Here goes another crazy scrap idea! I know you are shocked ;) It's looking a little like spring here in the PNW, and pretty soon we'll have quite the floral display just north of me in the tulip fields in Mt. Vernon, WA.
I started thinking about using my pretty floral scrap strips, and the quilt-as-you-go method, to mimic those perfect rows of tulips that stretch out for miles. I decided to add some “blue sky” and “green grass” to the mix. This isn’t what you would call a landscape quilt, but it was a fun process and maybe it’ll inspire you to mimic your own nature scenes.
I started with a scrap piece of 100% cotton batting that I cut to about 15” x 40”. I cut the ends into a 45-degree point and pressed it in half both widthwise and lengthwise to create an X crease in the middle.
I added a backing and placed a 4” “blue sky” square right in the middle. You may want to use spray baste to hold the backing to the batting during the construction of the top.
I started building my “fields of flowers”. I added the first pink floral strip, lining it up with the edge of the blue square. Pin in place through all the layers and stitch down ¼” from the raw edges of the pieces. Most of my strips were 1 1/2" wide, although I cut them in random sizes up to 2" wide for variety.
Press the floral strip out, and add the next floral strip down the next side of the center square.
Keep adding strips to the sides of the center square log cabin style until you’ve gone all the way around at least once or twice.
It was time to add some grass. I had some of these nice spring green scraps, and I cut a couple of strips 3” wide. I pressed a layer of fusible web to the back of one of the strips, then peeled the paper side off and pressed it to the back of the other strip. Now, I had a two-sided green strip.
I cut that into three 1” wide strips and clipped little notches along one edge of each to make sharp “grass” blades.
Now, back to the table runner. I'd made a couple of laps with the floral strips, so before sewing the next strip on, I inserted one of my grass strips into the seam.
Sew through all the layers and press the floral strip out, leaving the grass strip to pop out like a flange.
I continued adding floral strips and grass strips for a couple more rounds, then it was time for some blue sky. I started adding these pale blue strips at random, often following them with another grass strip.
Here you see the nearly completed top after I had sewn enough strips in place to cover the batting from edge to edge.
I trimmed the outside edges even with the batting and straightened up the sides a bit.
I added a green binding to the outside edge, and since I had a couple of grass strips left, I went ahead and tucked them into the binding along the ends.
I used my fingers to curl the grass blades up off the table runner for a real 3D look. And just like that, I have the tulip fields on my table :)
Happy Sunday everyone,
Krista
Hollow Star Table Runner Fabric kits, in Patriotic and Brave prints, are new in the Shop.