Waterfall Runner

A few months ago I pieced a quilt top using a bundle of Craftsy's Boundless Blenders Ombre in Waterfall. It had some gorgeous blues, greens, and yellows, and since the quilt had a lot of flippy corners in the construction, it also meant I was left with a lot of triangles after trimming. I promptly made them into half-square triangles.

I love half-square triangles, and I was delighted to find that I had enough left over for a table runner. However, the layout options for half-square triangles are endless, and it was so hard to pick one! Eventually I decided on a radiating diamond design in order to accommodate the quilting plan I had in my head: lots of long straight lines.

I quilted straight lines in the white channels and several curvy designs in the colored portions. I love straight lines, and they look even better when contrasted with curvy designs.

This was such a quick and easy project, and I love how I didn't have to break into any new fabrics for this, that it was made up entirely of waste fabric from a different project. It looks great on my table, and really conveys the spirit of summer!

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Linking up with: Crazy Mom Quilts, My Quilt Infatuation, Busy Hands Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Cooking Up Quilts, Sew Can She, Powered by Quilting, and The Devoted Quilter.

Fiesta Runner

Before I really started quilting, I bought a book Learn Quilt-As-You-Go by Gudrun Erla that had a gorgeous batik strip runner in the front. I knew I wanted to make that runner some day.

Fast forward more than a year, and I'm finally making that runner. In this type of Quilt-As-You-Go method, the backing and batting are prepared and basted first, the batting carefully marked, and then strips are sewn on it, following the marking. There's no surface quilting required afterwards ... but that doesn't mean I won't fill it with quilting anyway!

I used a single-sided fusible batting from Bosal, which does save me having to pin baste. For the fabric I picked a gorgeous mini pack of jelly roll batik strips that I had been saving just for this runner. The colors are so bright that it's almost too bright, so I added in the yellow batik from my stash, and I think it really makes a big difference.

Although I didn't need to add quilting, of course I was going to quilt it. I did this in a serendipitous way, as I didn't plan it and just sat down and started quilting whatever came to mind. The colors are so powerful on this quilt that I knew I could get away with lots of different designs and not worry about them overwhelming the quilt top. I ended up with 7-8 different designs.

The quilting makes the runner flatter and adds a wonderful texture. I can't stop running my hands over it. This runner seems like the perfect outdoor table topper, complete with drinks with little umbrellas in them. (Never mind that right now, outside is the beginning of a Chicago winter.)

Snowflakes & Tinsels Runner

Usually when I browse for fabric, I have no idea what I want to do with them. The generic, vague answer is always ... a lap quilt. But once in awhile, I will see something that I immediately know exactly what I'm going to do with. During the Original Quilting & Sewing Expo in Schaumburg, I saw a pack of layer cake that was blue and silvery and had designs of snowflakes, and I knew immediately that it would be perfect for a Christmas / winter runner.

I didn't really have a pattern for this, but I knew I wanted to make an orange peel design. Each square is 4.5" finished, so I decided to do a runner that is 14 squares tall by 4 squares wide, so the final size will be 18" x 63".

I had a rather difficult time piecing this quilt, though. Although I cut the 10" squared fabric into 4 x 5" squares, the pinked edges made it rather difficult to cut accurately, and I ended up with squares that were bigger than others. This means when it comes to final assembly time, there are quite a few intersections that are off no matter how hard I try to nest them. It's not super obvious due to how saturated the fabric is, but it still bothers me.

I quilted the silver petals with some echoes and S-arcs, though the thread matched so well it's hard to see anything. I doodled some potential designs on paper for the middle section, and ultimately picked a radiating flower because it would be easier, and cover up some of the mismatched intersections.

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I'm relieved that quilting can hide so many piecing issues. That phrase, "It'll quilt out" rings true.

The Kimono Runner Redone

The Kimono Runner was the first table runner I ever made, a little over a year ago. The original pattern was not a quilt, in fact it was more of a scarf and the way it was constructed required sewing perfection in order to not have puckers. Well, I didn't have sewing perfection a year ago (nor now) so my end result was full of puckers that really bothered me. I was really, really in love with the fabric though.

I decided to turn this runner into a quilt so that the puckers will be disguised as texture, and so the runner will have more body to it. The sides and back is all one continuous piece, so I cut down the back and flipped it open, then trimmed the sides. The ending result is wider than the original runner, which is what I was going for.

I quilted the black side borders with Angela Walter's "wavy wavy" design, a free-motion design that's shockingly easy but provides such beautiful texture. Angela is such a genius! I really struggled with the middle section, however. I couldn't find a blending thread that worked for all the colors, so I had to use a lighter thread which showed all too well on the darker fabrics. But I preferred that to using a darker thread as I *hate* the look of a dark thread on lighter fabric. I really didn't want to obscure the print, yet the piecing job wasn't totally flat so I had no choice but to quilt it more densely. I ended up doing a corner to corner feather design.

I'm debating whether feathers are the right choice for the middle section, but I had so much fun actually quilting them. Feathers are not my favorite design overall but they're by far the most fun for me to quilt. I'm addicted to quilting them, there's something that feels so good about fanning out every plume.

