More 1-2-3 Mosaic Blocks

1-2-3 Mosaic blocks - March18
1-2-3 Mosaic blocks – March18

I have been working a bit at a time on more Mosaic blocks.

I think I need to sew some of them together, so I can figure out how many more I need and where. 

I have added some more fabrics to vary the contrast and make each block stand out. A two color (ish) color palette can be tricky.

I have been working on making a ton of smaller (2.5 inch) blocks. Lorraine said we would need a lot of them. The size of the blocks I made after I got home from the workshop kept creeping up. I suddenly realized that I wouldn’t be able to put the thing together without more small blocks, so that is my current focus. 

Friend Julie wrote a really good post about the workshop. She got some great photos that I neglected to take.

All the Table Runners

Table runners are a great project to make when you want to try out a technique or use up the bits and pieces from a class. I decided I didn’t want to make a whole quilt when I took the Jen Carlton Bailly class and made a table runner we love.

I am making a table runner from the 1-2-3 Mosaic class I took the other day and decided to do an inventory. What a bonanza!

I have made a couple of table runners and given them away.

The bat table runner was for Amy. I just made it. She gave me all of the supplies. I think it was a kit or something. 

The Christmas table runner was a gift for SIL#4. I saw that she used it during the Christmas season, which made me really happy.

I think I could make a table runner for each holiday. It is an opportunity, but I am not signing up for it at the moment.

Brimfield Tablerunner Plans

Brimfield Block
Brimfield Block

I got a sample of the Brimfield Block at QuiltCon a million years ago. I might have bought the templates for one block. I can’t remember. It is from a company called Brimfield Awakening. I am a little put off by the name. Somehow it reminds me of brimstone.

Anyway, I finally dragged out this block to have some handwork to take on vacation. I have no knitting going, the needlepoint project is too large and La Pass is also too large. I came across this block and decided to work on it.

The table runner will be for our buffet and will comprise 3 blocks.

I spent the Sunday before we left cutting out small pieces of fabric, organizing templates and making sure I had everything. I was sure I would be glad when I could just pull a piece out and start sewing, but it felt like a waste of a day. I didn’t get to sew much at all.

One struggle was  that the illustration on the pattern cover was very distracting. I looked up some samples on IG and found a sort of layout I liked, then I rummaged through my fabrics to find my favorites.

I hope to show you some progress soon.

Cha Cha Cha Tablerunner #2 Ready for Quilting

I quickly finished this project, which was great.

The top is pretty subtly shaded, e.g. very little contrast. I guess that is ok. The nook where the buffet is located is a little dark, so I hope what light there is will reflect off of the light colors.

I am sending this to Colleen to quilt.

Cha Cha Cha Tablerunner #2

Cha Cha Cha table runner #2 in process
Cha Cha Cha table runner #2 in process

I have wanted to make another tablerunner for our buffet for awhile. I found the charm pack I used for this project at Sunshine Quilts in Medford. It was an impulse buy, but I was determined not to let the pack sit around.

I cut the pieces for this project at Sew Day and started sewing them together last week.

OMG! I can’t tell you how much I loved just sewing pieces together – no applique’, no fighting, no drama.

 

 

Finished: The Lobster

Lobster tablerunner
Lobster tablerunner

I know I finished pretty fast considering the quilts were returned to me not that long ago, but, yes, I finished the Lobster. It is now on my dining room buffet protecting the surface. It also brightens up the space.

I want to use it for the July timeframe, but I still have so few non-holiday tablerunners that I will use it for awhile and then switch it out for another. I guess I need to work on tablerunners for all the holidays like I made napkins for many holidays.

Finished: Cha Cha Cha Table Runner

Cha Cha Cha Table Runner Finished
Cha Cha Cha Table Runner Finished

I finished the Cha3 table runner pretty quickly. It is already on my buffet, replacing the Red Text table runner I made during the Journey to Nebula. I was getting sick of looking at it.

I realized that I really didn’t follow the directions very well. I explained a little about why in a previous post, but I also could have made the edges of the center a little more wonky. I have more of the squares from the charm pack and maybe I have enough to do that. We’ll see.

Cha Cha Cha Table Runner Finished-detail
Cha Cha Cha Table Runner Finished-detail

I even quilted it myself. The quilting isn’t as good as Tim’s or Colleen’s, but I am happy with it.

I had to unbaste it, because my first attempt was terrible. The second time was better. Lesson: use masking tape not painter’s tape.

Cha Cha Cha Progress

Cha Cha Cha table runner
Cha Cha Cha table runner

I made good progress over the weekend on the Cha Cha Cha table runner. That name is a pain to type so when you see Cha3 you will know what I mean!

