Awesome Foursome Parts 1 and 2: Falling Leaves Table Runner Tutorial

Awesome Foursome Parts 1 and 2:  Falling Leaves Table Runner Tutorial

Ingredients:
 One Awesome Jelly Roll by Sandy Gervais
3/4 yard Awesome yardage for backing and binding for each table runner
15" x 45" piece of batting

Note:  Each recipe makes one table runner.  You will have enough fabric strips to make 4 table runners from a single jelly roll, plus matching pot holders from the "leftovers".  Directions are included here for both the single leaf and the triple-leaf designs.  Tomorrow's tutorial will include directions for a pumpkin and a turkey design.

Make all four and decorate several areas of your home, or make one for yourself and give the other three as gifts!

Single Leaf Motif Table Runner:
(Scroll down for instructions to make the Three-Leaf Table Runner.)

Preparation:

Separate the jelly roll into its colorways.

Choose 1 red, 1 green, 2 gold, 2 ivory, 2 orange and 2 brown.

Cut 7 2-1/2 inch squares from red
Cut 6 2-1/2 inch squares from one of the golds
Cut 1 2-1/2 inch square from green

With water or air soluble marker, mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the green square and 5 of the gold squares.

 

On the green square only, mark two more diagonal lines 3/8 inch on both sides of the center diagonal line.

Construction:

Cut 1 gold square in half along the diagonal line.

Place the diagonal cut on the green square at the 3/8 inch line.

Sew 1/4" from the 3/8" line.  Repeat for the other gold triangle at the 3/8" mark.  Be careful not to catch the point of your gold triangle in your seam when you sew the second side.

Trim seams to 1/4 inch.  Press toward gold.

This forms the stem of your leaf.

Place a red square and a gold square RST and stitch on the diagonal line.  Trim seam to 1/4 inch.  Repeat for 3 more gold squares.  Discard the trimmed corners.  Press seams toward the red side.

Press the squares.  Place in the configuration below and sew together in rows:
1st row:  Solid gold, red/gold diagonal, red gold diagonal (points toward bottom LEFT).
2nd row:  Red/gold diagonal (point toward upper RIGHT), solid red, solid red
3rd row:  Red/gold diagonal (point toward upper RIGHT), sold red, leaf stem

Press seams:
Row 1:  Press toward solid gold square.
Row 2:  Press toward furthest red square.
Row 3:  Press toward red/gold diagonal.
All seams in each row go the same direction.

Join the rows together.  Press seams toward the outside.

Turn over and press from the top, making sure all the seams are fully open.

Runner Construction:

Sew an ivory strip to each side of the other gold strip.

Press seams toward center.  Turn it over and press from the top, making sure seams are completely open.

Square up ends.

Cut 6-1/2 inches off of one end.

Note:  This piece is just big enough for a pot holder.  Use Insul Bright heat resistant fabric as batting and applique an oak leaf or small maple leaf on it.   The leaf is a scrap of Pumpkin and Spice I had in my scrap bag.  I think it coordinates perfectly!

Cut the remainder of the ivory/gold/ivory strip in half.

Stitch one side of the leaf motif to the cut ends of the ivory/gold/ivory stip, making sure that the same ivory fabric follows the entire length.

Press seams toward the ivory/gold/ivory strip.

Stitch an orange strip to each ivory strip, making sure tha tthe stems of the leaf are stitched down in the direction they were pressed.  This will be easier if the orange strip is on the bottom and the leaf is on the top.

Sew a brown strip to each orange strip.

Press seams toward OUTSIDE.  (Note, center strip seam allowance remains pressed toward the center.

Turn over and press from the top, making sure all seams are completely flat.

Square up ends as necessary.

Lay out backing fabric, batting, and completed runner top on a flat surface into a quilt sandwich.  Make sure all layers are smooth and flat.  Pin or baste together.  Quilt and bind as desired.

Some quilting suggestions:

Hand quilt with perle cotton in matching or contrasting color.

Machine quilt with a decorative stitch on your sewing machine and stitch in the ditch.

Use free motion quilting, using the fabric strips as guides, then quilt around the leaf separately.

VOILA!  Your Awesome table runner is complete.

Three-Leaf Motif Table Runner

Preparation:

Separate the jelly roll into its colorways.  

Choose 2 red, 1 green, 3 gold, 2 ivory, 2 orange, and 2 brown.

Cut 7 2-1/2 inch squares from red fabric 1 and 14 2-1/2 inch squares from red fabric 2.

Cut 6 2-1/2 inch squares from gold fabric 1 and 12 2-1/2 inch squares from gold fabric 2.

(Note:  Gold fabric 3 will be the center strip of your runner.)

Cut 3 2-1/2 inch squares from green.

Complete 3 leaves following the method for the single leaf runner above.

Runner Construction:

Sew and press an ivory/gold/ivory strip as described for single leaf runner above.

Square up ends as needed.

Cut 18-1/2 inches from one end of the ivory/gold/ivory strip.  (Note:  This piece is big enough to make 2 pot holders as described above.)

Cut 2 5-1/2 inch pieces off one end.  Cut the remaining ivory/gold/ivory piece in half.

Stitch a 5-1/2 inch piece to each end of the leaf made from red fabric 1.

Sew the other two leaves to each end of the section made above.  You may want to make sure the stems of all 3 leaves face the same direction, as I did, or create a "tumbling leaves" motif and have them go all different directions.  Do be sure to have the same ivory fabric continue the length of the runner, though.

Sew the remaining ivory/gold/ivory pieces to the ends.

Continue construction of the runner as described above.