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The request was for a red and green dresser runner, nothing fancy.

The challenge was to work with these colors and create something that would work year round, not just at Christmastime.  I think we accomplished just that.

Somehow it slipped my mind how challenging quilting on the diagonal can be, especially with a quilt this long. Either I need to practice more or give it up entirely - not my favorite to do but seemed to be what this quilt needed. As I was quilting, it felt like it was going to be a flop, but it turned out very nice indeed and square!

Overall very pleased with how this quilted runner finished. It was so easy and fun working with just three colors and simple blocks.

QUILT STATS
Fabric: Moda Bella Solids
            Prairie Green - 9900 102
            Barn Door - 9900 113
            Linen - 9900 242
Batting: Quilters Dream Cotton
Piecing Thread:  Aurifil #2310
Quilting Thread: Connecting Threads #20868 and #20867
Size: 89" x 14.75"

Here is my first entry for the Festival of Half Square Triangles hosted by Megan of Canoe Ridge Creations.  The linky party runs from April 16 - 22.



About a week or so ago my dear husband asked me if I could make something quilty "with triangles like you did before" for the employees' club auction on April 25. "I think I can, honey, but I need to get the baby's quilt done first." What was I thinking?? I could have, maybe should have, just put the baby's quilt aside for a couple days and done this topper for the auction, but, oh no, for once I decided to stick to my resolution, good or bad. So, I proceeded to work on baby's quilt while putzing at different designs layouts for a patriotic table topper. (Went with patriotic because I thought it would have the widest appeal and because I had a charm pack of Prairie Paisley II) Friday (April 13) he informs me that the auction has been moved up to April 18 (which also happened to be my birthday. OH Gads!! Planning and designing phase - over!  Pick a layout and go with it. No time to dilly dally now.

But first, determined to finish baby's quilt first I basted, quilted and bound it by Monday a.m. (will share later) then proceeded to the table topper.  (Sorry, no work-in-progress photos this time, folks.) Pieced triangles Monday afternoon. Cut and ironed triangles Monday evening and lay them out for a final look see. Pieced rows Tuesday before supper. Stopped for supper and evening going ons.  Then discover (Oh crud!) that I don't have a suitable binding. It NEEDS something navy. Not a snitch of anything navy in the house. (how can that be? Navy is one of my favorite colors??? Note to self: rectify the lack of navy and navy-like fabric in stash) So, ran out for something that I hoped would work.

Finally back at it from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. - finished piecing top, ironed, made binding, quilted, and attached binding to front. Up at 5:30 with baby and to see dear husband off to work. "Honey, you will have to stop over and pick up that table topper you need this afternoon at 1 p.m. I need to finish the binding." He is so cool. "No, big deal, sweetheart. You have plenty of time."  Finished sewing down the binding by 8:30 a.m. Took some photos. Husband picked up at 9:30 a.m.


Impressed my children, which is always kinda cool.  "Wow, Mommy! You did that last night?!"  It got finished on time and nobody went underloved or undernourished.  Teamwork, folks, teamwork : )

PS:  I think I more than earned that free motion quilting foot I got for my birthday : ) Yay!!!
PPS:  The French Silk birthday pie he brought home for me was delish!!!

Linking up with the Festival of Half Square Triangles linky party.  A lot of great handiwork has been linked. I wonder how I'll do?

...and my first blog post ever just in time for the Home Spun Holiday Show 'n Tell over at Piece N Quilt




Well, here it is...



After a couple months of reading some very, very inspiring blogs from accomplished quilters (thank you so much, ladies, for taking the time to share), I am so happy to have completed my very first quilting project. It has already been gifted to my mom so I can post away about it : )




Fabrics are a variety chosen from my local quilt shop. There was no cotton batting to be found in my stash so I used some natural heavy flannel as a replacement. Roughly followed Twiddletails Strippy Runner tutorial found here and Crazy Mom Quilts tutorial for binding here (my miters need some work but overall I'm pleased with my first binding - I was nervous about it finishing up without puckers or creases somewhere, but it actually turned out better that I had hoped).



I wasn't sure which quilting method to use so I chose to go with decorative stitching as I'm familiar with them and have several to choose from on my machine. The border would probably look better handstitched on the back, but I was on a deadline so I went with machine stitching. Silly me for trying to complete my first quilting project on such a slim timeline. But, I DID IT! and I'm very pleased with how the finished runner turned out, and more importantly, the recipient is very happy with it and how it fits in her room. Now I just have to get busy and get one made for our own table. I have some Frosted Memories fabric in mind for that one.