Quick & Easy Christmas Table Runner Tutorial

Now that the leftovers have been eaten and the dishes put away, it's time to get sewing for Christmas. 🎄  And since some of that sewing will be for gifts, I've come up with a quick and easy table runner that would make a great gift (think neighbor, teacher, gift exchange, hostess gift).  It uses 16-patch blocks and can be made in just about any color scheme (I made this one using Little Joys).  I quilted mine with a simple serpentine stitch using my walking foot, but you could quilt it even faster using a free-motion foot.  Great for scraps or leftover 10" squares.  Let's get started: 

Materials needed:

• Total of (32) 5" squares (2 each of 16 different prints - you can repeat if necessary)
• 1/4 yard fabric for binding
• 1/2 yard fabric for backing
• 18" x 34" piece of thin batting 

Block size: 8" finished
Finished size: 16.5" x 32"

For each of the eight blocks - take a set of two matching squares and team up with a different set of two matching squares.  You will now have 8 sets of 4 squares.  Keep sets together.

Take each set and cut squares in half: 

Each set will now have eight 2.5" x 5" strips (4 of each color).  For each set, take a strip, and lay an opposite color strip on top (right sides together) and sew on the long side to make a strip unit: 

Repeat for remaining strips in each set (you should have 4 strip units for each set). Press the seams to the darker side, or open.  Now take each strip unit and cut in half:

Make a 4-patch by taking one cut half, flipping it around, pinning and sewing to other half.  Repeat for all strip units.

Lay out each set of 4-patches, and sew together to make eight 16-patch blocks.  Wait to press.

Arrange your blocks 2 down and 4 across.  To make sewing easier, press each block the opposite way of its neighbor.   Sew blocks together.  Do a final press.

Layer your top (right side up), batting, and backing (right side down).  Quilt as desired.  (I quilted mine going diagonally in one direction with a large serpentine stitch.)  Trim sides even, making sure corners are nice and square.

Prepare binding and attach using your favorite method.  I like to finish my binding by machine - here is a good tutorial if you need one. 

This table runner can be made larger, or quilt-size just by making more blocks.  Forty-eight (arranged 6x8) would make a nice throw size quilt - 48"x64"). 

Fabrics used:  Little Joys by Elea Lutz/Riley Blake

Almost Done (the quilting that is)

Still quilting those wavy lines on my 12 Days of Christmas quilt.  You can't tell by these photos, but I'm about 90% done.  I had to take a break to finish my (online) gift shopping, but I'll be back at it asap.   I'm determined to have it finished by Christmas.  

I'm really liking the texture those wavy lines give.  They're about (for the most part) 1 1/4" apart.  So so easy!

 Snickers doesn't care when it gets done.  : )

Linking to:  Quilt Story - Fabric Tuesday #166 
                  Freshly Pieced Modern Quilts - WIP Wednesday 
                  My Quilt Infatuation - Needle & Thread Thursday

Some Christmas Sewing

I finally decided what to do with my 12 Days of Christmas fabrics after hoarding them for the last couple of years.  I saw an easy tutorial on Amy Smart's blog that I thought would be perfect for getting a quick Christmas quilt together.  It was a piece of cake to cut out (took about 2 hours) and is so easy to piece.  I'm making 30 blocks for a finished size of approx. 52" x 63", which is a perfect throw-size.  Here it is on my flannel wall (sorry for the blurry picture):

 

 A close-up:

I'm loving it.  Think I'll free-motion quilt it with wavy lines, or loopy lines. I'm also loving working in my new cozy sewing corner.  I haven't done much with it since I last posted about it.  I think I'll paint the dresser (below) a fun bright color, like blue, and maybe put up red & white gingham curtains.  Or white curtains with pom-pom trim.   

Have a great weekend.  I have big plans for mine and will share next week.

