Not My Best Table Runner
by Serena Smith
Note: Click on the photos for a larger image
This is another idea I put together for a different kind of placemat and table runner. I can not say that I am happy with the finished results for several reasons.
I started by cutting a length of fabric, estimating the size I needed and
randomly embroidering the leaves. I didn't fuse interfacing on the back of
the cotton, like I usually do. So the leaves were dense enough that they
caused the fabric to pucker and wrinkle a bit around the embroidery. That
was mistake #1 - should have backed with fusible interfacing. I use so
sheer; a lightweight fusible interfacing that adds just a little body and
stability when stitching dense designs on a lighter weight fabric.
I did stitch a blanket stitch in a 4" square around the leaf, which looks
nice. Except, when I was ready to trim the solid fabric down to the size I
needed for the mitered borders I had cut, it was a really tight fit. The
blanket stitch comes too close to the seam, in my opinion. So therefore,
mistake #2 - should have planned where to place the embroidery ahead of
time.
The mitered corners on the border went together beautifully as well as
attaching the borders to the solid panel. I layered the backing, top and
batting, stitched around all four sides, leaving a small area open to turn
the fabric through. Well, somehow, I ended up with the backing being larger
than the top and we all know what happens. The backing peeks out to toward
the front. I needed to cut the backing 1/8 - 1/4 inch smaller so the top
would just barely roll to the back. Mistake #3 - should have cut the backing
smaller.
From a distance the table runner is not so bad, but not the level of
perfection I normally stitch. The placemat turned out so much better! The
blanket stitch and leaves are placed correctly with no backing peeking
through to the front. I quilted both the runner and placemat by stitching in
the ditch around the border and around the blanket stitch design. That
worked very well!
