Sparkle Snowflakes Table Runner

I know it's early in the year for another holiday post...but I have been anxious to share a project with you using another one of the fabric cutting dies AccuQuilt sent me to play with and review. Today's project - a table runner - centers around Sarah Vedeler's licensed die design GO! Sparkle-Snowflakes...I was also able to use Sarah's coordinating digitized designs for machine embroidery.

I had a lot of fun planning this runner and going through my stash to choose

the fabric and materials. The actual piecing

of the table runner is quite simple, requires minimal fabric, and is adaptable - you could easily make one without the machine embroidery for just about any season or occasion....therefore, I am going to share my supply list and a short simple tutorial with you, so you can adapt it to make one of your own!






















Supply List:
White fabric (snowflakes): five 5 1/2" squares
Red fabric (setting triangles): two 8 1/2" squares
Light blue printed fabric (squares on point): five 7" squares (trimmed after machine embroidery to 6" squares)
Backing 9" x 42"
Batting 9" x 42"
Binding
Tearaway Stabilizer
Lightweight Fusible Web
Sulky KK 2000 Spray Adhesive
Embroidery Threads
Sewing Threads

Tools:
AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter
AccuQuilt Sarah Vedeler Licensed Fabric Cutting Die: GO! Sparkle Snowflakes
AccuQuilt GO! 6" x 12" Cutting Mat
AccuQuilt GO! Square 8 1/2" (Die To Try) and 10" x 10" cutting mat
AccuQuilt GO! 2" Strip Cutter (binding) and 10" x 24" cutting mat
Machine Embroidery: Sparkle by Sarah Vedeler Designs
Rotary Cutter/Mat/Ruler
Sewing/Embroidery Machine
Iron

I start my project by preparing/cutting the fabric.

• White fabric: I ironed lightweight fusible web to the back of the fabric, then cut five 5 1/2" squares. I used my AccuQuilt GO! fabric cutter and the GO! Sparkle-Snowflakes die to cut five snowflakes - I cut three of one snowflake design and two of the other (this is personal preference).



• Red fabric: Using my AccuQuilt GO! fabric cutter and the GO! Square 8 1/2" die, I cut two squares. Then using my rotary cutter and mat, I bisected each square twice, making eight setting triangles.



• Light blue printed fabric: I cut five 7" squares (these will be trimmed to 6" squares after machine embroidery or snowflake appliqué.

Next, I did the machine embroidered appliqué using Sarah Vedeler's Sparkle digitized designs (choose the snowflake designs that match the shapes you cut - I made two of snowflake 1, one of snowflake 2, and two of snowflake 4). If you do not have an embroidery machine, you can machine appliqué the snowflakes and embellish as desired - the GO! Sparkle-Snowflakes die comes with nice diagrams for sewing machine embellishing (and you could use some of the fancy stitches on your sewing machine!). Here are the directions for how I did the machine embroidered applique':

• Hoop a piece of tearaway stabilizer.
  


• Stitch out color one - this will stitch a center placement line on your stabilizer.
  


• Mark the center of a light blue printed fabric square.
  


• Remove the hoop from your machine and position the fabric square in place, aligning the center of your marked fabric with the center mark on the stabilizer - I used Sulky KK 2000 adhesive spray to hold it in place - you may choose to use pins.
  


• Replace hoop and stitch color two - this will stitch the appliqué placement line.


• Remove the hoop from the machine and fuse the snowflake appliqué in place.


• Replace the hoop and continue stitching out each of the colors - changing your threads as you desire.



• Repeat these steps for all five snowflakes and light blue squares of printed fabric.


• Remove the tearaway stabilizer from each piece and trim each block to 6" square - being careful to center the snowflake designs.

You are now ready to piece the table runner. Layout your pieces following the diagram below. Sew five rows, using a standard 1/4" seam allowance....then sew the five rows together. Once your top is pieced, quilt and bind as desire.