I figured it would be the most fun.  yay!