I decided to make a couple of table runners for the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. With all the sewing I’ve done over many years, I’ve rarely made something to keep in my own home. I decided to change that.

I made one table runner for St. Patrick’s Day from a package of discounted jelly rolls which I purchased from Tumbleweeds in Barnstable. I try to get into this locally owned fabric store a couple of times a month to look around. They have a great selection of fabrics and of exceptional quality. I’ve found that the folks working there are super friendly and helpful as well especially if you are trying to coordinate fabric for a quilt!

Anyway, I’m leaving this runner on the breakfast bar and am in last steps of making another one for my dining room table. In case you’ve not noticed, the green in this fabric is incredibly bright! The sunlight may be exaggerating it but it works for me and looks very ‘Irish’!

My second runner is a bit more complicated. Even though it is made totally of half-square triangles. Lining up the specific HST combinations was confusing however I managed to get the look I wanted. I’ve seen a lot of these ‘twisty’ designs and wanted to take a hand at one myself. A table runner is a lot less overwhelming than a full quilt and so that’s what I did. Thankfully I have my trusty design wall! I was able to lay it out and insure it would work before sewing. I deal with stitch rippers enough!

I put together a portable design board using a single piece of foam poster board which I covered with flannel. It is lightweight and easy to move around. It is also handy because I’m able to bring the block layout to my machine while it remains on the board and the pieces stay in place for sewing.

I’m using Hatch embroidery software to digitize a design that is configured to the arrangement of the blocks which I’ll then use to quilt the runner. I’ve been practicing free motion quilting but am sorely poor at this. Lots more sessions are required for me to feel comfortable with it. In the meanwhile, if I can digitize my own design and let the embroidery machine do the work, why not? As they say, use all the tools you have in the toolbox!

I should be able to start ’embroider/quilting’ tonight and, fingers crossed, let’s hope it works!

One last thing I’ll mention. Below are three Vietnam War Medals I digitized and stitched out for a friend who is in the process of making a quilt for her brother. He served in the Vietnam War and she wants to incorporate his medals into the final design.

I used cotton fabric as the backing for the two on the left but I think going forward I will use a firmer twill fabric as I think it would look more professional. It was a challenge digitizing these and I went back and forth a few times trying to make them look more realistic to the actual medals…but it is all a learning process. I’m happy I was given the opportunity to test my knowledge and abilities. The medals are the Vietnam Campaign, Service and National Defense Medals.

Maybe by the next blog post I’ll have the table runner complete. Hope so…the Irish celebration is on the 17th. After that, we have Easter Bunnies and egg hunts to work on!

Until next time…Happy Creating!