As winter blankets the world in a serene hush, there’s something truly magical about bringing that seasonal charm indoors through the art of quilting. For me who is living in a tropical country, the thought of winter is mesmerizing. But I know, cold weather is not my favorite. But surely there’s something magical about winter that I love.
I have just recently completed my table runner, inspired by the natural colors of winter hues.
Fabric Selection
This project is a partnership with Missouri Star Quilt Company, one of my favorite online stores! For this collaboration, they’re offering 20% off your cart using my LINK HERE>
I love their selections of fabrics and was so happy to pick a layer cake for this project. The collection is Moda Fabric, Morris Meadow by Barbara Brackman, a collection of William Morris. Although the fabric embraces a lot of floral detail, I was drawn to the blue and green hues of the collection for this particular project. I did several mockups with different fabrics too, and you can see that in my previous post HERE
Designing the Table Runner
I envisioned a design that would capture the essence of winter with a touch of elegance, totally inspired by the fabric design. Since I started with a layer cake, I had some limitations on the size of the units I was going to use in the block design. I do love the versatility of layer cakes. They give just the right amount of fabric selection and there are tons of ways that you can work with it to make various quilt blocks.
I played with the Electric Quilt to play around with the block design. It started with a plan in mind to use half-square triangle units as I feel like they’re easy to make and they feel like sparkles to me. Inspired by the abstract beauty of snow sparkles and the sharp edges of wintery wood, the block unit was designed with large triangles and little half-square triangles, After designing the table runner in Electric Quilt 8, it was time to figure out how to cut and piece it. It took a few tries, but I finally figured it out and flew away with chain piecing.
Since the collection consisted of several colorways, I decided to pick only the selected colorways, the wintery greens, and the blues. I opted out of the darker tones and left that for another project which I will be sharing soon too! Just having so much fun with this collection. Now, I have not yet written the pattern as I have been pretty busy with life lately but I’ll share it soon here in this post and I’ll let you know in my upcoming newsletter. If you are not on my newsletter just yet, come and join HERE>
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Quilting Tools and Notions I used:
- My trusted workhorse, Janome Horizon Memory Craft QCP8200
- I used Superior Thread Snow for piecing and quilting this quilt
- My favourite Ergonomic Rotary Cutter – this have saved my wrist a lot!
- Large cutting Mat
- Stripology Mini Squared Ruler – my current favourite tool for trimming units
- Wool ironing Mat (I have no issues with the smell, but sometimes it can burn if the iron is way too hot and no steam)
- Oliso Pro Iron (I love this Iron, it lifts as you let go, saving the wrist from too much work and it gives a good heat and steam)
- Portable Design Board
- Quilter’s Clapper
- Wooden Seam Roller
- Diagonal Seam tape
Free Motion Quilting
I wasn’t so sure what design to quilt this table runner with. However, I did not want to spend too long pondering either. The pondering and the decision-making are usually the ones that made the project take longer to finish than what it needs.
It was either going to be sharp pointy all-over zig zags to bring the vision of the wintery forest alive of beautiful swirls to embody some wintery winds to match the idea. Since I was feeling light and airy on the day I was to quilt this, the swirl design won the choice award and I went with some pretty swirls.
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Binding
I decided to bind the table runner with the same fabric I chose for the border. Opting for a binding fabric that matched the border ensured a cohesive, uninterrupted flow. This choice not only framed the piece with a subtle touch but also created a sense of unity, allowing the design of the center to shine without interruption.
Into the Gift Basket
As A Sofa Runner
Since it was a little too big for my dining table, I laid it out on my sofa. I love putting runners on sofas too. Simple yet can bring in the mood to the living area and you can change often too. Runners like this are the perfect quick project don’t you think?
Get Inspired
This project reminded me of the way how we can be inspired. I am mostly inspired by nature and I would love to do more of that this year too. If you like to join along, I encourage you to look around and notice the beauty in everyday things like trees, sunlight, or raindrops. Challenge yourself to recreate these simple yet stunning elements in your art. Nature is like a treasure chest of ideas waiting to be opened. Don’t be afraid to try new things, play with colors, and experiment with shapes inspired by the world outside your window. By letting nature guide your creativity, you’ll not only have fun but also discover a whole new way to express yourself. So, grab your tools, take on the challenge, and let the beauty of nature inspire your next masterpiece!
Don’t forget to grab some FABRICS AND NOTIONS HERE WITH 20% off your cart using my LINK HERE>
Till next time,
Have a wonderful quilting time!
2 Comments
Really like your table runner & the idea of a sofa runner. Right now throws are on the sofa back which become covers when relaxing watching tv. A little chilly in my area. Also liked that you showed yourself doing the free motion quilting. Something that still stumps me.
Beautiful