Happy New Year! Now that the festivities (and Flu!) are over, I have a chance to wish you a healthy and prosperous 2019. The last project I made in 2018 was my pattern “Grace“. This wall hanging finishes at 26-1/2″ x 30-1/2”, uses machine applique’, and can be made in one afternoon.
For this wall hanging I used fabrics from the Gingham Girls collection by Riley Blake Designs. The prints were perfect and cheerful. You know how it is: sometimes you want to sew a project from start to finish so you can feel you have done something! I have lots of blocks hanging on my design wall, but this one is complete. The butterfly antennas will be applied with a marker, and the simple quilting will not take long.
You can find this pattern in my Etsy Store Quilterly, download it, and begin (and finish) sewing it. The pattern is fat quarter friendly, or you can use fabrics from your favorite collections.
Speaking of projects you can do in one afternoon, have you seen the book Table-Runner Roundup – 13 Quilted Projects to Spice Up You Table, compiled by Amelia Johanson and published by Martingale? The featured table runners are fast to make (think of them as 13 opportunities to use your orphan blocks and leftover fabrics) and look so pretty!
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| All photographs by Brent Kane and Adam Albright for Martingale. Used with permission. |
I have a ‘thing’ for pineapples and am loving Pineapple Parade by Deane Beesley. I am thinking this table runner can also be a skinny wall hanging if you place all pineapples right side up.
Oh… Farm Fresh by Sue Pfau is so fun! The log-cabin-style blocks are ideal for those strips of fabric you’ve been saving. Here is an idea: Make lots of the star block centers, then grab your strips randomly to finish the scrappy blocks – you will be able to assemble MANY of these table runners, ready to be gifted throughout the year!
Most of the patterns in Table-Runner Roundup can easily be turned into bed runners, too. The instructions are very clear with step-by-step diagrams to help construction regardless of the technique required. Each project will inspire you whether you prefer traditional designs or more modern creations such as “Equinox” by Michelle Bartholomew which is shown above.
There is a table topper for every corner of your house! “Star-in-a-Star by Julie Taylor will fit accent tables or a dresser that needs a little bit of pizzaz.
With the cool ideas on this post, plus all that beautiful fabric I know you have in your stash, you are ready for a few hours of sewing relaxation, which is my wish for your weekend.
