Hot Cross Candy Runner

Hello again!  This is Darci and Lacey from Pastthyme Patterns with a really quick and easy table runner project using those ever popular candy squares!!  This project comes just in time for the holidays.  It is fast project to complete for that last minute holiday gift. . .or final decoration on your holiday table.  Finished project measures approximately 12″ x 28″ in size.

 To follow more of our quilting adventures you can visit our website www.shadesofpast.com where you will find links to our Pastthyme Patterns collection, blog, Facebook page and online site where kits of this fun project can be found!!

2 candy packs 1/4 yard- Binding 1/2 yard- Backing 1 roll- Chenille-It Blooming Bias (3/8″ width)

Begin by opening up those cute candy squares and laying them out in a 6 down by 14 across layout (as shown above)  Sew together the rows to create your table runner quilt top.

Now that our quilt top is sewn together it’s time to layer it up with your batting and backing.  (As you can see in our photo we spray baste our quilt tops–feel free to baste your runner to the batting and backing as you prefer!!)

Now we are going to add the Chenille-It. . .you know that fun fuzzy stuff!!  By putting this on the layered runner you will essentially be “quilting as you sew” the Chenille-It on.

 Before I explain how to add the Chenille-It on the runner I want to point out a couple helpful hints.  Remember that just like the package states, the Chenille-It is cut on the bias.  It will stretch out if you pull on it while you sew, while I think over-stretching this is impossible for this project I suggest stretching it in moderation.  It is also spliced together so that you get one long continuous 25-yard roll.  You will notice that there is a “right” and “wrong” side to the splice.  Ideally you want that splice to be raw edges down but DO NOT WORRY if you end up getting your piece twisted and it ends up being right sides up.  When you rag up the Chenille-It, nobody will ever be able to spot where that splice is!!  (Trust us…we speak from experience!!) It’s not worth the ripping time!

 Now the fun part! Place your table runner on a nice, flat surface and grab your Chenille-It and scissors. Referring to the photo above you will notice that we opted to skip every other row.  We did this on purpose to sort of give this project a lattice effect.  You can pick any of the four corners you choose to begin with.  (I am going to direct you from the upper right)  Skip the upper right square. Place the start of your Chenille-It in the upper left corner of the second square and run it down, diagonally to the bottom second lower right square and cut flush.   Skip the next square. Again place the start of the Chenille-It in the upper left corner of the fourth square and run it down, diagonally to the bottom right corner of the fourth lower right square.  Now carefully bring your runner, with the Chenille-It strips over to your machine to be stitched in place.

Stitching of the Chenille-It is quite simple.  Make sure you use thread to coordinate with your Chenille-It color to help camouflage any stitches once the project is complete and simply stitch a straight seam down the center of your Chenille-It strip.  You do not need to backstitch at the beginning and end of the strip as the edges will be covered up in the binding.  Also don’t get to hung up on having your seam smack dab in the middle. . .if it’s a little off it will be just fine in the end as it will be masked by the ragginess.  Tip:  We find that because we are working with a 3/8″ width of Chenille-It that a quarter-inch sewing foot (or walking foot) works the best for sewing this stuff down.   When we use either of those feet we find that you don’t need to do any pinning because the foot holds the Chenille-It in place during the stitching.  Play around with it while you sew and do what works best for you!!

This is what your first Chenille-It strip will look like once you get your seam sewn.  As you can see my line isn’t perfectly straight. . .but is in flows through the center of the Chenille-It strip.  If yours looks like this, ya did well and it’s time to continue on!!

Continue to add Chenille-It strips like you just did in the steps above to the remainder of your table runner.  Make sure you skip a square in-between your Chenille strips.  When you are finished you should have something in front of you that looks like this.

Now if you are like me you will make a quick detour to the kitchen to grab a can of Coke and couple cookies or chips before grabbing the roll of Chenille-It again. . .

To finish up the runner top we are going to add some more Chenille-It.  You will note that we will be adding these going the opposite direction, but following the same format as last time.  For purposes of explaining I am going to direct you from the upper left corner, as shown above.

 Just like last time, you are going to skip the upper left corner.  Begin by laying the start of your Chenille-It strip on the lower left corner of the second square and roll it up diagonally to the upper right corner on the second square at the top and cut flush.  Again, you will skip a square.  Start the end of your Chenille-It strip at the lower left corner of the fourth square and again roll it up diagonally to the upper right corner of the fourth square at the top and cut flush.  Again, carefully bring your runner back to the sewing machine and stitch the Chenille-It strips in place.