I think I could have mulled over it for much longer and maybe, maybe come up with a better design, but who knows how long that will be and finished is much better than perfect.

Cascading Circles Runner

To celebrate fall, I decided I really needed a new table runner. I was getting pretty tired of my old one, anyway. I didn't really have a lot of time for this, so I decided to do something very simple on the piecing front. As in ... virtually none.

I did a quick search for modern runner inspirations, and found a fabric design with a lot of circles running down in lines. I decided to use that as the inspiration for this runner, as it would be super easy and quick to do, and I can have a lot of fun quilting it too. Also, I've recently fallen in love with fusible applique and my new AccuQuilt cutter is just demanding to be used. The color was a big decision, as it turns out, I couldn't stomach most colors associated with fall. "Earthy colors", as my husband calls them. The only ones I do like, and I like these a lot ... are yellows and oranges. I decided to do a long strip runner with orange / yellow circles running down the center, and black/white/gray circles running down the sides.

I quilted the background with little swirls, as I thought the runner was just asking for it. I quilted inside the applique circles with a many petaled lotus flower. When it comes to the matching thread vs contrasting thread debate, I tend to stand on the side of matching thread, but I realize it's a double-edged sword. On one hand, I have some trouble seeing where I'm going, but on the other hand ... I can't even find my mistakes once I'm done.

I'm very pleased with it. The freedom of fusible applique is that I don't have to figure out how to piece it ... I just glue it!

Vintage Runner

Awhile ago I got this table runner quilt top from my mother-in-law that was made by her mother and grandmother. I offered to finish quilting it, but it sat in my sewing room for a few months as I didn't want to use straight-line quilting on this. I wanted to wait until I knew how to do free-motion before tackling this.

Yesterday I decided to just go for it, after getting my Handi Quilter Sweet 16 all set up. I went with a design that highlighted each quarter-square triangle column. I did some flowery and leafy designs as well as some wavy back and forth. Quilting on my Handi Quilter is so much fun! It is much easier to see and to navigate, and even though I have the stitch regulator, turns out I don't like using it. It actually throws my rhythm off.

During quilting, the backing flipped over and I accidentally stitched it down, and didn't discover until a lot of stitches had gone through. It ended up costing nearly 2 hours to tear all those stitches out. Also, this quilt was difficult to quilt because the seams were quite bulky, I'm pretty sure my Pfaff wouldn't have been able to handle it. My HQ handled it just fine, but the bulky intersections provided a challenge.

Now that I'm done, I'm not sure whether I should be proud of it or not. I alternately think it looks good and that it doesn't. Perhaps I really need to take a step back and maybe it'll look better later. I definitely like quilting more than piecing ... which means I need to find more quilt tops to finish.

The Waves Runner

As my first quilt-as-you-go (or rather piece-as-you-go) project, I decided to do something really, really simple and straightforward. I wanted to make a temporary table runner while my kimono runner is being redone into a quilt, and I decided to use a pack of gradient batiks I bought at the Quilt Fest.

Piecing this project was incredibly easy. By far the easiest project I've ever done in quilting, as there were absolutely no seams to match, no quarter-inch seams to get carefully right, no careful pressing to make sure I don't stretch any edges, basically, it's near impossible to mess up. After the piecing was done, the project is technically all "quilted", but I was not satisfied. Since I chose a gradient batik, and at the darker ends, it just looks like a big slab of color, I really couldn't see the seams and hence couldn't appreciate the texture. I had to add surface quilting to give it some visual interest.

I decided to do a wavy design. I first tried to free-motion it, but it was a disaster, so I switched to the walking foot, and was able to do the exact design I had in mind with it. It turned out better than I expected!

I really love this piece now, and no longer think of it as purely temporary. It works with my dining room very well.

Tea Time Runner

While at Intl Quilt Fest I ran into a sample at a shop that I was really taken with. I looked around, and couldn't find the kit, the fabric, or the pattern. I was perplexed ... I really wanted to make it, but had no idea how. Finally, I flipped the quilt on the back, and aha, stapled there was a 5 line pattern. It says ... sew 4 little 2 inch squares onto the corners of a charm square on the diagonal. It was the classic snowball, though I didn't know it at the time.

I liked the fabric in the sample a lot but couldn't find it anywhere, maybe it's a few seasons old. But I substituted a very bright, spring-y feeling charm pack, and got working. This was my biggest chain piecing ever ... 42 x 4 = 168 seams to pin, mark, and stitch. After it was all done though, I made the mistake of squaring them up to a perfect 4.5" ... by sight, not by finding the center point. So my snowballs all became perfect 4.5" squares, but the corners were liberally sized. Oops. It made it a right pain to match them up when I sewed it in rows, to the point that I decided not to pretend that it matters. After all, modern quilting is supposed to be about freedom and "character". (I tell myself.)

