Table Top Turkey Trot

Hello! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Joyous New Year to you! Things have been quiet recently at my online home at Sewing by Moonlight, but I hope you will come visit anyway.

I had hoped to have this project ready to post for you by Thanksgiving, but it seems my reality does not allow for a one week project turn around time. So, here we are, just in time for Christmas, a Thanksgiving table runner.

The turkey is ready. She even wore her Santa hat for the festivities!

1 Layer cake – I used Floral Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings for Moda
1 1/4 yards backing fabric
1/2 yard of coordinating fabric for binding
Fusible web for appliqué
20″x47″ piece of battting
Template for dresden feathers and turkey body

Click {here} to dowload dresden feather and turkey body templates. The templates are also available in the Printer Friendly Version at the end of the post.

Embroidery floss for turkey eyes and beak, and embroidery needle

1. Determine the layout of your table runner.
Alternate placing two squares together (these will be the maple leaf blocks) with single squares (these will be the background color for your dresden turkeys. This table runner has 5 turkey dresdens and 5 maples leaves, but you could easily make it longer or shorter.

2. Cut the fabrics for your maple leaf blocks.
Stack the two fabrics for the maple leaf block together, and cut as shown in the diagram below. Following this cutting diagram will ensure that you maximize the fabric in each 10-inch square.

2a. Begin by cutting a 3.5 inch strip from one side. Sub-cut two 3.5 inch squares from this strip. Save the remaining 3.5 x 3 inch piece to use for dresden feathers.

2b. From the remaining 6.5 x 10 inch piece, cut across the width 5.5 inches from the edge. Sub-cut this piece into a 5.5 inch square and a 1 x 5.5 inch strip.

2c. Finally, cut one additional 3.5 inch square from the last piece of the layer cake square. Save the leftover 3 x 4.5 inch piece to use for dresden feathers. Add the final 3.5 x 1 inch strip to your scrap bin.

3. Create the maple leaf block.
Use the pieces you just cut for the maple leaf block.

3a. Place the two 5.5 inch squares right sides together. Sew 1/4 inch from the edge all the way around the perimeter. Cut the square apart along both diagonals into four sections. Iron each piece open and trim the half square triangles to 3.5 inches.

3b. Cut one of the 3.5 inch squares of the leaf background fabric in half along the diagonal. Sew the 1 x 5.5 inch strip of leaf foreground fabric into this piece for the leaf stem.

3c. Arrange the block units into a maple leaf shape. Sew the block together and trim to 9.5 inches.

4. Create the dresden feathers
Using the template you downloaded above (under Ingredients), cut out the dresden pieces. Each turkey will require 12 dresden feathers. Since we have 5 turkeys in this table runner, I needed 60 dresden pieces. Use the unused pieces you saved from cutting out the leaves as well as additional layer cake squares.

4a. Fold each dresden piece length-wise and stitch 1/4 inch from the edge of longer width (not the longest side, that’s the length. Rather the longer of the two shorter sides. Clear as mud? See below.) This is an excellent opportunity for chain piecing.

4b. Trim the corner of each piece, flip the stitched side toward the inside to create a point and iron the piece flat so the point is centered.

4c. Sew 12 dresden pieces into a partial circle. Press the two raw edges 1/4 inch in to the wrong side.

4d. Trim the background square for the turkey to 9.5 inches. Fold in half and press. Open the square, fold in half the other direction and press again.

4e. Align your partial dresden circle so it is centered horizontally on the background square and two dresden pieces on each side fall below the horizontal center line. Pin the dresden in place and edge stitch all the way around.

5. Add a turkey body appliqué to your dresden feathers.
Using the template, create an appliqué body for each turkey. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your fusible web and arrange the body so the head is centered and the body covers the raw edges at the center of your feathers dresden.

Use a tight zigzag stitch around the turkey body, or use another appliqué method of your choice.

If desired, add features (eyes, beak) to your turkey faces with embroidery floss or your sewing machine.

6. Arrange your maple leaf and turkey blocks in an alternating pattern. Stitch together.

7. Use 10 of the remaining layer cake squares to create a backing for your table runner.
Layer the runner top, batting, and backing together. Quilt and bind as desired.

One autumn appropriate table runner, made up of ten 9-inch finished maple leaf and dresden turkey blocks, measuring 18 x 45 inches.

Em Komiskey
{sewingbymoonlight.com}

Contempo Throw Quilt

Oct19

At The Calico House, we love to create new projects to showcase the fabulous fabrics in our shop. We’re excited to be accepted as a Moda Bake Shop Chef and share our “Contempo Throw” with you!

