Table Runner

Finally I am starting to make a table runner which was planned and designed as part of my course work many weeks ago. Here is the drawing:

But earlier this week I have made some samples as well for my final assessment piece which I hope will be approved.  I have drawn up a design for a silk quilt with different shaped pots in lovely colours and a myrtle plant trailing around them.  The theme for the quilt has developed from some designs I did early on in the course and which I call 'A Cracked Pot'.  After drawing a range of designs based on this theme some of the drawings reminded me of exotic Asian pots which might contain perfume or spices.  So the inspiration for my quilt design has come from these ideas.  the myrtle plant is included because myrtle is used in many perfumes.

Although I have completed these necessary samples for my course tutor I am not putting them on here at present as they would not make much sense on their own.  Later when I am making the full quilt I will use some of the samples as examples on the blog.

In the meantime back to the table runner.

 It will have some patchwork blocks at its centre, two Rail Fence, three Drunkard's Path and  three Quilter's Fan.

These are meant to represent different aspects of Inland Waterways and Canal Boats on the river. 


Firstly Rail Fence blocks, which we have done before and some of us made pin cushions from them.  My reason for choosing Rail Fence is to try to symbolise the shapes of long boats and the man-made surroundings on a river.  Perhaps you remember the method.  We joined together four strips measuring 2" X 6 1/2" and then repeated this with another four strips in contrasting colours.

We pressed all the seams in one direction and then placed the two blocks right sides together and drew a line across the diagonal from corner to corner.

The next stage is to sew 1/4" on either side of the drawn line, then cut the block in half along the drawn line.  This produces two blocks.


Press the seams to one side.

I suppose the most important thing about this type of block is accuracy in cutting and sewing the seams.  If the points don't match up at the join it's a disappointment.


Practice makes perfect (or so they tell me).

The other blocks that I will be making over the next few days are Drunkards Path, based on the idea that arched bridges over the river could be represented by two of these placed together.

Finally, Quilters Fan, which is a swirly whirly shape and which, I hope will to some degree represent water.

Today I have only got as far as the Rail Fence blocks which have been produced in colours often seen on long canal boats with names and painted images in bright colours. So my colour scheme may not be the prettiest but I hope will represent the long boats, the river and its surroundings and finally, when I add the background to the runner, a blue sky and white clouds.

That's the plan anyway!!