Squirrel-Spiration! - Gingham Table Runners

Gingham table runners - what a fun squirrel-spiration project!

  

This is how I feel when I visit Diann's blog!

Visiting Diann's blog is always risky for me, because she has such cute projects. My latest "squrirel-spiration" happened when I saw her gingham table runner. It was so pretty I had to make one too! Diann was originally inspired by Vicki, so this squirrel goes way back.

I had a couple of wine-themed fat quarters I wanted to use for the first runner, and I paired it with some Grunge that has a bit of red-ish textured through it and some Emma Grace fabric I had been hoarding. I thought this runner would work for our entry table, which also serves as a "bar" with our liquor shelf perched above it. My husband made that shelf, and it houses liquors and glasses.

I ordered backing from an online quilt shop thinking it would match the wine fabric.

It isn't a match, but I love the cinnamon-y hue and used it anyway!

For the second runner, I used a pretty black print with a burgundy print, and some old fashioned label squares left over from another project for the light squares. It now resides on our dining room credenza. 

The second runner is backed with a vintage-y looking fabric from my stash. 

I had originally intended to make a new table runner for the dining room table, but I happen to love the one that is on it. It was a consignment shop find, along with the tray and vase and is a perfect setting for my Granny's Carnival glasses.

The pattern is a free tutorial from Accuquilt and is adaptable. I cut my squares at 4 inches for the first runner (using my Accuquilt Go!) and made 5 rows of 15 squares, and at 4-1/2 inches for the second runner, with 3 rows of 13 squares.

Instead of sandwiching with batting, I simply sewed front and back together,

turned inside out, and finished with simple crisscross and straight-line quilting.

Our entry "hall"

Dining room, aka Baker's daytime sleeping place

I cannot take a photo without one of the pets getting involved

Runner #1 - Entry

Finished size: 18" x 53"

Fabrics:

Moda Grunge in Elafin

Emma Grace by Bari J for Art Gallery Fabrics

Wine Bottle fabric from Joann's Fabrics

Backing - Windham Uncorked in Brick with gold metallic 

Threads:

Superior Threads: 50wt So Fine in #503 Genoa Gray and #421 Marigold

Runner #2 - Dining Room

Finished size: 12" x 52"

Fabrics:

Black print from Quilting Treasures

Red print - Wintertide by Marsha McCloskey for Clothworks

Light prints from scrap bins

Backing - Subtle Charm by RJR Fashion Fabrics

Threads:

Superior Threads: 50wt So Fine in #503 Genoa Gray and 40wt Living Colors #515 Raspberry 

This post is linked with Melva's Sew and Tell!

To Do Tuesday 6-28-22

Good Tuesday morning and welcome to To Do Tuesday on this last Tuesday in June! If To Do Tuesday is an unfamiliar term to you, just click on the relaxed couple above and find out all you need to know, then add your post to the link below.

Here's a sneak peek at one of the table runners! More to come in a post on Wednesday.

I've been sewing in between interruptions this week - sound familiar? We are planning a kind of pergola/gazebo for our back yard and that involves attention somewhere other than my sewing room.  So did I meet my goals last week? Let's see:

✅1. Purchase backing for The Wedding Quilt - Done - I purchased four of the 4-5/8 yards needed but have not picked it up from my LQS. 

❌2. Start cutting on Ruby Star Society Sewalong quilt (see my sidebar for more info) and do a post. - My fabric arrived but I have not started cutting yet.

✔3. Continue sewing on gingham table runners and do a post - Partially done. One runner is finished and the other is a flimsy. I plan to have a post up by Wednesday.

✅4. Keep playing with Accuquilt Go! - I already want more pieces for my cutter and have been adding and subtracting to my Cart all week!

My "playlist" (thank you Soma!) for next time:

1. Sandwich wedding quilt

2. Cut fabric for RSS Sewalong

3. Finish second table runner and do a post.

4. Start catching up with Pieces in the Garden sewalong blocks

What are your plans for the week? Did you meet your goals from last week, or did you get sidetracked by a squirrel? Let us know by clicking the link below, and don't forget to come back later in the week to visit a few blogs! The linkup is open on Tuesdays at 12:01AM and closes on Mondays at 11:59PM.

