Table Runner!

I started this project last Wednesday, and it's been horrible hiding it from here! While I'm pretty sure Neighbor doesn't read this (she just found out I blogged a few weeks ago), I couldn't take the chance.
You see, she's a Valentine's Day Baby, but we celebrated her birthday last night. Grizz and I hosted, and it went really well! I'll post about all the fun party details later... but here's what I made my friend (aka Neighbor).

When it was my birthday, Neighbor weaseled her way into seeing my "list." The fam knows about the list... it's my super-long Christmas list that gets updated throughout the year. (It may be long, but I try to remind them, that nothing on the "list" is necessary, it's just things that I would enjoy or put to good use.) Anyways, since she saw my list, it was only right that I saw hers, right? Much to my surprise, at the bottom of her list was this...

How could I turn her down? She had seen me make this for a friend for Christmas...

But I wasn't in the mood to work with all those pointy edges, so last Wednesday, when I didn't get called in to sub, I found this inspiration. Since it was my first time doing a project like this, I decided not to quilt and piece at the same time like she did. I will probably try it next time though! I was really happy how quickly it came together.

First step: decide how long and wide you want it. It is completely adaptable to whatever you need. I knew Neighbor was at a PT appointment, so I scampered over with our spare key and measured her table :) She had said she would like one that hangs over the table some, so I added to the length. I ended up cutting the strips 13" long and I cut enough strips to make it 50" long.

 I grabbed my cutting tools...

And cut the strips 13" long and various widths - my smallest strips were an inch wide while my biggest strips were 3". I had all of these fabrics on hand (my stash is growing, yay!), and I wanted to do blue because she has lots of blue glassware and pottery that will go great with this!

I lade them out, trying to alternate lights/darks and widths.

Trimming the top was one of the more difficult tasks - you always worry that you're not going to cut it straight - especially when its 50" long! But it turned out great! I found a black and white dotted fabric (yay, fabric stash!) that would be great if she ever needed a quick change in decor - this is a reversible table runner! I did have to piece the back together, since the remnant I had wasn't long enough, but it barely shows.

 Here it is, all laid out, waiting to be quilted...

I saw a picture of someone quilting and her quilt was safety-pinned. I'm positive this is not a new advancement in quilting, but I had never seen it before. Yay for safety pins!! They were perfect for keeping the quilt layers together during the quilting process.

So... I guess my machine came with a walking foot. I've never even seen one used before in person, but I've read up on them a bit. Since it came with the sewing machine, I'm sure it's a low-end walking foot, but hey, it works for me! I only quilted on the seams, so it wasn't that difficult, but I'm already in love with this walking foot - the layers stayed put and didn't slip! 

Here's a Iphone pic that I sent to Mom. (She gets all the updates via picture texts... I thoroughly appreciate her enthusiasum for my crafty adventures!) As you can see the binding is already put on. The walking foot was great for that too! I used the same white fabric for the binding as the white strips on the front. It works great with the top and with the dotty backing. This picture shows how I ended my Wednesday - thus I started in the afternoon and took breaks for supper, choir practice and a movie with Neighbor, so again, I am amazed by how quickly and easily this came together.

Here's the instagram you saw yesterday - on Thursday, I knew ahead of time that I'd be subbing for a math classroom, where 4 out of the 5 classes would have work-time and that I'd have 2 prep periods. Um... can you say sewing at school?! Ha, yup, I split my time between crocheting and hand-sewing the back of the binding (note: I updated my memory on sewing a quilt binding here...). Highlight of my day? Sewing this, while a student knitted (she had finished her assignment early). Loved it.

Another Iphone pic - update to the Mom, telling her that I was done! After sewing a bit during my prep period and study hall on Friday, I finished it Friday night before another movie with Neighbor. I was so happy to get it done in time! 

PS: during the early planning stages, I had thought to do strips in the back in Christmas fabric, so then it would definitely be reversible. I changed my mind though. Perhaps I'll try it next time... this fabric is just waiting for me to cut it up :)