Pink Lemonade Table Runner

Hi Everyone!

Here is the Pink Lemonade Table Runner.  As I posted at The Intentional Momma........

But first I just want to share how much I long for Fall to arrive. 

Fall..... I can feel you coming.........  

This morning in the cool dawn of the day, I felt a glimpse of you.

I want to see those bright colors again

and feel the chilly air.

          Ok, enough of that......

SO,

How about a 15 Minute table runner.....

 Well....  technically depending if you want to put embellishments on it it could take a few more minutes.    


 Let's go ahead and begin.

What you will need:

sewing machine

thread of your choosing
2 fabrics of your choosing:

        *one fabric 1/3 of a yard (12 inches wide) for the center fabric

        *one fabric 1/2 of a yard (18 inches wide) for the border and back of fabric

(fabrics about 46 inches wide)

Optional: 

(if you didn't have your fabric cut to the above measurements)

rotary cutter 

cutting mat (with measuring marks)

quilt ruler

These are the fabrics I chose.  I had them in my stash of fabrics already, so I had to cut them to size.

When I showed them to my mother-in-law she said it reminded her of pink lemonade.  So I just had to use that for the name
 "Pink Lemonade Table Runner". 

 Because I had the fabric in my fabric stash, I had to cut mine to size.  I used my mat to measure after ironing and squaring my fabric.  If you did buy your fabric to measure, go ahead and skip to the part where I start sewing. 

To square your fabric:

• Iron about 1 yard of fabric (I ironed it while still folded).  
• Place the fabric on your mat with the fold toward you.  
• place the ruler close to the end of the fabric (left or right doesn't matter) 

                              *the cut edge not the selvage edge.   
                              *the cut ends wont be matching

• Place the ruler on the fold so that the fold goes straight across the ruler on the same line.  Then cut along the rulers edge. 

Here I have already squared my fabric and measured out my first piece.  12 inches. 

Let's start sewing!

Lay your fabric out one on top of the other, with right sides together, butting up two cut sides together

like so...

You can pin your fabrics together if you'd like.



Sew your two fabrics at a small 1/4 inch.  I use the end on my foot for a guide to make a small 1/4 inch. 

Lay your table runner out and butt up the fabrics together again on the other side, and pin if you'd like, and sew again a small 1/4 inch. 

Iron your seams to stabilize them.  

I can not emphasize how important it is to iron each seam.  This is the trick to having professional looking sewed crafts and garments. 

Your table runner will look like so. You can see that your seams will want to lay toward the back fabric...

So go ahead and iron them toward the seams in the direction they lay. Toward the border fabric.

Turn your table runner inside out.  Center the middle fabric by eyeballing it.

Yes, you can most certainly take your ruler out and make sure it's centered.

Iron your table runner flat. 

Fold your table runner in half toward the back side. 

  Like so.

Pin one of the corners to hold your fabric in place while you sew the ends. 

Do this to both sides.
You can use more pins if you'd like.

Sew just below the selvage edge on both ends of the table runner. 

Now you will need to trim the seam to 1/4 inch, and clip the corner of the fabric on the fold, just above the thread. 

Turn the corners on each side. 

And this is what your table runner will look like after turning the corners in. 

And you are done. You can add embellishments if you'd like but you don't need to. 

Now,
       time for embellishments........ 

To add an embellishment, like I did here, all I did is cut the ribbon to the size I needed to cover the opening of the table runner.  Pinned every other flower and stitched right over them with a thread the same color of the petals making sure I also stitched down the opening of the table runner. I repeated the process on the other side.

Another idea is just to make a decorative stitch.

Like so...

 I hope you enjoy your new table runner.

I know I do mine. 

Here are some other ideas and styles to spark your creativity.

 One for Halloween....

Embellishments: Lace ribbon and orange flowers

One for Christmas......

Embellishments: ribbon that had little white balls that reminded me of snow

One For Tea Time.....
(click on the picture to take you to the tutorial)

Embellishments: decorative stitching.

Mamita's Next Thing:

Wow, getting accustomed to only having one child in the house takes some getting used to.  I thought for sure I would be blogging up a storm,  but alas,  seems like I need to get my brain straight.  Tuesday was my sons first day of 1st grad.  Wow how time flies!  It feels like just yesterday I was changing his dipper.  Any way,  enough of that.

So wants next.....  

                      Stay tuned....


And don't forget to sign up for a Free email subscription.  

Have a great day!