This 55¾” x 70½” contemporary quilt features Moda’s “Contempo” line of fabric. A piano key border of 9 coordinating fabrics complements the beautiful center panel and inner borders. The glowing oranges, mustard golds, and relaxing taupe colors make this a perfect autumn throw!

• 1 ⅔ yards of Contempo Spice 32841 14 Moda
(For the design to be centered may require more fabric)
• 7/8 yard of Bella Solids Weathered Teak 9900 129 Moda
• ½ yard of Contempo Mustard 32846 18 Moda
• 1 Contempo layer cake OR 1/8 yard cuts of 9 coordinating fabrics

Use ¼” seam allowances throughout, unless otherwise noted.
Note: All measurements are based on unwashed fabric.

• Contempo Spice 32841 14 fabric is the center of the quilt. Cut center 43 ½” x 58″
(pay attention to the pattern repeat).
Cut the selvage off each side so the pattern is equal on both sides.

• ¼” accent border is Bella Solids Weathered Teak 9900 129.
Cut (5) ¾” x WOF (width of fabric) strips.

• 2″ inner border is Contempo Mustard 32846 18. Cut (5) 2 ½” x WOF strips.
Cut (1) 3 ½” x WOF strip. From this strip cut (4) 3 ½” squares for cornerstones,
then cut 2 ½” x the amount needed to complete the inner border. Join strips for side borders:
(2) 2 ½” x 59″ strips. Join strips for top and bottom borders: (2) 2 ½” x 48″ strips. Trim to fit.

• ½” accent border is Bella Solids Weathered Teak 9900 129.
Cut (5) 1″ strips x WOF.

• The piano keys outer border is created by making strata from (9) coordinating fabrics.
Cut 3″ x WOF from each fabric. Join, then cut into 4″ strips. If using a layer cake, cut coordinating
colors into 3″ strips. You’ll need 45 strips to make your strata, then cut into 4″ strips.

• Cornerstones: Use the (4) 3 ½” squares previously cut from the Contempo Mustard fabric. Add 1″
Bella Solids Weathered Teak 9900 129 strips to 2 sides (the binding adds the other 2 sides).

• Quilt as desired.

• Cut Bella Solids Weathered Teak 9900 129 for binding in 3″ strips for a finish border/binding. Sew
on with a ½” seam allowance.

Note: Meaurements on the diagram are finished block and strip sizes
(¼” seam allowances are not included on the diagram).

55 ¾” x 70 ½” Throw

We hope you enjoy sewing this great “Contempo” throw.

We have Contempo Throw Kits available at our store or on Etsy. (Quantities Limited)

The Calico House
{www.thecalicohouse.blogspot.com}

"Awesome" Lap Quilt

Nov5

Hi, I’m Jamie from SunFlower Seeds and this is my third Moda Bake Shop project. I hope you like it! It comes together rather quickly and will add that touch of fall to your house! I really think this quilt would be cute in any holiday color and can’t wait to see what ya’ll come up with! Stop by our blog for a giveaway honoring our new MBS project! Enjoy! If you’re going to Quilt Market or Festival stop by our shop located 15 minutes north of downtown Houston!

-1 Jelly Roll (JR)
-3 yds yards of backing fabric

NOTES:

* We pulled out 5 solid JR strips to be used later for the binding.
*1/4″ seam allowance for entire quilt
*Press all seams open.

FOR BLOCKS:

1. Choose 16 JR strips (we used dots and stripes)

2. Take 13 JR strips and cut each as follows:
four- 7 1/2” pieces
four- 3” pieces

3. Take the 14th JR strip and cut as follows:
two- 7 1/2” pieces
two-3” pieces

4. Cut the 15th JR strip as follows:
14- 2 ½” pieces

5. Cut the 16th JR strip as follows:
13- 2 1/2″ pieces

6. Mix & Match the 2 ½” middle squares with two each of the larger pieces (same fabric).

7. Sew one 2 ½” square in the middle of two matching 3” pieces along the 2 ½” side. Press.

8. Next, sew two matching 7 1/2” pieces on both long sides to make a block.

9. Repeat steps 6-8 until you have 27 completed blocks. Press all blocks. Square up/trim all blocks to 6.5″ X 7 1/4″.

10. Sew three completed blockstogether. Make sure the long 7 1/4” sides on top and bottom. See photo:

11. Repeat until you have nine complete rows. Press.

FOR STRIPES:

1. Choose 18 JR strips and set aside the remaining JR strips for binding. (We chose all the strips that had patterns and set aside the solid strips for binding).

2. Cut the following from each of the 18 JR strips:
one- 14.5” piece
one- 28” piece

-You should have 18- 14.5” pieces and 18- 28” pieces.

3. Mix and Match your pieces and sew together as follows:

Sew three 14.5” pieces together six times. Sew three 28” pieces together six times.

