Monday, 17 December 2012

The One That Made Me Smile

Despite the speed that I am churning out Christmas presents right now, sometimes something I make really catches my fancy. Yesterday I started a table runner as a gift for someone. I didn't do any sketching or planning, just thought up something in my head, and started cutting fabric.

And I am chuffed to bits the way it has turned out.


I fussy cut some of my Cherry Christmas and then pulled a couple of other Christmas charms and fussy cut them too. I contemplated adding more colour to the fabrics chosen, but decided that the blue/red/grey theme worked for me.

They were pieced in one long strip, using yet more of that Empress Mills white cotton that has proved so useful in so many of my Christmas makes.


Out came the perle cotton. The red shows up stunningly well on the white. The bold quilting was needed to make the squares that had a white background stand out. But I decided that the red squares should be quilted with aqua. And in total abandon I backed it in the Christmas graffiti fabric that I seem to have an endless supply of. Why?


The machine quilting was heavy and straight line. I wasn't sure about it when I was halfway done, but am more than happy with it now.


All in all, this runner makes me smile. Yet another box ticked too.

Susan

41 comments:

  1. Just made me smile, too! LOVE! I like the fussy cuts, the red pearle, the backing and the binding!

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  2. Thats lovely! All this dense quilting you're doing there must be steam coming off your machine!

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  3. Wow Susan it's absolutely gorgeous. I think it's going to make a lot of people smile! Love those fussy cut squares, the hand quilting and the straight line quilting is perfect too.

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  4. This one is lovely! I hope this means you are feeling better!

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  5. You are becoming quite the designer! It is totally perfect!!!

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  6. I'd be really chuffed if I'd made that. I love the hand and machine quilting, they work really well together.

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  7. Looks beautiful, I just need to get myself inspired to finish my Christmas table cloth, only a week to go before it needs to be finished, i really must get my skates on! : )

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  8. It's really gorgeous Susan and doesn't the perle hand sewing totally make it?? You have just given me an idea for my mum's quilt. You've really done an amazing job - it's beautiful.

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  9. It's very very pretty....am I on your list somehow????? lol
    Love it!

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  10. It is stunningly beautiful!

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  11. Looks great! You're making me want to make more Christmas present now. Despite being surrounded by boxes in our new house and having one project to finish already... ho hum

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  12. Cute wee fussy cuts, it works great :o)

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  13. Darn it Susan you do this so brilliantly and now you tel me you don't have to think much about it! I like it almost as much as that snowflake one!

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  14. Gorgeous table runner - love the quilting both machine & hand.

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  15. Looks gorgeous!! I hope it goes to an appreciative audience.
    I have had something similar in mind but I may have to give the perle quilting a go :)

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  16. It should make you smile, it is inspired. I love it!

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  17. Love this - it's deliciously understated and an inspiring idea t use some novelty charms.

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  18. That's beautifully simple, very effective!

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  19. Love it! Simple, gorgeous and not overly festive....definitely made me smile!

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  20. That is just perfect, live the quilting

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  21. I'm smiling too! How simple and beautiful - I really think that the heavier quilting is fabulously offset by your perle stitches. Yum yum!

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  22. What's not to love. It is beautiful and will make whatever table it is on even more beautiful.

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  23. That is lovely Susan. It made me smile too. It is simple and so beautiful.

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  24. Just gorgeous, I'd love to receive this!

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  25. Totally fabulous runner! Love the quilting! You must be a machine woman! Jxo

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  26. It is beautiful. The quilting is stunning!

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  27. Cor! Do you sleep? That is one beautiful runner. Di x

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  28. it's gorgeous susan - lucky friend!

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  29. Lovely - my favourite Christmas-make of 2012 I'd say - yum!

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  30. So beautiful! Love the fussy cut fabrics and your pretty stitching!

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  31. this is so pretty! It kind of reminds me of the polaroid blocks that are all the rage right now - and the combo of hand and machine quilting makes me swoon!

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  32. I love the way you used your Christmas fabric!

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  33. Truly stunning!! Lucky, LUCKY recipient!! x

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  34. It looks fantastic Susan! I adore the straight quilting and love the lines that cross the long ones.

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  35. You're on FIRE girl!

    This is so simple , yet so beautiful Im sitting here drooling on my keyboard.

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  36. How could you bear to part from it? It's stunning.

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  37. How absolutely divine and a breath of fresh air amongst all the red / gold and green ad nauseum that is to be seen. Clever you!

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