Once you have those first two strips sewn you you should see something similar to this in front of you.  Continue to add strips to the project like you did in the steps above.  Again make sure you skip a square in-between your Chenille-It strips.

Once you have your Chenille-It strips all sewn down in place your table runner should look like the picture shown above.  Again, if it does, ya did well and you can trim off that excess batting and backing!!

Almost done!!  Now you get to add the binding.  Cut (3) 2 1/2″ strips for your binding.  Sew the binding onto your quilt top.  We chose to put it down hand, so if you choose to do that as well you might want to choose a movie (or TV show) and plop that binding on down.

Now. . .the final step.  

Referencing a line from the movie “Leap Year” you can just “put it (bound table runner) in the wash.  It’ll be grand!”  Following the manufactures directions you will want to put it into the machine and wash it on a cold cycle.  You can pick up where you left off in that movie you were watching until the machine is done washing.  When the washer is done, simply toss it into the dryer and dry on a warm setting.  Finish up that move just in time for the dryer to end it’s cycle and check out your new project!

Your yield will be one “Hot Cross Candy” runner. . .perfect for a holiday gift or accessory to your table!  Your table runner will measure 12″ x 28″ upon completion.

Remember that the sky is the limit with colors.  Chenille-It comes in all sorts of fun colors to accent any project from Kansas Troubles to Bonnie & Camille and any other Moda designer’s color palate in-between!!

See?!  Even Nature’s Christmas by Sandy Gervais makes up a cute runner!

Darci Schipnewski
{www.shadesofpast.com}

BOO! Table Runner

Em here from Em’s Scrapbag cookin’ up a little Halloween treat with the Boo Crew. A quick and easy table runner sure to scare up a little fun in your lair.

 
1 Boo Crew layer cake
¾ yard backing
Fat quarter for binding

Choose 24 of your layer cake squares. Arrange in sets of two.  (4 set for the Bs and 8 sets for the Os)
Choose one other 10″ square for spiders in Bs. Make a template from lightweight cardboard of a 6¼” circle.

For each O
Choose one of your 10″ squares and place the cardboard template on top and cut a generous ½” seam allowance around it. From the other 10″ cut a 8½” square.

For each B
Choose one of your 10″ squares and cut:
2 – 3½” squares
1 – 1½” x 6½” rectangles
From the other 10″ square cut
6 – 1½” squares
4 – 1½” x 6½” rectangles

To make the Os run a gathering stitch ⅛” around the edge of each circle.
Next pull the gathering stitch until the circle begins to pop up.

Place the template inside the popped circle and pull the gathering stitches until it encases the template.

Using Best Press and/or steam press your circle to set edge around template.

Pop out your template and center on your 8½” square background.  Top stitch in place.

For your Bs
Using your 10″ spider square cut 8- 1½” circles.  A spool of thread works good for this.
With a needle and thread start on the wrong side of the fabric and begin a gather stitch.

Folding the fabric over as you go.

Pull tight to create your spider and tie off.  Repeat with remaining circles

Sew a 1½” x 6½” B rectangle to a 1½” x 6½” background rectangle.

Take the 3½” square and sew the 1½” squares on the diagonal on three of the corners. Trim seam allowance.

 Sew a yo yo spider in the center of this block.  Repeat with the other 3½” square, remaining 1½” squares and yo yo spider.

Sew these two blocks together.

Sew the two 1½” x 6½” rectangle unit to the side of this.

 Sew another 1½” x 6½” rectangle to the other side of your B.

Sew the remaining 1½” x 6½” rectangles to the top and bottom of your B.
Sew a B to two Os to create your Boo units.  Make 4.

From your scraps or remaining 10″ squares cut 4- 5″ x 6 1/2″ rectangles and 1- 4 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle. Sew these together with the smaller rectangle in the center. Sew this piece between two of the Boo units.

You can stop here to make a table mat or add the remaining Boo units on either end for a runner.

 Sandwich top with batting and backing and quilt as desired.  I quilted spiderwebs in mine.

22″ x 38″ runner

Emily Bailey
{www.emsscrapbag.blogspot.com}

The Love Knot Block

Leah Douglas from thebuggspot.blogspot.com here. St. Valentine’s Day is soon arriving and I’ve whipped out a little table runner in anticipation of the Saint’s Day celebrating the man who performed marriage ceremonies for Roman soldiers who had been denied the luxury by the Emperor Claudius II. There’s your history lesson for the day.

