Category Archives: TK Harrison

Tutorial Tuesday: “Strip Tease” Table Runner Pattern & Tutorial

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StripTease

“Strip Tease” Table Runner Finished Size: 17″ x 34 1/2″

Items Needed:

  • 5/8 yard Focus Fabric
  • 1/4 yard Bleached (white) muslin
  • 1/4 yard Unbleached (ecru) muslin
  • FOUR (4) Dark Blue 2 1/2″ squares
  • FOUR (4) Medium Blue 2 1/2″ squares

Strip

Quilt Therapy Instructions:

  • Cutting:
    • Focus Fabric:  Cut NINE (9) 2 1/2″ x 16 1/2″ strips
    • Bleached (white) muslin:  Cut FOUR (4) 2 1/2″ x 20″ strips
    • Unbleached (ecru) muslin:  Cut FOUR (4) 2 1/2″ x 20″ strips
    • Focus Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 2″ x WOF strips for Binding
    • Backing Fabric:  Your choice of fabric color – 18″ x 37″
    • Quilt Batting:  18″ x 37″
  • Sew the Dark Blue 2 1/2″ squares to both ends of the Bleached (white) muslin.
  • Sew the Medium Blue Blue 2 1/2″ squares to both ends of the Unbleached (ecru) muslin.
  • Lay out all of your strips.  The Focus Fabric strips are the anchors for this table runner, they belong on both ends of the table runner as well as in-between the tonal strips.
  • Use your own creativity to decide where your Blue 2 1/2″ squares should be placed – remember the tonal aspect so be sure your placement is one Bleached (white) muslin strip set and then one Unbleached (ecru) muslin strip set.  From there, the placement is completely up to you.  Once you decide where you want each Bleached (white) muslin/Dark Blue strip and each Unbleached (ecru) muslin strip, cut the excess fabric from the strip.  The final length of the strip needs to equal 16 1/2″.  NOTE:  I left my tonal/blue strips just a bit longer than required so I could square everything up after sewing the table runner top together.
  • Now it is time to sew your strips together.  Begin with sewing one Focus Fabric strip to one of your tonal/blue strips.  The biggest thing you need to worry about, when sewing your strips together, is to always sew your strips in opposite directions.  This will make sure your strips remain straight without a curve in the finished product.  One good way to remember which direction you sewed your strips in is to place a pin at the end of each set of fabric strips, indicating which direction you started sewing from.  Press the strips in the direction of the Focus Fabric:

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  • After sewing the first group of single strips into double strips, now it’s time to sew the double strips together (remember to sew from the opposite direction as the first seams were sewn):

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  • All of the strips of fabric strips should now be sewn together.  Be sure to place the extra Focus Fabric strip to the end of your table runner on whichever tonal strip you is at the end.
  • Square up your table runner.  Make sure the fabric on both sides are the same length.

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  • Table runner top all sewn, squared up and pressed:

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  • Sew the binding strips together.  There will be at least 1/2 of a strip of Focus Fabric left from the cutting requirements above.  That is needed for the binding so cut the width down to 2″.  Then sew the two full and one partial 2″ binding strips together:

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  • Make your quilt sandwich with the table runner top, batting & backing.  Pin into place to secure all three layers.

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  • Quilt as desired:

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  • Final step is to square up your table runner so that the batting & backing are the same size as the table runner top and then add your binding.  This table runner’s binding is 1/4″ on the front, whip-stitched on the back.  Enjoy!

StripTease


“Garden Veggies” Table Topper Featured in the August Issue of “The Quilt Pattern Magazine”

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If you’re not already a subscriber, make it a point to subscribe to The Quilt Pattern Magazine as one of my original designs is featured in the August 2015 issue – a table topper titled “Garden Veggies”!

I had my “Garden Veggies” table topper sitting on our coffee table one day.  Our second-born daughter looked at it and said she really liked it.  She asked me what the name of it was…I told her “Garden Veggies”.  She studied it for a minute and then let out a laugh.  She said, “Okay, Mom, this fabric is a perfect representation of our garden!  This fabric (center w/dots) are those exploding tomato plants Dad planted, that grew over six feet tall.  And this yellow is the crook-neck squash, the green is the zucchinis and the brownish/orange-ish fabric is the sweet potatoes.”

Can you see what she sees?