-You should have 6- 14.5” stripe rows and 6- 28” stripe rows.

TOP ASSEMBLY:

1. Sew three rows as follows:
one-14.5” stripe row THEN one square row THEN one-14.5” row.

-You should have three rows total like this. Press.

2. Sew six rows as follows:
one- 28” stripe row THEN one square row.

-You should have six rows total like this. Press.

3. Lay out rows as shown in photo:

4. Sew rows together matching up squares, and pin in place. You will be matching up one square on each row. See photo:

-Your rows will be a little off on the ends and will need to be trimmed after all sewn together. Press all rows.

*TIP: Sew every three rows to help match up squares then sew the three sections together to complete the top.

5. Quilt as desired.

BINDING:

1. Take the 5 solid JR strips for the binding. Sew all these strips together (short ends) to make 1 continuous strip. Fold binding in half wrong sides together and press. Attach binding to right side of quilt (raw edges even) and machine stitch all the way around. Turn binding to back and hand stitch down.

You’re finished! Enjoy your “Awesome” lap quilt! I hope you enjoyed making this quilt!

48″ x 55″

Jamie Mueller

{www.jamiemueller.blogspot.com}

Mr. Jack’s Bowtie Quilt Block

Oct28

This block sample uses leftover 5” charm squares from Awesome by Sandy Gervais. What a lovely 3D block for a fall quilt!

1 – 5” charm square for background

1 – 5” charm square for bowtie (I used two for mine – one for the “bow” and one for the “tie”)

2 – 5” charm squares for border

1 – 5” charm square for backing

1 – 5” x 5” piece of batting

CUTTING

1. Cut two – 2” squares from background square.

2. Cut two – 2” squares from bowtie fabric AND one – 2” square for tie.

3. From one of the border strips cut 2 – 1 1/4” x 5” strips. From the other border square

cut 2 – 1 1/4” x 3 1/2” strips. ( I like to be sure that one long side of each of my border strips has the

saw tooth cut on it. This will prevent fraying and eliminate the need for finishing the edges!).

PIECING

1. Fold one of the tie squares in half, WRONG sides together. Lay this on top of a right side up

background square. The fold should run along the middle of the background square and the raw

edges should be even.

2. Lay a bowtie square, right side down over the top of the pieces in step 1. Match the raw edges. Pin along one of the edges where the two full squares and the folded side of the center square meet. Sew along this edge.

3. Fold the two full squares away from the middle square, tie square should be on the bottom. Lay the free side of the middle folded on the right side of a background square, right sides together. Lay a bowtie square over these squares, right sides and raw edges matching. Pin and sew along edge.

4. This is the tricky part – match the bow fabric to the background fabric on each side of the folded tie square forming a pocket in the folded square. Match centers and raw edges. Pin carefully checking that only the raw edges of the middle folded square are caught in the seam. Sew. This may take a little fiddling to keep only the raw edges of the middle square caught in the seam – the easiest way seems to be to sew to the center and leaving the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and realign the second half of the block. Continue sewing to the end.

5. Open up your bowtie block and voila! There you have a bowtie block. Press block from the back. Your block should measure 3 1/2” square.

6. Attach the two 3 1/2” x 5” strips to opposite sides of the bowtie block. Press seams to the border.

7. Attach the two 5” x 5” strips to the remaining two sides. Press seams to the border.

8. Layer backing square right side down, then fusible product on top of backing square with fusible side

up. Lay bowtie block on top of fusible with right side up. Press.

9. Quilt as desired. Sample is stitched in the ditch around the bowtie shape and along the border.

One 5″ decorative Mr. Jack’s Bowtie.

Claudia Vess
{Breezeway Quilts}

Fabric Wreath

Nov9

1 honey bun {essence by sandy gervais is featured.}
12″ wire wreath frame {found at your local craft store}

yall will start by cutting your honey bun strips into 5 1/2″ long strips.

it’s at this point where you can choose to leave the selvages on or not.

{i left mine on this time.}

note: feel free to use scissors because it doesn’t have to be a real accurate 5 1/2″ strip. basically what i did was take the already folded honey bun strip,

fold it in half, then fold it in half again, and cut at the folds.

pick a color pattern that you like.
example: purple, red, cream, green, gold, aqua then cream again.

now here’s the fun part…

take your first strip, fold it in half lengthwise, and tie it onto your frame.

note: you are folding your strips in half for two reasons…

one: it’ll ensure that most of your fabric showing is the print side of the fabric.

two: it’s easier to tie your fabric onto the frame.

keep tying your strips on until you have covered your whole frame.

note: on my frame there were 4 wire circles, i just went around all four circles. feel free to make your wreath as full or as bare as you want, but i personally think that the fuller ones are the prettiest ones.

