An Easter table runner

About a week ago I stumbled across a cute pattern for an Easter table runner here on Sew Mama Sew's blog.  The pattern was written by Peta Peace of She Quilts a Lot and contained very detailed instructions and step by step photos.

Wikipedia tells me that Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25.  In 2016 it was quite early on March 27, however in 2017 it will be on April 16.

So Easter has been and gone for 2016, but we still had a few eggs in the house. I knew if I didn't make the table runner there and then I would forget about it.  So I cleared a space on my table and cut up some pretty fabric scraps.

I used reversed applique, and then lightly machine quilted the mat, using one of the fancy stitches on my Bernina.

Now I have a lovely table runner ready for next Easter.

Those eggs on the left are marshmellow Easter Eggs - a New Zealand specialty.  And to make them even more Kiwi, these ones are Pineapple Lump flavour!


Some learnings from this table runner.

1.  If you're going to cheat and not turn your edges under, beware of using a plain light coloured fabric on top of heavily patterned darker fabrics.  They will show through!!

2.  If you're going to use iron on batting, iron from the top not the back.  That way you won't get wrinkles in the top of your quilt sandwich.

Yes, this table runner isn't perfect, but I really don't mind.  It will only come out for a couple of weeks each year, and unless you study it closely you won't see these imperfections.  It was a learning experience.

Finished size 12" x 24"

Happy Easter

I hope you're all enjoying an Easter break. We're having a lovely time with my mum and dad here for five days.

Yesterday we took a trip up the Kapiti Coast and went to Te Horo. It's a very stony beach with lots of driftwood, but funnily enough just 10 kms down the road there's another beach with beautiful white sand. I think the other beach is protected by Kapiti Island so there's less debris washed ashore.

me and mum

We also went to Ruth Pretty's Cooking School for coffee and cake. I love Ruth's Christmas cake, and fortunately they were still selling it by the slice in their garden cafe shop. We sat in the little green house for morning tea.

see the tea cosy they use!

Of course there's been plenty of sewing going on too.

What you see above turned into a one hour basket - yes, I followed the trend and got mum to whip one up based on the pattern by Kelby Sews. I bought some Soft and Stable on Wednesday so we used some of that for the stiffening.

Here's what it looks like now:

Mum bought me down some more of the beautiful California wool because I'm going to make a second ripple blanket. The second one will be slightly smaller than the first, and I will use it in the lounge on winter nights. We do have a heater, but I feel the cold more than the rest of the family. The second blanket will be more scrappy, incorporating all the remains from the first blanket, plus a few new wild colours called Circus and Macaw which you can see above.

Here's our progress to date and it's only Easter Sunday morning. Mum and Dad don't leave until Wednesday afternoon so there's plenty more sewing time yet.

In fact I can hear my machine whirring now because mum is making a second one hour basket for my niece, her granddaughter. I'll be sure to post a photo once it's finished.