It's Christmas in July - Presenting JOY Table Runner

Another Disa Designs book, More of My Runners.   Thanks to my friend Linda from whom I borrowed the book.  She made the runner before, and her recommendation was to thicken up the "JOY" word.   So I did.  I love that the red JOY really shows up nice.  My Friday coffee friends helped me decide on the quilting pattern.  Just wavy lines to mimic the evening blustery weather.  They were emphatic that I should not quilt over the JOY, and that I should just quilt around it.  So I did, and I'm very pleased.   In the grey stripe, some continuous holly leaves.    Love it!

 This is the third runner for my sister's new kitchen.  This will look great on my sister's side table this Christmas.

Even though I used white thread to free motion the holly leaves, they are very hard to see.  

Sunflower Table Runner

This fun sunflower runner comes from a Disa Designs book called My Runners.   It was so fun and quick to make.   This runner will be one of three runners that I made for my sister who has a new kitchen with a new farm table.   

A great late summer/fall runner.  

Look closely.....Continuous leaves in the border.  

Improv free motion quilting, my fav,  on

the interior part of the runner.  

Eek! There's Spiders in my Pumpkin Patch

A fun finish this week.  Amy Smart's tutorial for the pumpkins was spot on.   It was fast and easy to make.    This size of this runner is about  15 x 57.   That makes it just a little too long for my dining room table or my coffee table.   So, this one will go to my sister who has a new long farm table.    

I made another runner for me.  It only  has four pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.   I'll quilt it the same way with my freeky spiders.

The free pattern tutorial by Amy Smart can be found here. 

Happy Birthday - to me...

It was my birthday last week.  I had such a fun day... kids, gifts, dinner....

One of the other surprises on my birthday was that Diane, my friend and quilt shop owner, dropped by the house and gave me this awesome North Stars pattern by Elizabeth Hartman for my Birthday.  What a surprise!  I was so excited.  I had seen photos of this on new pattern Instagram from the Quilt Market. 

Well.  I decided I needed a strategy to get it done.  It's a big  piecing project.    First off I need to find and organize fabrics.    My first task is to shop my own stash.    I'm hoping to get at least a third of the 60+ colors.   

After a few sorting and organizing sessions with my stash, I have a good start on selecting fabrics.    After all is said and done, I have all the fabrics to start the reindeer. 

I plan to do one block (or maybe two) a month.     It's been hot out.  It's still hot out.  They are calling for at least 3 or 4 more days of this.   That means we are limiting our time outdoors.  And it means an opportunity to spend time in my sewing room.    I cut the fabrics out and labelled on Friday.  It took  a while and a lot of brain power.    On Saturday and Sunday, I put the 24 inch block together.  It's super sweet!!     Stay tuned for another block next month....

Many thanks Diane!.   It's a wonderful gift to keep me busy until next spring.....