Garden Party Table Runner

Inspired by "Christmas Candy" from designer Tammy Kelly

Quiltmaker: Laura Boehnke

• Scraps of gold and purple prints (blocks)
• 1/4 yard solid brown (blocks, inner border)
• 2/3 yard orange tone-on-tone (blocks, outer border, binding)
• 7--9x22" pieces (fat eighths) assorted bright prints in lime green, fuchsia, gold, and red-orange (blocks)
• 1/8 yard multicolor circle print (middle border)
• Scraps of multicolor square print (outer border corners)
• 1-1/2 yards backing fabric
• 26x50" batting

Finished quilt: 19-1/2x43-1/2"

Finished block: 12" square

Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the following order. Make templates of patterns A and B. (Download this project for pattern pieces.)

From each of gold and purple prints, cut:

• 4 of Pattern B

From solid brown, cut:

• 2--1x36-1/2" inner border strips
• 2--1x13-1/2" inner border strips
• 12 of Pattern B

From orange tone-on-tone, cut:

• 4--2-1/2x42" binding strips
• 2--3x38-1/2" outer border strips
• 2--3x14-1/2" outer border strips
• 4 of Pattern B

From each bright print fat eighths, cut:

• 2--6-7/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 triangles total (you'll have 1 leftover triangle from three of the bright print fat eighths)

From multicolor circle print, cut:

• 2--1x37-1/2" middle border strips
• 2--1x14-1/2" middle border strips

From multicolor square print, cut:

• 4--3" squares, centering each over a square motif in the fabric if desired

1. Sew together a gold print B piece and solid brown B piece to make a gold triangle unit (Diagram 1). Press seam open. Repeat to make four gold triangle units total. (Be sure to join B pieces on the same side so fabrics will alternate when they are later sewn into a circle.)

2. Using purple print instead of gold print, repeat Step 1 to make four purple triangle units. (To duplicate the purple triangle units in the featured quilt, reverse the placement of the solid brown in these triangle units.)

3. Using orange tone-on-tone instead of gold print, repeat Step 1 to make four orange triangle units.

1. Referring to Triangle-Square Assembly Diagram, lay out assorted bright print triangles in six rows on design wall or work surface. Each pair of adjacent rows will make one block; pay attention to color placement to create a same-color square in the center of each block.

2. When you're pleased with the arrangement, pick up first pair of triangles and sew together to make a triangle-square (Diagram 2). Press seam in one direction. The triangle-square should be 6-1/2" square including seam allowances. Return triangle-square to design wall. Repeat to assemble all triangle-squares.

3. Pick up first triangle-square. Place Pattern A template on the half of the triangle-square that will be in the center of the block. Trace the curved edge and cut on marked line (Diagram 3). To mark center point of trimmed edge, fold triangle-square in half and finger-press. Return triangle-square to design wall.

4. Repeat Step 3 to trim and mark each triangle-square.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out gold triangle units, purple triangle units, and orange triangle units in center of each set of four triangle-squares, ensuring kaleidoscopes form where block corners meet.

2. Pick up first triangle-square and triangle unit. Layer triangle unit on trimmed corner of triangle-square; use a pin to match triangle unit seam with marked center point on triangle-square (Diagram 4).

3. Place a pin at each end of seam; pin generously in between, picking up only a few threads at a time, until pieces fit together smoothly (Diagram 5). (For tips, see "Piecing Curves Perfectly," on page 8.) Sew, removing each pin just before needle reaches it; press seam toward triangle unit. Return triangle-square to design wall.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add a triangle unit to each triangle-square.

5. Referring to Diagram 6, sew together four triangle-squares in pairs. Press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make a block. Press seam in one direction. The block should be 12-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make three blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together blocks in a row to make table runner center. Press seams in one direction. The table runner center should be 12-1/2x36-1/2" including seam allowances.

2. Sew long solid brown inner border strips to long edges of table runner center. Add short solid brown inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

3. Sew long multicolor circle print middle border strips to long edges of table runner center. Add short multicolor circle print middle border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward middle border.

4. Sew long orange tone-on-tone outer border strips to long edges of quilt center. Press seams toward outer border.

5. Sew multicolor square print 3" squares to ends of each short orange tone-on-tone outer border strip. Press seams toward orange strips. Add pieced outer border strips to remaining edges of table runner center to complete table runner top. Press seams toward outer border.

1. Layer table runner top, batting, and backing; baste. Quilt as desired.

2. Bind with orange tone-on-tone binding strips.

To make it easier to ease fabric pieces together when pinning curves, hold the pieces with the convex curve on top of the concave-edge piece (trimmed triangle-square).

After pinning, slowly sew together pieces, using a slightly longer than normal stitch length, which helps ease the fabric layers together.

Some quilters prefer to clip curved seams. Clip into seam allowance of the concave edge as needed, but do not cut into or beyond the seam line. Do not clip the convex edge.