Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Weekend Table Runners

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Did you have a good weekend?  Get any sewing done?  The weather was damp and dreary here, and it seemed like a much better idea to stay inside and sew rather than clean up the yard.  Spending time organizing my closets and tossing out some old clothes would have probably been more productive, but I am procrastinating on that particular chore.  My husband will be delighted when I finish that, because our bedroom is strewn with clothing that I can't decide to keep or set free.  It is such a good feeling when the seasons change to sort through things and eliminate the stuff you don't really need anymore.

And that goes for fabric too!

I had a jelly roll of Northern Sanctuary by Holly Taylor for Moda sitting around gathering dust, so I thought I would take action and make something out of it.  The fabric strips were brown, burgundy, green, blue, yellow, pink and cream.  I probably had enough to make three table runners, but I contented myself with two.  I used the yellow in one and the cream in the other.  Never did use the pink. 

The activity was productive in one sense–I got to practice my machine quilting.  I am so lousy at it.  I never do progress beyond "stitch in the ditch" and even that is clumsy looking.  With my income drastically reduced such as it is, I have to sharpen my machine quilting skills in order to economize somehow.  I used invisible thread on top and thread that matched the backing underneath.  My friend Lisa told me about a thread called King Tut, that she likes for machine quilting, but I don't know about it.  What do you all use?

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I plan to give one runner to my dad and the other to a family friend to whom I owe a belated birthday gift.  The pattern is Heather Mulder Petersen's "Box Lunch" from her book, On A Roll Again. 

Maybe the closets didn't get sorted out, but I found a use for this fabric!

32 responses to “Weekend Table Runners”

  1. I love your table runner.
    It was a beautiful sunny weekend here in Northeastern Ohio, however, I had a project that needed to get done. Therfore, on Saturday I went to my sewing heaven and created a baby quilt that you can see on my blog http://helen-burdette. blogspot.com/
    Please stop by and view it. I’d love to hear from you.
    Hugs

  2. I love your table runner.
    It was a beautiful sunny weekend here in Northeastern Ohio, however, I had a project that needed to get done. Therfore, on Saturday I went to my sewing heaven and created a baby quilt that you can see on my blog http://helen-burdette. blogspot.com/
    Please stop by and view it. I’d love to hear from you.
    Hugs

  3. What a beautiful table runner. I need to work on a baby blanket today – it’s just scrappy and it’s all cut, I just need to sew it together.
    I’m so glad someone else struggles with machine quilting. I love to piece, but I’m horrible at the quilting part!!

  4. What a beautiful table runner. I need to work on a baby blanket today – it’s just scrappy and it’s all cut, I just need to sew it together.
    I’m so glad someone else struggles with machine quilting. I love to piece, but I’m horrible at the quilting part!!

  5. Your runners are so cute. As far as thread – I think it depends on the look that you are going for. If you want the design to stand out a bit more, use a thicker thread. If you want it to blend in more, use a thinner thread. I have to say, I’ve used all kinds of thread to quilt with, and haven’t had a problem. I do have some King Tut and some Auriful that I need to try. I’ve heard wonderful things about them.

  6. Your runners are so cute. As far as thread – I think it depends on the look that you are going for. If you want the design to stand out a bit more, use a thicker thread. If you want it to blend in more, use a thinner thread. I have to say, I’ve used all kinds of thread to quilt with, and haven’t had a problem. I do have some King Tut and some Auriful that I need to try. I’ve heard wonderful things about them.

  11. Your table runner is cute. As for the King Tut. I own a longarm and this is one of the threads I love to use on it. I am not sure about household machines but if it stands up to my longarm without breaking then I am pretty sure it would be good with a normal machine. King Tut by Superior comes in a large variety of beautiful variegated shades.

  12. Your table runner is cute. As for the King Tut. I own a longarm and this is one of the threads I love to use on it. I am not sure about household machines but if it stands up to my longarm without breaking then I am pretty sure it would be good with a normal machine. King Tut by Superior comes in a large variety of beautiful variegated shades.

  13. Gorgeous…love the colors next to the sofa. You did this in a weekend? You are so amazing. Just whipped it up over the weekend? Just like that? Wow. Someday.