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To Do Tuesday 6-21-22

It's Tuesday again and time to join in with other friends for To Do Tuesday! You are invited to share your posts in the link below. If you'd like to join us but don't have a clue as to how, just click on the couple above for more information!

Gingham table runner #1 flimsy 

A scrappier version of gingham table runner #2 - pieces on design board

The Wedding Quilt flimsy

Accuquilt Go Cutter! It was my birthday week, and it was on sale, so yay!

Last week I had these simple goals:

✔1. Finish sewing flimsy and sandwich The Wedding Quilt - I finished the flimsy but no sandwiching yet. I need to choose a backing!

✔2. Finish my "Squirrel" - I did finish the flimsy of the gingham table runner and started another one

✅3. Time for whatever suits my fancy - I played with my new toy - the Accuquilt Go Fabric Cutter!

Yes I took the plunge and bought an Accuquilt Go! Cutter after several weeks of admiring the beautiful cut pieces and blocks on Karen's blog, Quilts....Etc.  Karen was a wealth of information and a stellar advertisement for Accuquilt, and I bought the cutter through the affiliate link on her website. I was so impressed with all the resources available on the Accuquilt website, and after some research, I decided to apply to join the affiliate program. I was accepted and my link is in the sidebar!

I experimented with the cutter this past week and already want several of the dies available. Dies (see picture below) provide a faster, safer, and more accurate way of cutting fabric without using a rotary cutter and ruler. Using the Go! cutter also reduces hand and arm strain, which is a big plus for me.

This is the "die" that was included with the cutter.

It produces 2-1/2 inch and 4-1/2 inch squares and the pieces for a 2-1/2 inch HST

Place pieces of fabric (up to six layers) on the die then cover with the cutting mat.

Turn the crank to send it all through the cutter

After going through the cutter, remove the mat to reveal perfectly cut pieces with very little wasted fabric. Those little triangles are ready to sew together for HSTs without marking or trimming!

So what is on tap for next week?

1. Purchase backing for The Wedding Quilt

2. Start cutting on Ruby Star Society Sewalong quilt (see my sidebar for more info) and do a post. My fabric for this project should arrive this week

3. Continue sewing on gingham table runners and do a post

4. Keep playing with Accuquilt Go!

Now let's see your lists and projects or your travelogue about your vacation or a post with a photo of your cat or a list of the latest books you are reading or photos of a pretty tablescape you created or an area of your house you've decorated  - we'd love to see whatever you are up to this summer! Just click on the link below - you have until 11:59PM next Monday to add your link.

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I love to read in the afternoons with a glass of white zin!

Today I've decided to join Kathryn at The Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading? This is a linky to share what you have been reading as well as your plans for future reading.

Many years ago I read a series of mysteries by Tony Hillerman about Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. These books are set in the beautiful southwestern US, an area I have visited many times, so I love reading about this beloved locale. Hillerman lives in New Mexico and writes with a familiar hand about Indian culture and customs, landscapes, and landmarks.

Recently a TV series called Skinwalkers: The Navajo Mysteries premiered with the first episode Dark Winds. I was not enthused about the casting and screenwriting, and we decided not to pay for AMC Plus, so I am rereading the books instead.

Original book cover of The Blessing Way

I started with the first book in the series, The Blessing Way, which was published in 1970. There are no cell phones, Google, or online databases for detective work in this book, and although this first book is not as good as the later books in the series, Navajo witches, Anasazi pueblos, petroglyphs, and flawed characters keep it interesting. I had forgotten how much I love these books and am really looking forward to a new journey through this series!

I am linking this post to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

To Do Tuesday 6-14-22

Welcome to another edition of To Do Tuesday! If you are a new visitor and have no idea what To Do Tuesday is all about, click on the couple above to find out more. Then come back and link up your post to share your goals for the week. I love Soma's idea to call it a "play-list" instead of a to-do list!

Progress on The Wedding Quilt - pardon all the wrinkles! 

Last week my goals were:

✔1. Get wedding quilt flimsy finished and decided on backing - Great progress and will finish sewing rows together today

❌2. Start on Pieces of the Garden for this month, then do the blocks for last month - I have decided to put this project aside for awhile

✅3. Doctor appointments - Done

✅4. Think about a layout for RBD blocks. Although I like the layout suggested by Riley Blake Design, I just don't want to make any more blocks for it. I might do big sashing or solid blocks of fabric in between the blocks - Done, and have decided to go ahead and use the RBD layout with lighter fabrics.

