Christmas Tree Table Runner - TA - DAH!!!!!

Over the past few weeks I have been working on a Christmas Quilted Table Runner. Since I have started learning how to sew it has always been my aim to learn how to quilt. I saw the workshop advertised on the lovely Lichfield Sewing Shop facebook page and signed up there and then.

After going to the stocking workshop and enjoying it so much, and even coming home feeling inspired to go on and produce more and more stockings I was confident that this was the start of a beautiful quilting relationship.

So to start .... we joined 6 strips of delicious red fabric together and then six green strips of fabric.

This was my favourite bit!!!! I loved the easiness (remember I am a beginner!!!) of zooming up and connecting AmAzInGlY gOrGeOuS strip of fabric to another AmAzInGlY gOrGeOuS strip of fabric.

 

I spent that particular half an hour in sewing shop paradise! I mean who can blame me .....

Once I had pressed the seams I cut out lots of Christmas tree triangles out of my new stripy pieces of fabrics.

 

Then it was onto the slightly harder stage two where I cut out all of the white fabric joining bits. Followed by the even harder, and must concentrate, part of joining my Christmas trees with the white fabric bits.

 

And then some more pressing. Does anyone else love the smell of iron and fabric? No, just me then??

 

This took me to the end of the day and I scheduled in to come back and finish it off once I had broken up for work. Plenty of time to admire those lovely pieces of fabric and soak up all the different things I had learnt.

On Monday I returned feeling confident I would be able to complete at home (guided by the wonderfully provided instructions of course!). All I needed was to go back to the shop for a touch of the magic rotary cutter to straighten up my edges and a little fill of Sewing Shop lurveee .... a debate of Lucy's Festive Crocheted Wreath and a comparison of husband present buying mishaps.

At home, I had got the bug big time. Monday night was spent adding the trunk details and final white border.

 

And then it was onto the bit I had been waiting for....... QUILTING!!!!

My kitchen floor became my workbench and the rest of the room was transformed into hazardous amalgamation of flying pins and steaming irons as I joined the wadding and backing fabric onto my lovely Christmas tree scene!

 

Then was the fun bit ..... sewing it all together! After much debate with my better half we decided on vertical lines all over.

 

A couple of hours later, two broken needles and a few horizontal additional lines later I was the owner of a ooooo soooooo lovely (unbinded) quilt. I felt like squealing with excitement, and my husband was pretty chuffed too!

I rewarded myself with a little snowball and a nice early night!

The next morning I was all charged up ready to bind the quilt with my red spotty bias binding. I didn't want to make the usual mistake of just s"eeing what would happen without thinking about it first" ..... so I did a bit of research on youtube. I found this fantastic video which I had on pause as I went round corner by corner.

After loosing two needles to the thickness of the quilt, I made the correct decision to add a thicker needle - and it paid off ... the mitered corners were pretty hefty!

 

So, I conclude, after a journey of blood (nasty pins), sweat and tears, sheer pride and gleeful joy!

Drum roll please ....... drdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdrdr........

 

TA-DAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

My proudest blogging ta-dah to date.

A scrummy quilted table runner. Not bad for a first go, huh?

Don't you just love the fabrics??? I think my favourites are the nordic red and white strip, the spotty green one and the holly piece. Luscious!

 

One last look and then I will have to go ...

 

Ahhhh, a lovely satisfied foot photo! I will now find a lovely place to put it. Hearth? Coffee Table? or Dining Table? I am sure it will travel with me to a fair few places over the next week or two.

Thanks for reading, and all of your continued lovely comments and I'll speak soon xxxxxx

Kate xx