  14. Gorgeous…love the colors next to the sofa. You did this in a weekend? You are so amazing. Just whipped it up over the weekend? Just like that? Wow. Someday.

  15. Cute table runner and great use of fabric. King Tut is the yummiest thread. Extra long staple cotton. There are lots of variegated therads on the market today. What sets Superior’s King Tut apart is the color change. Most other variegated threads changel colors every 4 or 5 or 6 inches. KT is one inch color change. It is a bit pricey. Like Lisa D (above comment), I am a longarm quilter, and I can’t get enough King Tut threads. Also comes in some solids now, too.

  16. Cute table runner and great use of fabric. King Tut is the yummiest thread. Extra long staple cotton. There are lots of variegated therads on the market today. What sets Superior’s King Tut apart is the color change. Most other variegated threads changel colors every 4 or 5 or 6 inches. KT is one inch color change. It is a bit pricey. Like Lisa D (above comment), I am a longarm quilter, and I can’t get enough King Tut threads. Also comes in some solids now, too.

  19. I like the runner… it looks like a fun block! I first used that thread when I was in a class at Market with Sue Nichols for machine quilting. It is the line of threads she developed for Superior Threads. You will love it.

  20. I like the runner… it looks like a fun block! I first used that thread when I was in a class at Market with Sue Nichols for machine quilting. It is the line of threads she developed for Superior Threads. You will love it.

  21. Hi! King Tut is beautiful thread, 100% cotton and usually varigated. It is 40 wt and I’ve used it on the longarm and even for decorative stitching with the sewing machine. Beautiful colors!!! Love those table runners! Isn’t it just like us quilters to give it all away!!!

  22. Hi! King Tut is beautiful thread, 100% cotton and usually varigated. It is 40 wt and I’ve used it on the longarm and even for decorative stitching with the sewing machine. Beautiful colors!!! Love those table runners! Isn’t it just like us quilters to give it all away!!!

  25. I love King Tut thread! It performs beautifully on my regular sewing machine and on my HQ. I also like Connecting Threads thread, I think it does a really nice job and the price is very good. Aurfil is my favorite piecing thread. I sometimes use So Fine in my bobbin on my quilting machine. There are so many threads out there and really I haven’t used one yet that I don’t really like.
    Your runners are wonderful! What fun gifts!

  26. I love King Tut thread! It performs beautifully on my regular sewing machine and on my HQ. I also like Connecting Threads thread, I think it does a really nice job and the price is very good. Aurfil is my favorite piecing thread. I sometimes use So Fine in my bobbin on my quilting machine. There are so many threads out there and really I haven’t used one yet that I don’t really like.
    Your runners are wonderful! What fun gifts!

  27. Hi Nicole, I am like you not thrilled with my machine quilting, but because of cost I am working on improving it. Depending on the look I want ( in other words, if I want to hide my deficiencies in quilting), I often use Invisafil by Wonderfil Threads, a matt, coloured, fine thread, or Sulky’s Blendables. I am working on trying others, but keep going back to those two. Love the runners, and I am sure the recipents will love them as well.Take care.

  28. Hi Nicole, I am like you not thrilled with my machine quilting, but because of cost I am working on improving it. Depending on the look I want ( in other words, if I want to hide my deficiencies in quilting), I often use Invisafil by Wonderfil Threads, a matt, coloured, fine thread, or Sulky’s Blendables. I am working on trying others, but keep going back to those two. Love the runners, and I am sure the recipents will love them as well.Take care.

  29. I love your table runner and what a great way to practice your machine quilting! I am TERRIBLE at machine quilting but I can’t afford to pay someone else to do it for me. So I suffer through the whole process and after I wash the quilt, I am in love with it. However, I am getting a little bit better (and I do mean “a little bit”) at machine quilting!
    Have fun quilting (and at work too)!

  30. I love your table runner and what a great way to practice your machine quilting! I am TERRIBLE at machine quilting but I can’t afford to pay someone else to do it for me. So I suffer through the whole process and after I wash the quilt, I am in love with it. However, I am getting a little bit better (and I do mean “a little bit”) at machine quilting!
    Have fun quilting (and at work too)!