Making Christmas 2013 - Home for the Holidays Table Runner

Week 6 already, how did that happen?

 

When Janine and Rebecca announced the Making Christmas Blog Hop, it seemed like my posting day was ages away but now, not only is it Week 6 but it is also my turn to post on the Blog Hop, so if you are new here welcome, feel free to stay a while and have a look around.

Making Christmas is all about encouraging and supporting each other to tick off on your list all of those crafty makes that might otherwise slip off the radar in the run-up to Christmas. In addition, along the way crafty Bloggers will share their projects and ideas that might just be the ideal gift or home decoration project that you have been looking for. You can check out the projects that have been blogged about already on the Making Christmas Pinterest board 

Until now my Christmas makes have all been edible as my sewing room was out of action being redecorated. Happily the room is now presentable again and I don't have to negotiate tins of paint or rolls of wallpaper to get to my stash.

My project today, however, is a Home Decoration project that has been on my to-do list for a long time. 

I am calling it my Home for the Holidays Table Runner. The embroidery patterns in the middle are by Jenny of Elefantz and are free to download from her pattern store on Craftsy. As well as these Wonky Houses patterns, Jenny has lots of other great embroidery patterns including her Shabby Roses BOM and, currently, an e-zine stuffed full of Christmas projects, so definitely worth checking out. 

This finish means that here's how my list currently looks

• A Christmas Table Runner for our new dining table MADE
• Two Pleated Pouches to fill with make-up/nail polishes for my daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law to be
• Two Liberty and linen jewellery rolls for my sisters-in-law
• A Knotwork Christmas cushion - for me!
• A Fairytale Cushion for my grandniece using one of Quiet Play's Happily Ever After paper-pieced patterns
• Homemade chutney for my brother and son MADE
• Homemade relish for my brother MADE
• More dishwasher vodka!
• Biscuits for cheese for my brother

 To the above though, I have added 

• Meat rub, BBQ apron and oven glove for my b-in-law
• Pyjama trousers for my youngest son

One off the list, two added that isn't how it is supposed to work!! Hopefully your lists are healthier than mine, add them to the link at the end of the post to join in the fun :)

If a Table Runner is on your list of makes for this year, here's how to make your own Home for the Holidays Table Runner. 

You will need ;

• Wonky Houses embroidery patterns from Elefantz's Pattern Store (there are 4 patterns available but I only needed 3 of them for this project)

•  Plain evenweave fabric for the embroidered blocks at least 3 - 6" x 6" squares ( I used an old linen table napkin)
• Interfacing to back the embroidered blocks
• Embroidery floss
• Transfer paper/pencil/Frixion pen
• Embroidery hoop
• Quilting cotton to cut 64 - 3" x 3" squares and 6 -  3 and3/8" x 3 and 3/8" squares. (I used 8 Layer Cake squares that I received in a Christmas Fabric swap ages ago!)
•  Wadding/Batting - 18" x 45"
• Backing Fabric     - 18" x 45"
• Binding strip  - 104" x 2 and 1/4" 

Step 1 

Download the free embroidery patterns and use your preferred method to transfer the patterns to your plain fabric squares. (I used a Frixion pen to trace the pattern on to my linen, you can see the inked lines in the photo below. I also altered the patterns slightly to make them more seasonal!)

Step 2

Embroider the houses, adding embellishments if you like. (I added candles in the windows of one house, a wreath on the door of another and a wonky Christmas tree to the third, and lots of snow!)

 

 Fuse the interfacing to the back of each square and trim each to 5.5" square

Step 3

Cut your 3 and 3/8" squares in half diagonally to give you 12 Half-Square Triangles (HST's). 

Step 4

Stitch your 3" squares together as follows;

8 pairs
2 rows of 10 squares
2 rows of 12 squares

At each end of the 10 and 12 square rows add an HST. Make sure that you orientate them so that the 3 and 3/8" edge of the triangles are on the top for one of the 10 and 12 square rows and on the bottom for the other 10 and 12 square rows.

Add an HST to 4 of the pairs of 3" squares, again orientating 2 to have the 3 and 3/8" edge along the top and 2 to have the 3 and 3/8" edge along the bottom.

Step 5

Join 4 pairs of 3" squares together to make 2 4-patch blocks. Join 2 pairs of 3" squares to an HST to make 2 4-patch blocks with an HST point.

Step 6

Stitch an embroidered square to your 4-patch blocks in the following order;

1. 4-patch block with HST point
2. embroidered block
3. 4-patch block
4. embroidered block
5. 4-patch block
6. embroidered block
7. 4-patch block with point

(I couldn't fit it all in the photo but there is a 4-patch block with points on the left-hand side, honest! )

Step 7

Stitch a 10 square row to a 12 square row lining up the points at each end. Stitch these double rows to your embroidered block strip, one above and one below.

Step 8

Layer and baste the backing fabric, wadding and quilt top. Quilt the table runner. (I outline quilted each horizontal and vertical seam using a white thread on the top and red thread in the bobbin.)

Step 9

Trim the excess batting and backing and bind with a double-sided binding using the 2.25" strips.

Place it on your table and enjoy!

At least my table will be well-dressed this Christmas even if nothing else is :)

Thanks Janine and Rebecca for providing just the push I needed to finally make the Christmas Table Runner I have promised myself for years :)

Now it is your turn to link up your Making Christmas progress!