It's Runner month with Marianna - 3D Folded Flowers tablerunner

Hi, I am Marianna from Craftluver Marianna. Thanks to Madame Samm for inviting me again this month and I want to share a 3D Folded Flowers table runner with you. It is also called origami patchwork. The flu bug prevented me from finishing the whole runner, sorry for that!

You need to make 3 sections for the runner. Keep in mind that the layout of the center section needs to be different. Use the picture of the runner below for color arrangements and block settings. Read the instructions entirely before you begin.  One side part of a Folded Flowers 3D table runner top (14”x14”)

 

Use this layout picture as a guideline for the runner (14”x 42”) The yellow squares are in my pieced example white folded flowers, but they can be left out to make the on point square-line of white Folded Flowers (pattern that is created by multiple sections) more visible in the runner. The yellow sashings between the sections must be left out. They only serve the purpose of showing the separated sections in the runner. You can see clearly the difference in layout between the 2 side sections (which are the same) and the center section. If you like to make a longer runner add more sections to it, starting with a center section and a side section and alternate them [A-B-A[-B-A]]. Always end with an A side section! Each section is a nine patch in itself.

Supplies needed:
Fabric wideness is 42” in this calculation. Multiply the amount of fabric per section you add. Add extra if you like to add a border. I recommend one small border at least (min 2” wide), as the tip of the flower petal will be outside its own square. If you like to make bigger blocks you need to double the wide and double the length of a single (not folded flower) square to get the size of the square for a folded flower (so a single sq. is 2” and a folded flower sq. is 4”).

One side section requires (you’ll need at least 2):
41 x 2” sq. dark purple (= 4”x 42”)
20 x 2” sq. lilac (= 2” x 42”)
20 x 4” sq. white (folded flowers units), including the optional 6 yellow squares (= 8” x 42”)

One center section requires:
40 x 2” sq. dark purple (= 4” x 42”)
16 x 2” sq. lilac (= 2” x 42”)
25 x 4” sq. white squares, including the optional 8 yellow squares (= 12” x 42”)

Fabric for 2” wide border (10” x 42”) (add lengthwise borders 1^st.)
Standard sewing supplies.
Optional a Clover finger presser.

TIPS:
1) Use fabric that has not been washed yet or spray some starch and iron the fabric dry.
2) Beware of fraying! You can use fray check to prevent fabric to fray. Use the fray check after folding, as there is only a small amount of fabric that can fray on the edges (backside of the petals). Batiks work best in this patchwork style, as they make sharp creases.
3) Make sure you cut straight squares!!!!!
4) Sewing with a light grey thread will blend into the fabric when you use different colour.

For the folded flower units:
1) Cut 5 squares of 4” for the flowers (small motif or solids, here it is a white solid). Make sure no old creases are visible in these pieces of fabric.
2) Cut 4 squares of 2” of contrasting fabric for the background (here it is dark purple). These will not be folded and serve as “in between” fabrics. Use a good contrasting color, so the flowers stand out nicely.

For the “in between” units:
1) Cut 5 squares of 2” per unit (here it is dark purple).
2) Cut from a contrasting fabric 4 squares of 2” per unit (here it is lilac).
One unit of nine patches should measure 5” when finished, including seam allowances, .
One section should measure 14” square when finished, including seam allowances.

One side section A consist of:
4 folded flower nine patch units sewn in this order:

5 in between nine patch units sewn in this order:

One center section B consists of:
5 folded flower nine patch units,
sewn in this order: 
4 in between nine patch units sewn in this order:

In the center section the folded flower nine patch units come in the center and 4 corners, like this:

Use the runner picture above as a guideline for color arrangements and setting of the nine patch units. The white sq. are the ff 9 patch units here.

How to make the 3D Fabric Flowers

1) Place the wrong side of the fabric up. Fold the square horizontally. Make a sharp crease line with your fingernail. (I used the iron for it or a wooden finger presser). Repeat this for the vertical folding line.

2) Open the fabric with the wrong side up. Fold one corner to the center of the two folding lines. Again, make a sharp crease line.
3) Repeat step 2 for al the corners. Make sure the edges meat in the corners.4) Rotate the block. Make sure all the folded fabric remains in place! Bring the bottom edge entirely to the center. Now create a sharp horizontal fold line. And fold back again.5) Create a square in the centre of the block by rotating the block around and repeat step 4.6) Use the fold lines as guide lines and bring two sides simultaneously to the center of the block and shape an 'ear' in between. Sew together with small neat stitches at the point where the fabric meets. If you do this with yellow tread, this will form the heart of the flower. Do not cut the thread!

7) Repeat step 6 and sew the base together with the same thread.8) Pull the 4 triangles back to front. This forms the final block.

9) Iron this form firmly, so it will stay in good shape.
If you're making a larger block or quilt, sew the patches together (making a nine patch unit) first and then continue to step 10. For the runner: step 10 is the last thing to do, so after quilting and binding!

10) After you completed the quilt, ‘turn the ears' from inside to outside and shape the petals. Make sure the petals are well formed (no fraying visible) and you can stitch the petals down with a tiny stitch to the background (just the top of a petal), but it is not needed at all times.

Color settings can be:

In the left example the white squares are the folded flowers, like the top at the beginning (= 1 side section). In the right example the dark yellow, blue and purple squares represent the folded flowers. The color scheme is trip around the world.