Hijacked (long post lotsa pics)

This doesn't often happen to me, but occasionally I get hijacked by something I see in blogland.  In this case, it was the intriguing title of the "Ten Minute Table Runner".   The pattern I downloaded was from Red Hen Fabrics, but a quick search just now produced dozens of links, of which I think THIS ONE is very good, especially as it offers instructions for three different sizes and a gift bag.

My interest lay in the possession of a couple of St. Patrick's Day fabrics and the desire to make something from them to sell at the Shoppe.  The two fabrics I had, however, were opposite the instructions for the Ten Minute Table Runner, i.e., I had more of the theme or focus fabric and less of the coordinating print.  In addition, the theme print was directional.  So after looking at my available fabrics, pondering and sketching, I decided to use the table runner method to make banners instead that featured the back.  Here's what I did:

The fabric yardage I wanted to feature was about 2/3 of a yard (around 21 inches by WOF) and I cut it to two pieces 18 x 21 inches wide.  The striped print seen face down here I cut to 12 x 21 inches.  I had enough to make two banners.

Per the instructions, I sewed the long edges together to make a tube, which was then turned right sides out and pressed, centering the smaller piece.

Very quick construction, no?  I trimmed the short ends and then folded the banner lengthwise with the inset piece facing out.  Although the instructions called for 1/2" seams, I used 1/4" seams with no difficulty.

  I stitched one short end only for my banner...

pressing the seam open and then turning it to make a point and making sure the seam was centered.  My  focus fabric was actually the BACK.

Isn't this a great St. Patrick's Day print?  Old fashioned postcard greetings.  I believe I  found it in a remnant bin  last year along with the shamrock stripe.  Now, to address the top of the banner:

I turned under the raw edge 1/2" and pressed it.  Then I made hanging tabs from leftover strips.

 This is a 3" strip 21 inches long that I cut in half and then stitched right sides together along the long edges only. 

After turning and pressing I cut the tab into two 5" sections, then folded them in half and inserted them into the still open top of the banner.

 I made sure they were evenly extending from the banner...

 

 Then topstitched close to the edge.

On the reverse at the opening to the pointed end, I slip stitched by hand because I didn't want a line of machine stitching across the postcards (on the second banner I used Stitch Witchery to secure the opening). 

 My husband helped me cut down a 1/2" dowel rod to use as a hanger.  I love the way this looks!

On the St. Patrick's Day second banner, I altered the tab shape.  Both banners got a Celtic style button and a black tassel.  I did some minor topstitching around the postcards on one, and only edge stitching on the other.  Adding those details certainly made it take longer than ten minutes, but all in all they were very quick projects.  Except that the idea rolled on to my trying the banner idea with just two fat quarters: 

 These had both been in the stash for a couple of years.

 Because of the shrinkage of the fat quarters when washed, this banner is a little bit narrower than the St. Patrick's Day ones.

I found some inexpensive premade miniature crocheted flowers at Michael's when I was searching for tassels last night.  A cross-stitch like machine stitched detail was added with cream thread.  But I still wanted to try the Ten Minute Table Runner idea.  I found a beautiful floral print in the remnant bin at my local fabric store when I purchased the tassels.  I paid $3.00 for the approximately 22" wide yardage and made two table runners from it, pulling the coordinating prints from stash: 

The colors are not exactly true here--the green is not that bright!  It is a Dimples fabric.  I only had two fat quarters so sewed them together to give me the proper length for the table runner.  In this case I machine topstitched across the opening where the point is formed.

Again, not true in color--a bit washed out here.

On this table runner I added some detail with a machine buttonhole stitch.  I'm quite satisfied with this hijacking adventure and look forward to some Shoppe sales from my experiments!

QADD

This penchant of mine for having four projects going at once is sometimes paralyzing, as Quilter's ADD means ideas are constantly banging around my brain begging for attention, but often I can't decide what to work on first.  That kept me away from the sewing room two nights this week, instead watching TV, though I did enjoy episode reruns of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth one night, and a few episodes of What Not to Wear the other night.  Last night I fought against sloth simply starting with clean up, and that meant cutting prepared fabric that had been moved around too many times on the cutting table.

First I had to do a test block for this scrappy pinwheel quilt sketched out, determining what size to cut the squares for the alternate half-square triangle setting blocks.  They will finish at 7" so I determined after two test blocks that 8" cut squares will give me just enough extra to sliver trim after sewing the HSTs, without wasting my fabric.  24 squares cut and checked off the list. 

I also cut and pieced the flannel backing for the Jewel Box quilt that must be basted and quilted ASAP, since I'm giving it to my boss before we close next week. Hoping to get that pinned tonight, though I may have to call in reinforcements...Mom?

Following that, playtime with miniatures.  I cut down the first border of this mini to finish at 3/4" and then added the two outer borders.  I'll back this with another blue print and bring it to the front for the binding finish.  For quilting, wouldn't little thread ties be fun?  Hmm, hmm, pondering.   Next, I decided on binding only for the X's and O's quilt, then cut and constructed that from the two pink fat quarters selected.  Last task of the night was altering sleeves on DD Elaine's sweater, but that is too boring to show.  Feeling better about that QADD working for me on this occasion!   Do you have it too?