Lola

Tea Time Table Runner

What you will need:

 sewing machine

thread

1 jelly roll or scrap pack

1/2 yard (18 inches) fabric of your chose (for the back)

rotary cutter

cutting matt with measurements

quilt ruler

1.  Choose your fabrics.  If you don't have or want to buy a jelly roll or scrap pack you can cut 9- 2 1/4 inch strips from 9 different pieces of fabric (46 inches wide).   And don't forget your back fabric (1/2 yard).

2. Piece your strips together.  I used the edge of my presser foot to measure a small 1/4 inch seam allowance. 

3. Press your seams.  Then press them again so they all lay in the same direction. 

4.  This is what your strips put together will look like, only with your fabric choices. 

5. Now you will cut 2 pieces 12 inches long with your strips horizontal.  See picture below. 

6.  Sew your 2 - 12 inches together so your strips will look vertical, and you repeat your pattern once.

See picture below.

Should be approximately 46 inches long.  You can add more strips if the length is shorter than your back fabric, just cut the strip(s) 2 1/4 X 12 inches. 

7.  Time to line up the sewn strips with your back fabric.  Line up the long edges together with the right sides together and sew at a 1/4 inch. 

8.  Repeat on the other side. 

9.  Your Runner will now look like so.....

10.  Iron your seams and turn your runner inside out.  This is how your runner will look after you turn it inside out, but with your choice of fabrics.  Press your runner.  Make a border on each side of your stripes so they are in the middle.  You can eyeball or use a ruler to be more accurate if you'd like.  I just eyeballed. 

11.  Next, fold your runner in half back sides together.  Front visible.

12.  Pin along the raw edges on the ends, I just pined one of the corners, and sew at about 1/2 inch.  Or just below the selvage edge.  Trim

sew just below the selvage edge

13.  Turn the corner in.  So when you lay your table runner out, you will have triangular shaped ends. 

 And here is the finished Tea Time Table Runner.  For the embellishment I just sewed around the table runner.  

Here's a picture of how I sewed the table runner. 

Enjoy!

Mamita's Next Thing:

I will be posting the "Pink Lemonade Table Runner", so both table runners can be in the same place.

In the mean time you can go here for a link to see the "Pink Lemonade Table Runner". 

I have an idea for a head band, and have you ever felt sad for throwing away those selvage edge pieces of fabric?  Well, I have and I have an idea of what to do with them and I can't wait to show you.

So stay tuned,

And I hope you have a fun time making the "Tea Time Table Runner".  

Have a great day!

Lola

My Guacamole Recipe

WOW!  Where is the summer going!

I can't believe we're in August already.

                   I've been busy with the kids having fun in the hot sun.

                                                          And school is just around the corner!

Luckily, school shopping is just about done.



I had a craving for Guacamole the other day, so I went ahead and made some.

                                                                               And wanted to share my recipe with you.

I don't make this often, because I'm a Weight Watchers member and 1/4 cup is 2 points plus value.

                              And I can't just stop at 1/4 cup......try the whole bowl.  YUM!


Yes there are tons of Guacamole recipes out there,
                                           
                                                              but I promise you this is one of the better ones! 

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados

fresh lime juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1/2 of a cilantro bunch, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 of an onion, chopped
optional: 1/2 chopped jalapeno 

Your favorite chips

1.  Peel the avocado and take the pit out.  I cut the avocado in half and separate the halves, this will expose the pit.  Using my knife I sick the knife into the pit using the long blade of the knife not the point, twist and that should take the pit out.  Please be careful not to cut yourself!  Then I use a big spoon to scoop out the flesh of the avacoado and put it in a bowl.

2.  Mash the avocado with a potato masher to the consistency that you would like. 

3.  Mix in the juice of the lime and grapefruit.

4.  Now mix in the rest of the ingredinets, cilantro, salt, tomato, onion, and the jalapeno.  

5.  Enjoy!

You can modify this recipe to your liking.

                      More cilantro, less cilantro.  More tomato.  No onion please.
                                                                                                 How ever you want it.

With the jalapeno, I usually leave it out, but if you like the heat by all means put a whole jalapeno in.  If you still want a little bit of heat, just make sure to take the seeds out of the jalapeno before chopping and start with just half of one.  Gloves would be a good thing to use when chopping and seeding the jalapeno.  If you don't use the gloves, make sure you wash your hands before you rub your eye.

Don't learn the hard way like my hubby did.

Mamita's Next Thing:

Tea Time table runner!  If you didn't get a chance to check out my Pink Lemonade table runner you can go here for directions on how to make one.

Have a wonderful day!

Lola