Donation Table Runner

     Greetings!

     Every year this Artist Guild I belong to has a fund raiser in February. This year I made a table runner and a pair of matching pot holders.  I am not much of a machine quilter, and don't have time for hand quilting. I often resort to sewing strips together through the backing and batting. I used some batik strips leftover from a custom quilt I made last fall. First I made some strip sets.

    

     Then, I used spray baste to stick a piece of leftover batting onto a back. Making bed size quilts leaves me with plenty of long narrow batting pieces that are perfect for table runners.

     Then I cut my strip sets in a variety of widths. I even cut some on an angle, and sewed them down onto batting.  I love doing it this way, because when the piecing is done, so is the quilting.                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                           

 

Just keep adding strips until you fill up the space.

  

     All you have left is to add the binding, and you're done! Great for when you need to make something relatively quickly to donate.

     I have also been spending time quilting at a couple of friends houses. Isn't that the best?

When I visit friends, I don't like to bring my sewing machine. It just seems like too much work to pack it up, haul it over there, set it up for a couple of hours, pack it up again, haul it back home, and set it up again. Do I sound lazy or what? I don't mind doing it for a retreat, or even a class; but when it comes to sewing with my friends for an afternoon, I can almost always come up with something to do that does not require my machine. Some examples are: cutting pieces, marking or trimming half square triangles, pressing what you have been chain piecing, hand stitching binding, pairing and pinning what you will chain piece later, pinning  "One Block Wonders".

     Recently, I was at my friend Mary's house and I stacked and pinned this fabric together.

 

       I thought this would make some unusual blocks for a "One Block Wonder" . I can't wait to see what blocks I will end up with from this. Isn't that part the most fun? It's really addictive. I doubt I will make a true "One Block Wonder" with it. I will probably add some other fabrics to it. I have done that before and really enjoyed the results. That quilt sold, and now I would like to replace it, so I can illustrate what it looks like to mix fabrics to potential custom quilt clients, or in my guild program. This is the quilt I did this on before.

This quilt was called Vesuvius.

     I mixed 2 Kaffe Fassett fabrics with an Aboriginal print. Since I made this quilt it has made it easier for me to choose "One Block Wonder" fabrics. I no longer worry if there is enough colors, or variation in the fabric. I just want it to make pretty blocks, and if there is not enough variety in the blocks to make an interesting overall design, I just add another fabric.

   

Milky Way

I bought the fabric for my Milky Way quilt, with the idea that I wanted to make a quite "One Block Wonder". I wanted to show that a quilt can be low key, and still have some personality. How many solid beige, cream, or sage green bedspreads have we seen in home decor magazines this year? Yawn. I thought that if it looked like the quilt was going to be too boring when I put it up on the design wall; I could always add another print or two.

But, I was pleased with the way it turned out; and it sold at the second show I took it to.

     It is getting kind of late, so I will save today's sewing for tomorrow's blog! Good night all!