Strippy Table Runner

Wonky Piano Table Runner (37x15 inches)

Well it's a new year and to start it off I have joined in a group called "Project Quilting" where every week a challenge is set to be completed within a week!  My original thought was, "Wow this could prove a bit hectic", but then realizing that we are not necessarily thinking bed quilts but a smaller project that can be finished comfortably within the week.

This weeks' theme was "String Along With Me" with a suggestion to "think out of the box".  So okay, that rules out squares so I then decided to cut strips of newspaper about 4 inches wide and started adding strips of different widths and also making them "wonky".  After sewing and adding and sewing and adding until I thought the strip was long enough, I then started another and then another.

Cutting the strips different widths

Sewing them onto strips of newspaper

3 strippy sets

It occurred to me then that they looked like piano keys, but wonky ones so at least now with a goal in mind I continued with adding a thin strip of purple for the sashings.

Adding purple sashings

Now for the quilting....

Securing the 3 layers by stitching in the ditch

The first very necessary step is to secure all 3 layers by stitching in the ditch; I only did the lengthwise strips as it would have been too fiddly going across as well and seeing that it is quite a small project I did not bother.

Quilting the sashings

Seeing that I had visualized a wonky piano, I quilted a sort of Bass Cleff in the sashings (you have to use your imagination here) and trying to keep the music note theme I quilted Jesters' Hats over the keys.

 

Jesters' Hats

I love quilting this pattern learned from Ivory Spring.  I pictured Jesters dancing over the keys - Serendipity you understand!!!

Close-up of completed quilt

So here is my entry in this weeks' String Quilts challenge in Project Quilting run by Kim at Persimmon Dreams.  You can go here and read all about the year-long challenge and join in with us.

Thank you for visiting and happy quilting in 2014,