And here are some roses from my hubby. He’s so romantic.

Let’s get started!

1 jelly roll (Posy)
     1 jelly roll will make 16 blocks (approx. 2 1/2 strips per block) but you probably don’t want to use
       any strips that are similar in color to your background fabric, so more like 12 blocks total
white background (cluck daisy white)
     1 1/2 strips (at 2 1/2″ wide) per block

These are instructions for making ONE love knot block. I chose to make three total and turn them into a table runner, because that’s what I happened to need at the time. You should be able to make 12 blocks easily out of one jelly roll and turn them into a 3 x 4 block quilt if you would like. Each block finishes at 11″ square.

Cutting the Love Knot Block:

Start by choosing 5 strips from your jelly roll. Trim them from 2 1/2″ wide down to 1 1/2″ wide. If you have a honey bun instead of a jelly roll, that will be perfect without any trimming.

Set aside one of the five strips to be used for the middle square of the block. You have four strips remaining. Cut each of the four strips remaining in half. You will only use half of each strip, so save the rest for a different block later. Fold each of the four strips in half. 

Pick one strip and cut as follows:

     Cut a rectangle measuring 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. You should have two total. 

     Unfold the strip. Cut one rectangle 4 1/2″ wide, another 5 1/2″ wide and one 1 1/2″ square. You will 

     have a smidge leftover fabric to do with as you please. 

     Do the same with the three other strips (not that one you set aside earlier for the center square 

     though, that’s next).

Now take the strip you chose to use for the center square. Fold it in half twice. Cut 4 rectangles measuring 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ and 8 squares 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″. You will have some leftovers to set aside for whatever you’d like.

Next the white background fabric. 

From your 1 1/2 or 2 strips of white cut 8 rectangles measuring 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ and 21 squares measuring 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″. 

The pieces required to make one love knot block:

Sewing the Love Knot Block together:

Perfect 1/4″ seams are 

INCREDIBLY 

important for this block!

Take your 8 squares from the center square fabric (my center square will be white flowers on a pink background) and 16 white background squares.

Using that perfect 1/4″ seam, sew together like this:

IRON, IRON, IRON. I always iron away from the white fabric. This will result in tricky seam matching later, and some ironing towards the white, but if I can get over it, so can you. We’ll all be fine.

To be sure your seams are the correct width, check to make sure the pieces pictured above all measure exactly 3 1/2″ across. If not, find the “scream” ripper and do it again. It’ll be grand.

Now set out the first of four corners for your block. 

top row: purple 4 1/2″ wide going horizontal, purple 5 1/2″ wide going vertical

second row: baby pink square and 2 white rectangles 2 1/2″ wide

third row: center fabric 3 1/2″ wide

fourth row: baby pink 3 1/2″ wide (vertical), white square, center fabric square, another white square

fifth row: purple 3 1/2″ wide

sixth row: white square, center fabric square, 2 more white squares

 Start by sewing these pieces together and then iron (ironing will be assumed from now on):

Then add the 3 1/2″ baby pink to the left side:

Set that section aside and sew this one:

Add the 2 1/2″ white rectangle to the right side:

Sew the 5 1/2″ purple to a white square:

Sew these three pieces together, careful to match your seams:

Then add the long purple with white square to the right side:

Woohoo! This is one quarter of your block. 

Rotate your finished quarter-of-the-block COUNTERCLOCKWISE and lay out the pieces for the next quarter-of-the-block like so: 

Sew it together the same way you did above. It should go something like this:

Once again, rotate things counterclockwise and begin the third quarter-of-the-block:

And the last quarter-of-the-block:

See that extra little white square I threw in the middle of the above picture? That is what pulls everything together here. Sew that little guy onto one of your quarter-blocks leaving a 1/4″ unsewn like this:

It should look like this below, ready to be sewn to the second quarter-of-the-block: (match the seams!)

Sew those two together, rotate counterclockwise, and sew the third quarter-of-the-block on:

Now the tricky part. Adding that last bit. 

You can start from that middle white square or from the outer edge of your blocks, whichever you choose. Either way should be fine if you are being careful to line up all your seams along the way. However, look at the picture below and notice that the last little 1/4″ near the center white square is not sewn.

That’s so you can sew up the other side and turn out a beautiful little 11 1/2″ block like this!

You’re done! 

Here’s a few snapshots of how I finished my 3 blocks into a table runner.

