Fireworks Table Runner

I machine pieced this table runner on my Bernina 240, and quilted it on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.

Finished size: 9" x 82"

(click on photos to enlarge)

🧨FINISHED RUNNER:🧨

Front Piecing:

A combination of 9 scrappy pieced rockets (my own design) combined with colorful embroidered firework explosions.

Backing:

My daughter and her husband have summer birthdays, so I made the runner reversible, with Happy Birthday novelty fabric on the back. The piece of fabric I had was a scrap donated to me, and was too narrow for the runner's full size, so I added a 1.5" wide solid black fabric border all the way around to make it wide enough to fit on its intended table.

Stitching:

Threads: Thread used on the front is "Bone" (So Fine 50 #452), and on the back is "Silver" (So Fine 50 #408).

Stitch Pattern: "Triangular Fun" from Wasatch Quilting.

🧨PROGRESS PHOTOS:🧨

Construction-Front:

I went through my neutral scraps first for the background, then pulled from some batik jewel packs (5" squares) and also used several other scraps in my stash to make the rockets.

I made the rockets without any pattern - I just referred to my learned experiences from several other patchwork and piecing projects I've completed over the years, sketched something out, and went for it.

After making 9 rockets, I alternated their directions and joined them together using a 2.5" wide neutral strip of fabric in between each one.

Construction-Embroidering:

I embroidered 14 different colorful firework explosions along the runner, using my Brother PE-700 embroidery machine.

Quilting:

I joined batting pieces leftover from larger previously made projects.

Stitching out two wrapped rows of "Triangular Fun" from Wasatch Quilting.

I quilted the front with the neutral thread "Bone" (So Fine 50 #452), so that the rockets and fireworks would continue to stand out on the neutral background and the quilting wouldn't take away from the colorful fabrics.

Trimming:

Squaring up the runner after taking it off the long arm, trimming back the front fabric and batting, but leaving an inch of backing fabric in preparation for using the self-binding method.

Binding:

I've only used the self-binding method once or twice, but it was a great solution for this runner (since the backing was too narrow and I had to add a black border all the way around the fabric's edges to make the back wider).

I wrapped the backing fabric around to the front, double folding the raw edge and making sure to miter-fold the corners, then clipped into place.

For a precise edge while machine sewing down the binding to the front of the runner, I used my Bernina 240's blind hem foot. 

🧨🧨🧨

The July runner fits on its intended table perfectly!

🧨SUMMARY:🧨

Finished Size: 9" x 82"
Front piecing: 9 scrappy pieced rockets (my own design) combined with colorful embroidered firework explosions.
Backing: Happy Birthday novelty fabric with a 1.5" black border.
Binding: Machine sewn; Black fabric using the self-binding method.
Quilting: "Triangular Fun" from Wasatch Quilting. Front stitched with "Bone" (So Fine 50 #452), and back with "Silver" (So Fine 50 #408).

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