Flirty Apron Swap - Reversible Table Runner

Flirty Apron Swap Mistress Shawnee stepped out of the "apron mode" for a Table Runner Swap, and I'm sure glad she did! Not that I don't like aprons - I LOVE them! But it was fun to make a table runner for a change. I found this lovely book at one of my local LQSs: Table Talk - Runners, Toppers and Family Treats by Gudrun Erla for Kansas City Star Quilts. I found several patterns I want to make, but decided on Scrappy Daisies, designed to use up leftover scraps of Jelly Rolls. When I got down to making the runner top, I wound up using FQs rather than a Jelly Roll. 

One thing I've been doing differently for awhile - long ago, I learned to press my seams to one side when doing patchwork. But I've noticed a trend on some blogs to press seams open. Sometimes when I'm making up my own designs and don't have the luxury of always knowing beforehand whether it's going to work to have the seams pressed one way or another, pressing them open would just work better, so I jumped on the "press open" bandwagon. I found with this project that it was so much easier to get all my pieces lined up nicely with the seams pressed open, so I guess I'm a convert!

Here's the top - it went together soooo fast and easy! I used September Light by In The Beginning (plus a few other stray fabrics to fill in). This is the "fall" side of the runner, which my partner wanted.

But I had soooo much fun piecing this pattern that I decided to continue it on the flip side. I used Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Moda for the reverse, so my partner would have a "two-fer" runner. This time, I did use a Jelly Roll I had just gotten in the mail. Now, I had no illusions that I would be able to successfully machine-quilt both sides at once and keep the quilting lines absolutely the same, so I chose to quilt each side to its own batting and then put the sides together.

Also, I knew I was "quilting myself into a corner" by using such vastly different fabrics on the two sides, but forged ahead anyways. So I had to search for a fabric for the binding that would look good with both fabric lines. My son, Ben, helped me narrow it down to Masterworks by Kathy Hall for Andover Fabrics - a fabulous, rich pattern that blended well with both sides. Thanks, Ben!

I also made two potholders, one to match each side. I tucked in a magazine, some candy, Starbuck's Toasted Coconut cocoa, and some smelly potpourri. And a Shoop-Shoop Bag I made from the Countdown to Christmas fabric, with the suggestion to my partner that she consider using it for all her Christmas shopping receipts, like I do - I hope she'll be pleased with this idea.

Off in the mail it went today - thanks, Shawnee for another great swap! Now I just have to wait patiently for MY package to come in the mail :-)