R is for runner

Entry: 2017 4th quarter finish-along - my original entry post
Final link up: 2017 4th quarter finish-along

I don't have many decorations for my house for any season/holiday except Christmas (and even there, I don't have nearly as many as I'd like). When the weather started to turn cool for fall, I got a bug for some kind of autumn something-or-other to spice up my house, and I went with a table runner.

The strips were cut to 2 1/2 x 12 inches, and the whole thing is 88 inches long. I have a really long kitchen table. There are only 2 fabrics in the whole thing that were cut from yardage - the green with silver hearts, and the red silhouette. It's Jane Austen from the Ardently Austen line - I'm on an Austen kick right now with audio books while sewing, so I needed that one. I'm sure you understand about needing a certain piece of fabric.

Anyway, the rest of the fabric was all scraps.

I quilted it with straight line X's every 6 strips. The back and the binding were separate pieces, but the same fabric.

Done just in time for Thanksgiving! 

Because I had some extra strips, I made reversible placemats for my parents for their Christmas present. Thanksgiving on one side and Christmas on the other.

White Discovery Quilt

As I was experimenting with the layout for the original I Spy Quilt, someone made the suggestion to pull out the white squares.  And boy, what a difference it made for that rainbow-colored quilt.  But I was left with a bunch of novelty squares - so another quilt, of course!  

I got the top put together during my crafting-time in Connecticut this summer. I kept the quilting simple (a chevron pattern to mimic the backing) and got that done in an afternoon.  And then it waited while I got other projects done.  Trimmed and bound, it is a fun little quilt for baby Snowflake's first Christmas.

Joint Projects

After several years of sewing, we finally got to do some together!

I spent the month of July in Connecticut with Trina and we made a quilt.

Our Woven Star in progress.

I did a majority of the cutting, pressing and sewing, to get the top done.

And Trina is doing the quilting and binding.

Three squares I made for Trina's Night Sky. 

Only three small squares out of... lots, but it was fun to contribute.

And my Jelly Dot baby quilt using my first jelly roll.

It was so nice to have Trina there to play with patterns and ideas.

She also did a LOT of sewing and cutting for the first half of the squares.

One thing I learned: small squares = lots of seams

(If you have the choice of 6" or 10" blocks, do 10.)

 

I love that I have someone to be excited about sewing with.  We share links and brainstorm ideas and I desperately wish we lived closer!  Looking forward to more shared projects in the future.

Ironing Board

My home is not big enough for a full size ironing board, so I've been using a wooden TV tray with a towel on it for a long time.  I finally upgraded!  A pretty cover that doesn't slip around or bunch up.  And it's detachable (Velcro!) so the tray can be used for other things.