I decided not to do a complicated turning quilting design this time, with lots of pivoting and start/stops, so I just simulated a serpentine stitch (I didn't have it on my machine but a long zigzag comes close) every 1/8 inch vertically. It gave a very different effect than the sample I saw at the show which had echoing, but I still like it, and this actually hides my "mistakes" a bit. It gives it a very interesting texture and was super easy to do.

The colors are definitely much more bright and poppy than I originally was intending, but it's a very cheery, spring-y runner, which is just right for this time of the year.

Snowflake Table Runner

Last December when we were decorating the house, I realized that we really needed a Christmas themed table runner. I bought a cheap one from Target to carry us through, but I was determined to make something of my own for next Christmas. I decided to crochet a snowflake table runner.

I was a little scared of the pattern, as my crochet skills are not nearly as good as my knitting skills, and reading crochet text directions is a little like reading a knitting lace pattern in text ... pretty much awful. I knew I had to learn to read charts, but as I'm completely self-taught in crochet, charts were a little scary. What did I do? Craftsy, of course. I found a class on Craftsy that was all about teaching you to read crochet charts, and after that class, I was very confident. I was glad to have a real project to practice chart-reading on, as I wasn't interested in making the project in the class.

And here it is!

I'm very happy with the finished result. However, when I planned this project I had no idea I would get sucked this much into quilting, so the Christmas table runner will likely be quilted instead. But I'm sure I can still find a use for this somewhere in the house!

Here's a link to the free pattern I used: Star Table Runner.

Chevrons Runner

I was really excited to find out that Amy Gibson's 2nd class in her learning to quilt series was up on Craftsy. I immediately snagged it, and started watching it. I love Amy's style, and she explains things so clearly. I used to think quilting was for grandmas, but now I know it can be very fresh and modern too, it all depends on the design and the fabric!

I wanted to make a table runner for my breakfast table, and I decided to get a mix of blue fat quarters in different designs, and make the table runner following the class. I had everything purchased, but didn't actually get to work on the project until after my sewing room was ready. Then I realized I had no more excuse, so I started working.

The half-square triangles were easy enough to make, though I realized that I had actually been using the wrong guideline on my patchwork foot and everything I made up until now that I thought was quarter-inch seam, was actually 1/3 inch! But I hated using the actual guide of my patchwork foot to make the quarter inch seams, so I looked into other options. Turns out the generic zigzag foot that came with my machine has a needle position that created a quarter inch seam.

I enjoyed every part of the process, the fabric selection, the cutting, the sewing, the squaring up, and the pressing. I really liked machine quilting as well, and I liked doing the binding too. However, I'm not a huge fan of basting ... at least not compared to other parts of quiltmaking. But it's unfortunately part of the process, kind of like weaving in ends is for knitting and crochet. I played with the design of the top quite a bit, before coming up with my chevrons, which I think is my favorite. My options were actually rather limited because I added a single column to the runner to make it bigger, not realizing for most designs I needed to add 2 columns.

I didn't like my quilting design at first, which was just horizontal lines at different widths, as well as some diagonal lines, I basically copied Amy's original design. I wish I had been a little more ambitious and played up the geometry of the chevrons instead. Next time I do a chevron quilt, and I'm sure I will as I'm obsessed with them, I will do some quilting in the shape of chevrons on the negative space, for sure.

I expected the binding to be hard, but turns out it was really easy. My final join was perfect on the first try, and my corners are very nice. I didn't mind doing the hand binding but it took so long, that for future quilts I will definitely use a full machine binding.

I'm totally hooked on quilting now! And it's time for a new machine.

Kimono Runner

This is another project that I saw in Sew Gifts! that I really liked. It was a kimono table runner, because it was made with kimono fabrics. Well, construction looked easy (at least, to me, understandable!) and I decided it would be just the perfect table runner to go with my new dining room table. The dining room table itself took a long, LONG journey to get to our house, but it always gave me a Japanese feel. I've always been obsessed with Japanese aesthetics anyway.

I was planning to order fat quarters from Spoonflower, but they were so, so expensive ... finally I went to Jo-Ann's to see what they had. To my surprise, I was able to get a variety of fat quarters that I felt were Japanese in feeling. And for very little money, probably a quarter to a fifth of what I would have had to spend at Spoonflower. Plus I didn't have to wait for it to print!

Since Tristan was due any day, I decided to get a move on this. I actually sewed this on my new dining room table, since I still didn't have a sewing room. I had grown confident of rotary cutting and piecing by this point, plus there were no seams to match in this project, so I thought it'd be easy. The top was easy, and was so beautiful. But the way it's constructed, the sides and back was one long stretch of fabric, and somewhere along seaming it, it started to become quite puckery.

I think the fabric is great and I'm happy with it for now, but I know I will have to fix it sometime. I don't want to waste the beautiful top, so I think at some point I will cut the back out and remake it, either into a quilt, or something with interfacing beneath so it's a bit stiffer. I basically want to get rid of all the puckers, or just make it into a tabletop quilt.

I asked my husband if it's Japanese, and he said he wasn't familiar enough with Japanese aesthetics to say. But then one time my sister-in-law visited, and she immediately said the fabrics remind her of Maiocchi, so I know that it's definitely Japanese in feel!