Linking to:  I Quilt Thursdays @ Pretty Bobbins
                 Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story
                 We Did It Wednesday @ Sew Much Ado

My 1st Scrappy Trip Along Block

Sooo, have you joined the scrappy trip along yet?  I signed up with the Flickr group and there are now over 700 members!  Fun to see all the variations.  I finally got my first block done (and finished a second late last night).  I've been wanting to make this quilt forever, and was thrilled when I saw the group get started.  I plan on making mine from several lines of American Jane fabrics; they all work together so nicely.

I took some of the scraps and cut 30 degree wedges for a tiny Dresden plate.  Each unfinished wedge measures 2 1/2" long.  This is for an upcoming blog hop so stay tuned.  : ) 

Still working on the binding on this quilt.  Will do a show'n'tell when it's finished.  

Linking to:  Sunny Simple Sundays

Quilting With Friends

  
I finally got to baste my red & white Christmas top last weekend. I finished piecing it last year, but never got around to getting it basted.  Since I don't like basting on the floor, I borrowed a couple of folding tables from church.  I like to use safety pins. 

You can see I had a little "help" during the process.  Fortunately Spunky let me move her around.  Quilts are the ultimate cat magnets.  Quilts, and warm laundry. 

I'm also getting help with the quilting. : )  I'm quilting straight lines between and in the blocks.  In the center squares, I'm going to quilt an orange-peel design.  I was hoping to have it done by Christmas, but I'd have to really get moving on it.  Really, really moving.

Linking to:  Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson's Creating Christmas Party
                  A Bowl Full of Lemons - One Project at a Time 

Show and Tell & a Little Trip

I put the final touches on my Sunflower Rail Fence quilt.  I had to blanket stitch (by machine) the little fence:

I hope to get it basted next weekend when I attend our guild's annual retreat with my good friend Christa.  I'm so happy to be going; I was on the waiting list until a few days ago, but now am in!  I plan on basting another quilt too:

taken at last year's retreat.  ok, i'm slow but consistent

That one's going to be a Christmas gift.  Another project I'm going to work on is my Dresden Plate quilt:

yeah, i'm cookin' now

I've got 11 of the 12 plates done, and will start appliqueing them (again, by machine) to off-white solid background squares.  They're all made from American Jane fabrics (all remnants from my store); mostly Snippets with a little Happy Campers thrown in.  I used the Easy Dresden ruler to rotary-cut them.   I'm going to put the blocks on point and add solid 30's blue squares between them.

I promise to take lots of pictures at the retreat and share them when I get back.  We're also taking in a local quilt show, so that will provide lots of picture-taking opportunities as well.  Gotta go pack!

Linking to Sunny Simple Sundays

Candy cane stripe table runner

I've been working on this Christmas table runner. It's made from leftover 2 1/2" strips from this quilt (which I should be working on) and will go on the pie safe in my kitchen. Each strip was approx. 13" long and sewn 1" from the top of the next strip. When the table runner was long enough, I just trimmed all the sides. I then sandwiched it with some thin cotton batting and backing and quilted in the ditch. So easy. I'll post a pic when it's finished.

Welcome Friends!

I'm Stacy Cooper and this is my blog. Let me introduce myself: I've been married 31 years to my best-friend; mom to 4 great kids ages 11-27; grandma to two cutie-pies, LoVe red, scrap quilts and almost anything retro-looking. The minute my youngest started 1st grade (5+ years ago), I started my business Farm Road Quilts. And I'm proud to announce my new fabric website, farmroadquilts.com (now I run both the website and the eBay store). My husband built me a wonderful studio on our property, so I can work at home - which I love! I carry quilting/sewing fabrics, patterns, notions and kits.

When I'm not working, I'm with my family, trying to catch up on never-ending housework, or doing errands. Wayward animals seem to find us, which we don't mind at all no matter what my husband says : ) During the summer, we love to get away from the desert heat to our cabin in Utah - aka our lifetime project.

I have all sorts of fun things planned - project photos, giveaways, ideas and more. I'd love to hear from you - email me at stacy {at} farmroadquilts {dot} com.