# Table runner



## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I fell in love with the Dream Table Runner pattern that Horsemom posted, and decided to make it for the cover for the open treadle.

This needed 10 shades, from vary dark to light. Found a few in my meager stash I figured would work - including one that had about all the colors I wanted in a very small print. Took my swatches with me Friday and hit two local quilt stores. 

I had a lot of fun, and when done figured I had what I needed (and a lot less cash) and got home and decided maybe it wasn't going to work quite like I hoped. We had to go into Sioux Falls Saturday AM, so I figured out what I wanted to focus. Besides, JoAnns had a sale and I had a couple of coupons . . .

Hit JoAnns, Mill Ends and Heirloom quilts (stopped there because DH was looking for some Viking motor brushes) and I brought home several more pieces of fabric. I did find the fabric I had bought for the Star projects, and got a few more 1/4 yard pieces (used to finish up the last runners). 

Got everything home and prewashed - and Sunday afternoon I started working on selecting the 10 fabrics. I know lighting has a lot to do with it, but it seems even when I think I've got just the right ones in the store, when I lay them out at home it just does not work like I hoped. So I played and played- in the end I didn't use the original fabric that was my base. But I did find ten that will work. Got them cut into strips and ready to sew.










Then I made a mistake - I sat down at my computer and checked Craigslist. And what do I find? A Viking like DH is looking for, but it's south of Sioux City IA. I give the info to DH and he calls, and decides he's going to make the 6 hour round trip drive. Though I don't blame him as it's suppose to snow again today (fourth snowstorm in April, where is this "global warming" thing?") Might not get a good chance to go for several days after this. Though they are saying 70 by next weekend. . . that is "normal" for us this time of year.

I really wanted to stay home and sew, but he wanted me to ride with and I do like spending time with him. So I never got any farther than getting the strips cut. Now it's Monday and I have to put in a full day teleworking before I can get back to sewing!

The machine DH picked up is a Viking 6460, and though it's got the typical cracked cam stack, and the foot lift is seized, the three knobs all seem to be working fine. Came with pedal and 8 cams, but no extra feet. So hopefully between this one and the other two DH already has, he'll get one fully functioning machine. When he gets this working he'll have 3 singers and 3 vikings (not counting the three viking donor machines), and he says that will be enough for him. 

And for fun - here is the treadle machine I'm making this cover for.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

After looking at the pictures - I think I need to swap around #3 and #4 (from lightest)- what do you all think? Though maybe keeping the two prints together would be better. The other print is a pattern that contains both the exact shade of the solid, and the exact lighter shade that is the background of the bold print. However it's on a light cream background so it gives it an over all "lighter" look. I did print this out in grey scale, but I'm still not sure. 

Maybe I'll have to sew one group each way, and then cut and see what I like better. Worst is I'll have to rip and swap the two in one group. Which isn't all that much to make sure I prefer the end product. 











I know that the prints are going to give the pattern another "line" so to speak, so it won't look quite as dramatic as the original, but mostly I like the overall line of the "curve" to the diamond. Besides, it will have cats hiding it most of the time LOL!


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

hmm- the more I look at this and the original pattern, I think I need to pull out the bolder print all together. going with nine instead of ten colors isn't going to make that big of a difference to the pattern as the center only has 8 colors. Not sure about the smaller print, that may need to go too and find something else. I really don't want to go back to the store before I can start sewing this!

It's time for me to log in and get to work, so maybe I'll play with it a bit more at lunch time. I think over all, I'll be more pleased if I stick to the original pattern better, and get rid of the prints that will break up the design. Only have a few 2" strips cut, and I'm sure I'll find a use for them another time.

This is the picture Horsemom posted


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

I think your layout looks fine for a Bargello. You won't have as much contrast, as the original seems to have a lot more lighter fabrics then you have, but you should still see the pattern.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I pulled the two prints out and put in something else. So far it's turning out pretty nice.


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## HorseMom (Jul 31, 2005)

I think it looks great!
Heidi


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

Got the top put together - this is where it's going - eventually. (yes, that is SNOW out the window!)










Here it is hung up - it turned out like I hoped. DH is very impressed - he loves the colors. Some day I'll make a quilt to hang in this spot - but not something as bold as this one turned out. 










Looking at this pictures - I'll need to remember to view my fabric from a distance to see how the colors look. On the table the colors looked more distinct because of the pattern, but from 8 feet away, a few of the colors look almost the same. Another interesting thing I've learned . . . I think I'd better get my quilting machine set up before I put any more tops together.


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Wow, beautiful. Looks like a lot of work.


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## HorseMom (Jul 31, 2005)

Beautiful! You did good work! 

Ana Bluebird- Bargello's just look complicated. It is all strip piecing. Pretty simple really!
Heidi


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

With this one, all the blocks are the same width, though the hieght varies.

So I started out by cutting 4 WOF at 2" wide, of each of the 10 colors. Then I sewed the strips together and had 4 panels of graduated colors.

Then I cut the heights I needed, for this I needed four widths per line (long ways). So I'd cut 4 stips at 3.25" for the first row, then lay them out to match, removing any at the ends and adding in the middle where the direction changes if needed. Then I sewed that stripe together and move to the next stripe. I ironed the seams on the stipes so that one when all to the left and the next to to right so when I sewed them together, I could "lock" them to help keep them lined up. it's got 41 blocks per stripe, and 15 stripes, so that makes a total of 615 blocks - I sure would not have wanted to cut and sew each one seperatly!


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Beautiful! Love that singer too.


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## sapphira (Mar 24, 2003)

Love the table runner pattern and colors. Love the cats too ! I sew need to get back into sewing.


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