Winter Red-Work Table Runner

My inspiration...

Source:  Pinterest

I love this book!

Isn't this lovely in red and white!

This is hand embroidered.  

My fabrics...

Red, Green & Yellow Circle fabric will be the back.

The small check in Red, Green & Yellow will be the binding.

The fat quarters on the sides will be the 5 inch squares.

One of my Janome red-work winter designs...

Two Pine Cones will be in the center.

I chose sewing a Winter/Christmas theme table runner for my project at Embroidery Club.  

Initially I picked designs on a more Christmasy theme.  

But I wasn't happy with them for a table runner because depending on where one viewed the runner some designs would be upside down. 

Poinsettias...

Luckily I was able to find enough designs of a wintery nature that would look good from all view points.  

Now I'll be able to utilize the runner all winter and not limit it's use to Christmas only.

  

Holly...

My fabrics are 100% cotton from Joann Fabrics.  

I'm debating {{with myself}} whether to PRE-WASH or NOT.  

I've read that certain dark fabrics can run when washed..like REDs.  

And, as you know me,  I have chosen a couple red fabrics for this project.  

Plus I don't know how "good" Joann's cotton is - whether it's low or high shrinkage.  

One of my area sewing stores told me their cottons are of a higher quality with just 2% shrinkage and thus there is no need to prewash... but these fabrics weren't purchased there.  

Some quilters don't pre-wash because they prefer the vintage wrinkely results due to shrinkage.  

You guessed...I decided to pre-wash all the fabrics.

My next step, once I decide about pre-washing (or NOT), is to rotary cut my squares.  

I've sketched a pattern that will have 30 five inch squares.  

Ten squares will be red work designs and twenty will be red and green shades divide evenly.  

I may add a border all around the 30 squares.  

Years ago I took a hand quilting  class.  

I remember my hand being sore from all the hand stitching.  

Now I prefer to let my machine do all the work.   

Snowflake design for each corner.

Cutting out patterns has always been my least favorite job in the sewing steps.  

And with quilting if you want your corners to match you have to cut correctly.  

This is not something I can"wing"!!  

I have to be precise.

Today I purchased some quilting cutting squares in different sizes - more of a guaranteed outcome for me that my squares will fit.  

And I got them on sale (50% off)!!!

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Funny cartoon for the day:

   

I'm missing Disney!