when all your strips are tied on, fluff your strips so that it gives your wreath a messy look.

and you’ve just made your very own fabric wreath!!!

ain’t it pretty???

you can hang it {or drape it} like i did here, or you can take another honey bun strip and tie it into a pretty hanging ribbon.

so go impress all of your friends with your awesome fabric wreath making skills.

and because these wreaths only take a few hours to make, you can whip them up for hostess gifts this holiday season. {they make great house warming gifts too.}

just don’t forget to treat yourself to one!!!

hope yall enjoy!!!

p.s. i quilt

Gobble Gobble Table Topper and Table Runner

Oct14

This tutorial makes one Table Runner that measures 17 x 40 inches, and one Table Topper that measures 32 x 32 inches square. I’ve always loved scalloped edges so I decided to give it a try, and it was actually easier than I had anticipated. I love fall decorations like this because you can leave it out for 2 or three months!

Gobble Gobble Layer Cake

Borders – Brown – 1/4 yard of coordinating fabric
Cream – 1 yard of coordinating fabric

Bias Binding – I purchased 3/4 yards of coordinating fabric for this but I’m sure you could get away with less. I know there are tricks to getting away with way less, but I just cut them into strips on the bias and stitched them together, even then there was a lot left over.

Back – 1 1/2 yards of coordinating fabric
Batting – 1 1/2 yards (I used a 45″ batting similar to warm and natural.)

Step 1 – Pick 14 of your favorite pieces from the layer cake and cut them each into three, 3 1/4 inch strips. If I had to do it over again I probably would have used more of the layer cake squares and not worried so much about wasting them. I would definitely consider cutting up 2 or 3 more squares.

Step 2 – Once you have cut each of your 14 squares into 3 1/4 inch strips place them in piles of three, with each pile having three different pieces.

Step 3 – Sew each pile of three strips together.

Step 4 – Cut into three 3 1/4 inch strips like shown.

Step 5 – Arrange your strips on your floor or a big table how you want them too look. I didn’t want any pattern at all. I tried to make sure that no two fabrics that had the same design were by each other. For the table runner you will need to arrange twelve squares by 3 squares for a total of 36 squares.

For the Table Topper you want to arrange 9 squares by 9 squares for a total of 81 squares.
Sew together a row at a time and then sew your rows together, always pinning at each seam.

Step 6 – BORDERS – First sew on two brown 1 1/4 inch borders on the opposite ends. Cut off even with the square blocks, then add the two long borders to the top and bottom and cut off any excess.

Step 7 – For the cream borders, cut into 5″ strips, and sew on the same way as the brown. Repeat steps 6 and 7 on your table topper also.

This is how the Table Runner and Table Topper should look with the borders sewn on.

Step 8 – Note: If you decided to have your topper and runner quilted draw on your scallops before hand so the quilter knows where to quilt.

I think everyone has a different way of doing this because everyone gave me completely different advice. Sooooo here is what worked for me.

First off draw a straight line in about one inch from the edges of your cream border all around the topper and runner. This is so the tops of your scallops are even. It would also be smart to draw a line where the down point of each scallop will be.

I used a plastic lid as my template. I tried many different sizes and the one that worked the best for me was a 5 1/2″ round lid. I first did my corners and then the four scallops in the middle and then tried to space out the rest from there. Overlapping your scallops will help a ton when it comes to getting them all even. And believe me I didn’t used a black sharpie at first. I only drew over my disappearing marker with a sharpie when I new that my scallops were exactly where I wanted them to be.

Step 9 – Sew around the scallops and then cut out close to your seam. Sewing around it first will make it much easier to bind.

Step 10 – Make your bias binding. If you have never done this before you will need to cut 1 1/2 inch wide strips of fabric on the bias line on your cutting mat. Sew strips together end to end. You will need approx 7 – 8 yards of bias binding. Make your bias binding by first ironing strip in half. Unfold and iron one side half way into the the crease you made previously.

Step 11 – Now the fun part, sewing it on. Sew the raw edge of your bias tape with right sides of fabric together onto the topper or runner. Start in the middle of one of your scallops and line up the edges. I used 1/4 inch seam allowance and lined up the edges as I sewed.

When you get to the corner, keep your needle down but put your presser foot up. Turn topper or runner so the fabric is parallel with your presser foot.

Stretch the two scallops away from each other making it as straight as you can. Put your presser foot down (still stretching the two scallops apart) and continue sewing.

Step 12 – For me this is the fun part. After your border is sewn onto the top, turn your piece around and stitch the back of binding on by hand. When you get to one of the inside points of the scallop just pull the binding up into the scallop and stitch.