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}
modafabrics 