Squirrel in progress . . .

Here is my "play-list" for this coming week:

1. Finish sewing flimsy and sandwich The Wedding Quilt

2. Finish my "Squirrel" (I'm happily blaming Diann)

3. Time for whatever suits my fancy

Now it is your turn to share your goals and fun stuff for the week! For those of you who want to link up later than today, we are open for business until Monday night at 11:59PM! And be sure to visit others' posts to be inspired and leave some love. 💖

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Sunday Happenngs

Our grandson's new digs!

Yesterday our son, DIL, and one granddaughter (another granddaughter had to work) drove up from The Woodlands, north of Houston, to move our grandson to Dallas. Brandon is 23 and has a great job in Houston that allows him to work from home. Dallas is about 3 hours from where he has lived all his life, so this is a big step for him. Of course we are thrilled to have our first grandchild only 65 miles from us! He is leasing a 3-bedroom townhome with two of his friends, and he will be much closer to his girlfriend who lives in Oklahoma! My husband and I drove down to tour his townhome, which is in a gated community in a trendy area near downtown Dallas. 

Here we are with our daughter, the two Littles, our DIL, and granddaughter in front, and our son and grandson in the back. We had just stuffed our faces with burgers and margaritas!

Today is a play day in the sewing room. I was forced to pause in the middle of working on The Wedding Quilt to invite a squirrel into my space. It is the fault of Diann from Little Penguin Quilts, who posted about this adorable table runner, and I could not resist. I plan to finish it this week and use it on our dining room table.

I have half of the rows sewn together for The Wedding Quilt. I need to hurry up and finish because my quilt assistant Toby keeps pulling the squares off the design wall then rearranging them up on the floor.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

To Do Tuesday 6-7-22

Sorry I'm late this morning!! Welcome to the first To Do Tuesday of June. Hard to believe isn't it? I hope you are enjoying you week and will share with us by linking up with us at the end of this post. To Do Tuesday is a place to share our goals but we also welcome posts about events in your life or projects or just something you want to post about! The linky is open on Tuesdays at 12:01AM and closes on Mondays at 11:59PM.

This past week we ran errands, did some gardening, finally had a bit of rain and relief from the low 90s and wind, and babysat Everett while our daughter ran a few errands.

Riley Blake Design challenge final blocks

My goals last week:

✅1. Finish layout for The Wedding Quilt - I hope to do a post about it this week! - Done and posted here, although I've already changed the layout again - lol!

2. Catch up on Pieces in the Garden for last month - Did not do

✅3. Finish RBD blocks - Done and pictured above. Instead of doing the last block (called A Single Blossom), I repeated the Sundial block 

 

This week I hope to accomplish:

1. Get wedding quilt flimsy finished and decided on backing.

2. Start on Pieces of the Garden for this month, then do the blocks for last month

3. Doctor appointments

4. Think about a layout for RBD blocks. Although I like the layout suggested by Riley Blake Design, I just don't want to make any more blocks for it. I might do big sashing or solid blocks of fabric in between the blocks.

And now we can't wait to see your post! Just click on the button below and join in the fun. Be sure to come back later in the week to read other blogs and offer support, be inspired, or just say HI!

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The Wedding Quilt - Change of Direction

The bride's inspiration for colors

The Wedding Quilt for my great nephew and his new bride was originally going to be made in the Exploding Heart pattern. Pieces were cut and labeled, and then they sat there, patiently waiting to be made into little blocks. A few blocks were made, but I just wasn't feeling it. After a great deal of thought, the decision was made for a simple layout. And that is what is happening this week!

I already had 5-1/2 inch pieces cut from a variety of fabrics purchased for the quilt plus coordinating fabrics from my stash. I looked in several of my books for pattern inspiration and found one from A Life With Quilts by Melanie Traylor. I am using the photo in the book as a visual guide only.

I am using a variety of grays, creams, text prints, and soft sage-y greens

Since my cataract surgeries are not scheduled until July, I hope to get this baby finished this month!

I am linking to Melva's Sew and Tell linky party!