It's a month of runners and LOOK at what Amanda Blossoms for us...

Hi everyone at Sew We Quilt! I'm delighted to be guest hosting this blog today. Thanks for asking me, Madame Samm!

I'll be showing you how to make this Blossoms Table Runner, which is loosely based on my quilt pattern of the same name...

The runner was originally designed to use two stack of 40 (10'') squares (or a layer cake). For the runner, which measures 18-1/2'' x 54-1/2'', we'll use just one stack - that will be enough to make two runners! I used lovely Ruby, by Bonnie and Camille for Moda. I did all my piecing AND quilting with 50 wt. grey Aurifil cotton thread.
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To make one Blossoms Runner you will need:

• 19 (10'') squares of fabric
• 1 fat quarter of fabric for your "Blossoms" (choose something that contrasts really well with the other fabrics)
• 1/2 yard paper-backed fusible web (Steam-A-Seam-2 by the Warm Company)
• 1/2 yard stabilizer (Sulky Tear-Easy)
• 1/3 yard binding fabric
• 1 (20'' x 56'') piece of backing fabric
• 1 (20'' x 56'') piece of batting (Warm and Natural by the Warm Company)
• heavyweight cotton thread for appliqué (I like 12, 28, or 30 weight) and a large topstitch needle that will accommodate it (Aurifil and Sulky make nice options)

Block Assembly
Select just one of your 10'' squares for the blossom centers. Set aside.

Select 12 of the remaining 10'' squares and pair them right sides together. Draw a diagonal line down the center on the wrong side of one of the fabrics and a 1/4” seam line on both sides of it as shown below. Stitch over the seam lines.

Cut on the center diagonal line and press seams OPEN to produce 2 units. Trim units down to 9-1/2” squares.

Repeat to make 12 blocks.
Select 6 additional 10'' squares. and cut into 4 (5”) squares. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the squares. Place two (5”) squares onto the corners of each of your (9-1/2”) blocks, as shown in below.

Sew on the diagonals. Trim seam allowances to 1/4''. Press triangles OPEN.

Repeat to complete remaining blocks. Arrange 12 blocks into 6 rows of two blocks each, as shown below.

Join blocks into rows. Join rows. Print out the Blossom Template twice and tape together the flower shapes along the dashed line. Trace solid lines of the flower shape on the template onto the smooth side of the paper-backed fusible web three times, aligning straight edges of the pattern with the straight edges of your fusible web. Cut out the central portion of the fusible web about 1/4” from the edge of the blossom shape and fuse to the wrong side of your blossom fabric. (This will leave your end product nice and soft.) Repeat procedure to trace and fuse Blossom centers.  Cut out both blossoms and blossom centers and fuse to the intersections of the table runner, using seam lines as guides, as shown in the Assembly Diagram below.

Back with stabilizer and buttonhole stitch around each blossom shape and each blossom center with heavyweight thread using a topstitch needle. Tear off stablizer.

Layer your runner on top of your batting and backing pin. Quilt as desired. I used my walking foot to stitch around the two central diamond shapes, as well as the triangle shapes on the side of the quilt, with grey thread. I then quilted 4 more lines within those shapes, each about 1/2'' apart.

Note that as I approached the final corder of each diamond I lowered my stitch length gradually, until I was basically stitching in place to lock the stitches.  Then, without cutting the thread, I raised my presser foot and moved to the first corner of the next diamond, gradully increasing stitch length as I stitched the first 1/2'' - 1'' of sewing. 

Once I was done quilting the diamonds I cut the short lengths of thread that connected them.

At this point the back of my quilts looked like this...

I switched to my darning foot and quilted around each blossom shape, about 1/8'' to from its edge. I then switched to white thread and quilted around the center of each flower. I printed out the template at 80% and cut it out. Then I centered and traced it onto each of the blossoms with a water soluble pen. I'm not sure I would do this again - my marks were REALLY difficult to get out of the white fabric. (Anyone out there with tips about this?)

I then did a filler leaf design on all the background areas that hadn't been quilted. For a great tutorial on leaf filler's, visit the January posting of Sew Cal Gal's Free Motion Quilt Along by Frances Moore. The back of my runner looked like this...

The next step to to cut 4 (2-1/4'') strips for the binding. (I used a lovely feather print from Flora, by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda, that I had leftover from the Easter Table Topper that I've been working on.) Assemble binding and sew it on to your quilt.

If you get a chance stop by my blog for a chance to win the extra Blossoms Table Runner Top that I made! The giveaway will start on Tuesday the 7th at midnight and end on Friday the 10th. 

Also, check out my Easter Table Topper that showcases some embroidery and lots of speciality stitches on my new Bernina 580e - but you can use any machine and stitch along. And if you enjoyed this pattern please consider asking your shop to order Blossoms, or other quilts, from my pattern line.

Thanks again to Madame Samm for hosting her great blog. Happy sewing!

Amanda