2018 Finishes - Garden Party #55

This is a table runner from the Thimbleberries program "You're Invited" for the month of March 2007.  When I am typing these dates, I think wow, that was a long time ago, many years ago.  There is no feeling like getting all of these projects finished.  The baggage of unfinished projects can be heavy and discouraging in our quilting world.

Take this table runner for example,  I put it aside this top as the pattern called for quite a bit of appliqué in and around the center blocks.  I don't really like doing appliqué, so I put it away.  When I set out to finish my UFO's, I told myself that I didn't need to do my projects like the pattern, and could do without the appliqué!  What a feeling of control and freedom.  This project turned out simple and something I really like without the appliqué.  We need to learn to do what we like and what it takes to complete projects.

It is a fairly large table runner, measuring 27" X 52".  I have a table it will fit, but I haven't used it yet.  I'm thinking of using it a gift for a distant friend who really appreciates the work that goes into these projects.  

Also, I had to get creative for the backing.  This is a different color value that Thimbleberries tried (and failed in my humble opinion), but it then cause difficulty in getting a matching or a close to matching fabric to use on the back.  Then, I remembered that during the participation in this program, they sent me two of these kits by a mail mix up, when I called about it they told me I could just keep the second kit for free.  I dug through my bins of kits and found the duplicate, and I had enough to create a backing using two of the fabrics from the front.  Win! Win!  The rest of the kit went into the scrap bin for future scrap quilts.

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Size: 27" x 52"

Fabric Lines Used:  Thimbleberries 

Colors:  Red, Yellow, Blue, Green

Pattern:  Garden Party (Thimbleberries "You're Invited" 03/07)

Designer:  Lynette Jensen

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Nelson

Year Began: 2007

Year Completed: 2018

Cottage Romance Table Runner

I am back today with a finish!  I posted last about a table runner that I found digging deep in my sewing room boxes from all the moves we have done over the years.

It is a simple pattern, that makes up quick, so I did some simple straight line quilting.  Here is a  picture to see exactly how I did the quilting,  I think it turned out quite nice

It's always nice to, when folded up, it comes out square.  Sometimes after quilting the quilt the edges can get a bit skewed.

I have several more projects / quilts to do out of this fabric, so I will put this away until I have some of those other items done, so I can use them all in one room.

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More Sorting in the Sewing Room

Today I spent some more time going though projects that have been packed away for many years.  I think I mentioned before that from 2004 - 2008 I had a large buying spree, I bought hundreds of projects and fabric.  But I didn't get much of a chance to work on them, as we moved three times.  Sometimes over several states!

Getting to the point of the above explanation, I found a box of projects using the fabric line "Cottage Romance" by Maywood Studios from 2008.  This is another line of fabric that I just love, love, love.  Loved it so much that I have enough fabric for three queen size quilts, and about 15 yards more!  Also, I participated in the Patchwork Party 2008 Winter Edition, and it uses this line of fabric.  More about that in a future post.  Needless to say, one of the minor projects, using this fabric line. that I bought was a table runner kit.

This is a picture for the fabrics used in the table runner.

The pattern was a leaflet provided by Willowberry Lane, the company that did this line of fabric for Maywood Studios.  They called it "Garden Party".  Here is the top completed.  Isn't is just too cute!  

I will be able to finish it early next week.  And I will be posting into the future of the other projects that uses this line of fabric.  

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Leftover Table Runner Project D.O.N.E. Done!

Yipee!  We are done! Done! Done!  I will be the first to admit that I am not the speedy sewer/quilter there is out there, but this one has taken the prize for one stretched out project reaching the finish line.

And, even after quilting, some of the wonkiness is still there.  (Sigh).  So, I am going to wash it and then do a really good steam press on it and wash my hands from it.  I probably should have scrapped this as soon as I made the first block of triangles, but I didn't and I made the commitment to my self that I am not leaving unfinished projects laying around.  It would have been easy to just bundle the unfinished project up and put in in a bag or bin and tell yourself, "I will come back and get to that later".  Nope, that's not what my new mantra is all about, especially since I am no longer working outside of the home.

So here are the finished pictures.  The first one here is the runner folded in half.  I didn't take the time to totally unfold it for the pictures, mostly to save face on all the wonkiness going on with this thing called a table runner.

Close up picture of the one corner of the quilt and it shows the cross-hatch quilting I did.  This is probably my most favorite way to quilt, as it is straight line quilting (no special changes on the sewing machine itself or the feet), and it usually is just following the lines of stitching the block together.  Going around the border I just straight stitched at one inch intervals.

Another close-up of the cross hatch quilting.

Cute view of it folded up.  Too bad that it looks the best this way rather than laid out on the table.  (Snicker)

This picture is a view of the backing I used, which is the same as the last border on the front.  I got really lucky, as I didn't have enough of any of the scraps left over from the big quilt to do a backing, so I spent a couple of late nights surfing the web, and found matching fabric.  It was posted as scraps left over from a long arm quilter and only cost me $3.50, including postage to get the backing.  Half of the fun is the hunt for the right material to complete the project and make it look like you had it all from the beginning

And, last, but not least, here is a close up of a corner to show the binding, which matches the red in the quilt top.

Now that it is done, I am feeling pretty good about sticking it out and completing this project.  It shows now that I can do a little designing and have the self discipline to follow through with something I started.

By the way, if anyone is interested in this design, leave me a comment with your e-mail address, and I will send you the graph paper sketches I did in the planning of this table runner.

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A Peek at the Leftover Project

This leftover project has taken more time than I really wanted to commit.  My original thought was, "Here is a stack of leftover triangles, I should be able to whip up something really quick!"  (Snicker)  Yeah, right!

Using leftover little triangles causes fitting issues, as they are the off cast of the correct fitting flying geese and each leftover triangle may or may not be the same size as the other cut off triangles.

So, there is a little wonky fitting, including a little tuck here and there.  But overall, I think it is going to come out rather nicely using up all the leftovers from the big quilt.

I am hoping to quilt it and bind it this afternoon and evening.  

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A New Project

I am revamping my dining room, only because I am really tired of what was here when we moved in a few years ago.  It's not that it is all that bad, I am looking to perk up the living space with my craftiness. 

I want to keep the blue theme going, as the vertical blinds are blue, and that would be a rather large expense to change, so I have had this kit of a table topper that is blue and yellow and would look great on my round dining room table.

The pattern is by Terri Staats, through her company, Sweet Treasures and is called "The Centerpiece Tablemat".  She is a local designer, here in the Pacific Northwest, and I have used several of her patterns.  I have even had the privilege of attending a monthly local quilt shop club meeting that she led, several years ago.  Awesome lady!

I think this would be a hit out there in blog land, as everyone is on a hexagon kick right now.  It is also "honey bun" friendly, as it uses 1 1/2" strips.  

The fabric line in the kit is from Moda, the Summer Breeze (either I or II or a combination of both) line, and I have a larger piece from this line that I will make a valance for my glass sliding doors.

Valentine's Day Runner

Since Valentine's day is approaching, I thought I would share a table runner I made last year, as I was getting it out for this year. I found the pattern on someone's blog (I am sorry I don't have the blog information). I did get mine made with six fat quarters prints and another fat quarter solid white. The six fat quarters also did the backing and a scrappy binding.

Yikes, i just realized I need to iron this before I put it out on the table.