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Truly a whole lot of bang for your buck if you are a subscriber to The Quilt Pattern Magazine.  I’ve enjoyed every single issue, whether I have a submission in it or not!

The fabric for this project was sponsored by Abbi May’s Fabric Shop, where ALL fabric is at least 10% off retail EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!


Christmas in July 2015 at BOMquilts.com: Always Stars

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Cruise on over to our Christmas in July celebration at BOMquilts.com and you can download this quiltastic FREE quilt Block Set pattern!  The instructions offer your choice of quilt projects:  Table topper, bed runner, lap quilt – and more!  The possibilities are endless and all you have to do is decide which size to make first.

Always Stars - – an Original Design by TK Harrison, Owner of BOMquilts.com

Always Stars – – an Original Design by TK Harrison, Owner of BOMquilts.com


Tutorial Tuesday: Mug Rug with Embellishments

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MugRug

Items Needed:

  • Scrap fabric for front & back of your mug rug as well as the binding
  • Scrap batting
  • Embellishments of your choice.  In this case, I used an old miniature crocheted flower doily and a 4″ square of fabric

Instructions:

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Choose the fabric and embellishments you want to use for your mug rug.  This mug rug is 7″ high x 10″ wide.  The front of this mug rug is a single scrap of fabric.  The back of the mug rug will be scrappy fabrics, leftovers from a charm pack (5″ squares).

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Piece together the back of your mug rug.  I sew two 5″ squares together and repeat for the second set of squares.

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This is the result of the charm squares sewn together.  It is a square but I need to adjust it so that it is the same (or a tad larger) than the fabric for the front of the mug rug.
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I cut off 2 1/2″ from one end of the pieced backing fabrics.

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Pin the 2 1/2″ strip to the end of the scrappy backing.

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Then sew that 2 1/2″ strip to the end of the scrappy backing.

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Now the front and back fabrics are ready for the next step.

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A 5″ square of fabric was too large for the front of my mug rug so I cut it down to a 4″ square.

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It’s time to add the embellishments!  I begin with sewing the little crocheted flower to the front fabric.  First, pin it in place.

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  I really want this mini doily to stay in place through usage and washings so I ran a stitch all the way around the center of the doily as well as all around the edge of the doily.

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Then pin and sew the scrappy square to the top fabric.  Raw edge applique is my specialty so I just ran a single stitch, 1/4″ from the edge, all the way around the scrappy square.  The quilting will further adhere the scrappy square to the mug rug.

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The top of my mug rug is ready!  Now it’s time to make your quilt sandwich using the top and bottom fabrics with a piece of scrappy batting in the center.

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Quilt as desired.  In this case, I used a maroon thread on the top and a black thread in my bobbin.  Because my top fabric was a plaid fabric, I made it easy on myself and just followed the lines of the fabric with my quilt stitches.  I did not quilt over the doily but I did quilt over the scrappy square.

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After quilting, trim your mug rug of any excess fabric or batting and then square it up.

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Now it’s time for the binding.  I did not have a 2″ x WOF strip available (remember – this is scrappy), so I sewed two strips together to make my binding.  To do this, with right sides together, place the top strip at a 90 degree angle to the bottom strip.  Then, draw a diagonal line from the beginning of the top strip across to the corner of the edge of the bottom strip.

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Pin and sew the two binding pieces together on the line you drew.

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Cut the corner off of the binding strips, 1/4″ from the line you drew and sewed.

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I chose to press the seam open.  This project is so small that by pressing the seam in a single direction, it would have made for a lumpy spot on the edge of the mug rug.

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Now, sew the binding on the front of your mug rug, making sure to miter the corners.  Finally, whip-stitch the binding to the back of your mug rug.  Congrats, you’re done!

MugRug


Pause for a Cause: Breast Cancer Survivor Quilt

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A family member was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago.  She is doing well and following the doctor’s orders.  I wanted to make her a simple quilt with just a whole lot of love so I made a very easy patchwork quilt with only two fabrics.  The unexpected is that I put little pockets in the four corners of the quilt.  Then I asked for other family members to write something about love, healing, strength or upbeat to index cards.  When the quilt was opened and held up, everyone came forth with their little love cards and placed them in the pockets.

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How special it will be when the recipient gets home and relaxes with her quilt while she reads all the love from everyone.  Well done family, well done.