It’s gloomy out today, the roads are icy, and there’s a fire in the fireplace. I can’t think of any good reason to leave the house, which means it’s a perfect day to stay in and sew!
I’m calling this a “Kind of Scrappy” table runner because while I’m using up some scraps, they are all from the same fabric collection. I think to be truly scrappy a project needs to use a random selection of fabric bits that have been moldering in a box in a corner somewhere. (Do you have boxes like this? I’ve got a box, a small container, and a bowl of such random bits, plus bins of strips and squares that are just a bit too big to be official “scraps.”)
This project started out as a means to accomplish two things.
#1 – Use up some leftover fabric in a cute way.
And most importantly…
#2 – Use up some of the batting scraps that have multiplied like unsupervised rabbits. (You know those giant storage boxes? I have two of them stuffed full of batting bits that I can’t seem to part with.)
To start, I fussy cut 7 4″ squares, each with a cat centered in the middle. I really like my rotating cutting board. It makes fussy cutting so much easier. Then, I cut several 1-3/4″ strips to add to the top, bottom, and sides, to make a finished 6-1/2″ square.
Next, I cut 7 6-1/2″ squares from a complimentary fabric. Then I alternated sewing together a cat block with a 6-1/2″ square. I did two rows of seven blocks, making a runner that is approximately 42.5″ x 12.5.” You could always use less blocks for a smaller version.
Because one of my goals was to use up batting scraps, I sewed together two pieces of batting to make a piece large enough for this project. Then I sewed larger pieces of scraps together to make the backing. I have quilted around each cat square with bright pink thread and am using the same color thread to quilt large hearts in the floral blocks. Freezer paper pinned to a quilt makes a great quilting guide for those of us who have no skill making anything “free-motion” look like something other than squiggles.
Check back soon for photos of the finished table runner. I just have a bit more quilting to do and the binding to sew on. I can’t wait to put this on the table! It will add a touch of spring to these dreary winter days.
Lazy Saturday Quilts 