I am so pleased to show you the 3 finished table runners. These were made from Row by Row blocks, from the summer of 2016. April Showers feels like the winter we have had, more rain than snow! I’m not a fan of snow but I am tired of the grey. Below you will see 2 quilts made from other rows. I haven’t really blogged about them before (I am shocked) because I really like them, so here’s a little glimpse.
This quilt hangs in my studio in Medford. I love so many things about this, Boston things & Kaffe fish & dragonfly fabric!
Here is one in my studio on Peaks Island. I don’t know why I don’t have a better photo of this. I will get one in here as soon as I get back to the Island, in the beginning of March. This one says Maine to me, and is called “Maine…the way life should be”, I think this may have been one of the state’s advertising mottos. Anyway, I couldn’t make these others fit and decided to make separate table runners with each row.
I did the quilting on two of these earlier this year; you can read about it here.
April Showers was just quilted the first time I tried using a the cropping function on Tabitha, my HandiQuilter with a ProStitcher, to keep the design within a bounded area (the border/binding). I love it! What this meant was the design stayed in the boundaries. There was one more piece of automation I could have had the machine do, but I forgot how to use the bounding features. I think I know now and so the next time I will be able to program that in too!
The problem was that all of these had not quite enough backing/border so I had to figure that out. What I did was pretty simple – took longer to settle on fabric and come up with an idea. I trimmed the quilt sandwiches to 1″ around which worked for all of them. I then added 3 – 3 1/2″ strips on the front, on two opposite sides. I folded to the back and turned under and sewed down by machine. Then I added the last 2 strips.
I left enough overhang to make it all work (maybe I could have had a little more.
I made sure I could cover the edges when folded over and then did one more thing.
I mitered the corners just a sliver to make it all work. I did this for all three and was really happy with the results. I managed to finish them all in an afternoon.
I am torn between the one with the narwahls on it.
Or the starfish one. Tell me, which is your favorite: April Showers, Frolicking Narwhals or Starfish of the Sea?
Thought I would do a little official PhD update. I have completed 2 projects of the 12 needed for the year and working on completing new projects as I go. This is all working quite well, but I would like to speed it up a bit, although one UFO a month is plenty for me. These table runners were also on my list for the first quarter, which I must begin to update in Instagram!
I’ll be on the plane by the time some of you see this. I will respond to comments, but I could get slowed up by all the excitement. Can’t wait to see what is new this year!
Coming Up:
Tips/Tutorials on the 22nd – 2/22
Awesome Ocean 2/29
Modern Quilt Guild MiniSwap
Quilt Con 2020
Linking Up:
What I Made Monday
PhD Progress Mid February
I like all three, but April Showers gets my vote, because I’ve always wanted a pair of rain boots like that. How fun! Enjoy QuiltCon!
They are fun boots aren’t they!
You have been a very busy girl and it all looks fabulous. If my memory serves me right…Quilt Con was what tripped you up last year. Literally that is. I do remember you coming home with bruises. Stay safe this year!
Your memory serves you well. I am watching my step!
Great finishes, Kathleen! How could I choose a favorite?!! I love them all! We have a row by row pattern every year at the shop I work at. It’s always a pieced row and therefore is well liked (as opposed to applique, which seems to make customers groan). But no one has claimed the winning prize for the past 2 years now. They’re fun when they represent something local. Have a great time at QC! You and Rose, too!
2016 was the water theme year and I loved it. I learned my lesson about row by row but it was fun. I know the last year I worked in the shop it took until September to get a winner. Rose and I will get into trouble I am sure, the other sistas should be here!
I can’t decide which I like best either! All our cute. I hope you are going to do some blog posts on QuiltCon, so jealous!
I definitely will do at least one post, and probably more. Unfortunately I don’t think I will see much of the show until Friday as I am in class all day Thursday.
Frolicking Narwhals are my favorite!! One of these years I hope to see one in the wild!! Great row quilts and table runners!!!
Thank you so much, sorry to be a little late to my response! Narwhals are a newish critter to me. I think I only started hearing about them a few years ago.
These are so fun! My favorite is the one with the rain boots, for sure!!! Love that one! Have a fabulous time at QuiltCon!
They are all so cute! I think I like the Maine one too! Have a blast at QuiltCon!
I am glad you liked the Maine one! Quilt Con was a blast!