It looks a little static. I probably should have used the black for those small 1.5″ strips instead of using more of the colors. I still like it and think it will be a cheerful addition to my table runner collection.

Cha Cha Cha Table Runner

Cha Cha Cha Table Runner Start
Cha Cha Cha Table Runner Start

I ended up buying the pattern for the Cha Cha Cha table runner. Aside from wanting to support independent designers, I didn’t want to spend time trying to figure out how to make the table runner with the required supplies.

After reading the directions, I decided to make it a different way. Mostly I am not cutting the border up into a 100 pieces. I will put it on in long pieces so as not to break up the motifs of the fabric design.

Cha Cha Cha Table Runner skewed
Cha Cha Cha Table Runner skewed

What that means is that instead of cutting 100 border pieces I cut only the pieces I need to fill in the gaps when I skew the lines of pieces, then I will cut longer pieces for the border. I haven’t cut the borders yet.

I did all of the cutting after work and before dinner. I wanted to be ready to sew today. I will cut the border pieces when I am ready for them. I am also still fiddling with the layout of the fabrics.

The fabrics are Birthday by Sarah Watts of Ruby Star Society. There are some dots I am tempted to buy more of for future projects. I’ll try to use up my other favorite dots first.

 

Rock Candy Finished

Rock Candy Finished
Rock Candy Finished

I finished Rock Candy over the weekend, but still needed to do the binding. That is always a good hand task to work on at Craft Night, so I finished the binding on Monday night. This has been a banner week for finishes: Rock Candy plus 3 donation tops and backs.

On to Candy Dish, which is the next Journey to Nebula project

Red Text Table Runner Finished

Journey 2 Nebula icon
Journey 2 Nebula icon
Red Text Table Runner
Red Text Table Runner

The Red Text table runner is finished. I finished sewing on the binding on Monday during Craft Night. I had already machine sewed and the hand stitching went surprisingly fast.

As I mentioned, I machine quilted it over last weekend. I am pleased, even after several days of looking at it, about how it came out. I am also really pleased that it is done since the new project came out on Tuesday, the Lucky Charm pillow.

Red Text Table Runner quilting detail
Red Text Table Runner quilting detail

I am more than a little thrilled that I finished the two table runners in time for the new project.

Red Text Table Runner Quilted

Journey 2 Nebula icon
Journey 2 Nebula icon

I really don’t want these Journey2Nebula projects hanging around clogging up my UFO list. Since the next project started yesterday, I sat down on Sunday an did some simple quilting on the Red Text table runner. It will be for my buffet (if I didn’t mention that before) and I would like to get it done so I can use it for a little while before I need to set up the decor for Thanksgiving.

Red Text Table Runner - quilted
Red Text Table Runner – quilted

I quilted most of it while talking on the phone to the YM. I used the Rotary Even foot rather than my usual clear applique foot. I wasn’t happy with it for other uses, but thought it worked pretty well for quilting straight lines. I definitely didn’t have to worry about the layers shifting. I also liked it because it was quiet. Unlike the walking foot, this foot didn’t clang and make a ton of noise while I was sewing.

I don’t like quilting that much, but it was a good task to do to stay off my foot.

I also made the binding, but it was a little too big, so I need to adjust it then hand stitch the binding to the back of the table runner. I am excited to have it finished!

Seaside Table Runner Finished!

Journey 2 Nebula icon
Journey 2 Nebula icon
Seaside Table Runner: Finished
Seaside Table Runner: Finished

I finished the binding of the first Seaside Table Runner on Friday. I am pleased with the way it came out and pleased that it is finished.

I have wrapped it with a piece of fabric and a note, so it is ready whenever I feel like going out again.

This is the first project in the Journey2Nebula and I am on pace. I haven’t finished the second table runner yet, but stay tuned for that. I don’t want any of these small project languishing.

Amy’s Seaside Table Runner – Quilted

As I mentioned, I cut out two sets of diamonds to make two Seaside table runners. Last week I sewed together my table runner and basted it. On Saturday, I worked on the second one, which will be for Amy as a thank you for loaning me the rulers.

One of the things I did was use the Rotary Even Foot for some of the quilting. Although, it didn’t work very well for the binding, I think it worked pretty well for the quilting I did, so I plan to try it on my version of this pattern.

Amy's Seaside Table Runner quilted
Amy’s Seaside Table Runner quilted

Once the rows were finished, I decided I would quilt the piece as I sewed the rows together. It took me a good portion of the day Monday to put the thing together, but once all the rows were together, it was quilted as well. Bonus!

After I took this picture, I trimmed it, made the binding and started binding it. I used a 2″ binding, which is pretty slim, but is working.