First, I cut (2) 11 3/4″ squares into 4 triangles:

Second, I laid it all out to be sewn into rows:

Quilt top finished!

Isn’t this fabric fantastic? Here’s my backing after quilting:

Table runner complete with roses from my love. 

One Love Knot Block measures 11″ square, finished
1 jelly roll yields 12+ blocks
My table runner measures 15″ x 45″

Leah Douglas
{thebuggspot.blogspot.com}

120-Minute Gift: Hugs and Kisses Quilted Table Runner

Quilt Top:
1 pkg. charm squares (I used a layer cake and trimmed them down to 5″ x 5″)
1/2 yd. white (a background fabric contrasting with your charm squares)
1/3 yd. inner border fabric

Binding:
1/3 yd. grey or coordinating fabric

Backing:
1/2 yd. grey or coordinating fabric (your runner will be reversible, so pick a fabric that looks great all by itself)

 Choose your favorite 16 squares from the charm pack. They need to be darker or bolder than your background fabric (my background fabric is white). Six of these 16 squares will be turned into X blocks, while the remaining 10 will become O blocks. If you have any large prints that you want to show off, set those in your X stack.

White Squares:
Cut your white or contrasting fabric into 20 5″ squares.

 Cutting the X Block:
Line up four X squares perfectly on top of each other. Cut a 3″ x 5″ rectangle, leaving you with another rectangle measuring 2″ x 5″, which you will set aside for a moment. Cut a 3″ square from your 3″ x 5″ rectangle. This is the center of your X block. Use the remaining pieces to cute 5 sets of 1 1/2″ squares. (You will use four of these squares in the X block and the fifth set of squares will be used in the outer border of the quilt.) Cut the remaining two charm squares the same way.

Cut 10 of your white 5″ squares in this same way as well.

Your X Block will be cut like this:

Cutting the O Block:

Line up four squares perfectly on top of each other. Just like with the X Block, cut a 3″ x 5″ rectangle, leaving you with another rectangle measuring 2″ x 5″. From your 3″ x 5″ rectangle, cut three rectangles measuring 3″ x 1 1/2″. From the 2″ x 5″ rectangle, cut one rectangle measuring 3″ x 1 1/2″. You will have a spare 1 1/2″ square that you can use in the outer border of the quilt. 

Cut 6 of your white 5″ squares in this same way as well.

Your O Block will be cut like this:

Cutting the Triangles:

With the remaining four white 5″ squares, cut across the diagonal, like this:

Cutting the Inner Border:

You will need 3 strips of the inner border, 1″ wide.

Cutting the Squares for the Outer Border:

Using the remaining uncut charm squares, come up with 130 little squares measuring 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″. 

Ready to Sew!

Start with your X Blocks. Lay out your block like a 9 Patch. THE CONSISTENCY IN SIZE OF YOUR SEAMS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! Keep it right at 1/4″. Always. 

Sew into three small rows, like this:

Press the seams away from the lighter fabric and towards the darker fabric. Then sew those three little rows together:

If you’ve pressed your seams correctly and maintained that 1/4″ seam, your pieces should nest perfectly as you sew along. 

Press these seams toward the dark center of the X Block:

Your O Blocks will be done the same way, with the exception of the direction you press the seams. Always press away from the lighter colored fabric. 

   

 Lay out your blocks the way you like them.

Sew into rows.

Press the first row one direction, the second row in the opposite direction, the third the same direction as the first row, etc. Then sew your rows together, remembering to nest those seams perfectly together.

It’s time to square off your corners. You want each end of your runner to be perfectly square, while the sides of your runner need to meet at a 135 degree angle, if that makes any sense at all…Like this:

Now sew on the first edge of your inner border. Cut the ends of the border strip flush with the edges of your quilt.

There needs to be 1/4″ left on the long sides of your quilt, where the white triangles are.

Add the rest of your inner border, keeping the same things in mind while cutting the edges.

Press seams away from the quilt body, towards the inner border.

For the Outer Border, sew those 130 little squares together into one enormous strip. Then add this strip the same way you added your inner border. Pull the outer border snugly as you sew along to prevent having a wavy quilt edge. 

Press seams toward the inner border, away from the outer border.

Your quilt top is finished! Sandwich your top, batting and backing and quilt away. Finish off with your binding. (For an excellent binding tutorial, visit here.)

One table runner measuring approximately 16″ x 42″.

Leah Douglas

{thebuggspot.blogspot.com }