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Saturday, June 9, 2012

2 Table Runners and 1 Lap quilt


For this one, I used THIS PHOTO from Flickr for the inspiration: 
Quilted Table Runner
I couldn't find the EXACT matching fabrics, but I picked out similar fabrics and went for it.  I really thought this would be extremely challenging.  It looked like the corners were mitred, BUT, you actually don't HAVE to mitre them.   So the inner cream border I DID do mitres, but on the outer blue border I figured out you don't actually HAVE to do that.  LOL.  I like to make things harder than they really are.   
I did have a bit of trouble with the binding on those angles that weren't 90 degrees.   But, I worked with it and figured it out. =cD

Here's the center of the quilt sewn. 

 Here I've added the borders.
 Picking out thread.  I liked the red alot, but I realized afterwards that Mary, the recipient, wanted muave instead of red, so I chose the light blue for thread instead.
 Here we are all basted and ready for the machine ;c)
 Quilted!  I want to mention now, about this batting.   This batting was gifted to me from my step-mother.  The batting was leftover from HER deceased step-mother.  I LOVEEEEE it!  It's very clearly polyester, but it acts like Hobb's Wool!  It's got such bounce.  Usually I will use a high-loft polyester so to accentuate my free-motion stitches.  But there are several problems with using that. . . namely the BEARDINg that comes along with it.   This batting has little to NO bearding.     I asked Donna, my stepmother, where she got the batting.  She handed me one of the  receipts that showed where she special ordered it.   I'll dig it up later and share it on here.   I'll probably be special ordering some of it also.  It's PERFECT.  Hopefully it's not too expensive.   What's also interesting is that Jane, (my step mothers, step mother who quilted)  always HAND quilted her quilts.  So there must be something ideal about this batting for hand quilters as well.
 Here's the front and back of the quilted table runner.  


 I took this photo to show just how "bouncy" and "fluffy" the stitches look with this batting.  I really am in love with it!






This next one is a wedding gift for a newly married couple.   The inside of the quilt uses trapunto to accentuate their last name.  Their wedding colors were this dusty orange.   I think it looks beautiful paired with a dusty, soft blue and cream batik fabric. ;c) 
Here's the top finished, and I placed the printed lettering underneath, and traced it with a water-soluble marker.  Here's the back - I used my leftovers from the strip piecing in the back.  





I quilted around the trapunto with pebbles.  lots of pebbles! 

 I decided to quilt a feather in the pieced inner border. 
 
For the scalloped borders I always use an old CD/DVD to draw the outlines.
Measure where you want your outer edge to go, then start tracing in the 4 corners.  Then you can just eyeball it.  For this one I just needed 1 "hump" on the edges, and I used 4 "humps" on each lengthwise side.   Measure from the middle line of your corner humps, then divide the length into reasonable sizes.  Trace around half of the CD with a water soluable marker.  Then, you invert the CD and draw the bottom "hump" where it matches up.  I'll do a tutorial on this later maybe. ;c)

 Draw first, then quilt, then cut.
 Must have bias binding to bind curved edges!  And yes it's a bitch!


 A Cute "modern" table runner for a cute "modern" newlywed couple!

And last but not least - My KY-themed lap quilt.


 The back was an all-over UK fabric.  All the fabrics were purchased from Hancock's online.
 10" squares alternating Red and Blue.   UK and Louisville.  The blue areas were done with stippling
 The REd areas were done with McTavishing.