ITH Christmas Tree Applique Quilt Blocks with unique quilt patterns that infuse the table runner with appealing motion. The blocks are joined, sashed, and borders added with your sewing machine.
a. 2 11 ½” x 7 ½” rectangles of the white on white snowflake cotton b. 1 11 ½” x 7 1/3” rectangle of Battilizer® or low loft batting c. A rectangle of poly-mesh stabilizer to fit your hoop
Cut for the appliques: For CTATR01: a. 1 2 ½” x 2” rectangle of brown fabric for the trunk b. 1 2 ½” x 5 ½” Christmas print for the lower branches c. 1 2 ½” x 5” Christmas print for the middle branches d. 1 5 ½” x 4 ½” Christmas print for the top branches e. Cut and fuse a piece of Heat N Bond Lite® to each applique
For CTATR02:
a. 1 2” x 2” square of brown fabric for the trunk b. 1 7 ½” x 6” Christmas print for the tree – red print was used in the sample c. Cut and fuse a piece of Heat N Bond Lite® to each applique
For CTATR03:
a. 1 2” x 2” square of brown fabric for the trunk b. 1 5” x 2 ½” Christmas print for the lower branches c. 1 5” x 2 ½” Christmas print for the middle branches d. 1 6” x 5” Christmas print or solid for the top branches e. Cut and fuse a piece of Heat N Bond Lite® to each applique
For CTATR04:
a. 1 2” x 2” square of brown fabric for the trunk b. 1 8” x 4.5” Christmas print for the tree c. Cut and fuse a piece of Heat N Bond Lite® to each applique
For CTATR05:
a. 1 2” x 2” square of brown fabric for the trunk b. 1 4 ½” x 3” Christmas print for the lower branches c. 1 4” x 5 ¾” Christmas print for the upper tree d. Cut and fuse a piece of Heat N Bond Lite® to each applique
Step 2:
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Run color-stop (CS) 1 in white as a placement line for the front fabric.
Step 3:
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Spray adhesive on the wrong side of the front fabric and position over the placement lines so that the fabric exceeds the placement lines by at least ½” on all sides. Run CS 2 to tack down the fabric with white thread.
Step 4:
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Switch your top thread to a matching color for your trunk fabric. Run CS 3 as a placement line.
Step 5:
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Remove the paper from the applique fabric’s Heat N Bond Lite®. Spray a little adhesive of the back of the applique and position it over the placement lines. Run CS 4 to tack down the fabric.
Step 6:
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Remove the hoop from the machine, do not unhoop. Trim the applique as close as possible to the tack down stitches. Note: Pulling up the fabric towards the applique with one hand while trimming with the other will let you trim right up to the tack down stitches. Press the applique.
Step 7:
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Repeat steps 4 through 6 as many times as necessary to complete the appliques on the block that you are stitching, use threads that compliment each section of your trees.
Step 8:
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After the appliques are completed, remove the hoop from the machine, do not unhoop. Place the hoop face down on a flat surface. Spray adhesive on the Battilizer® rectangle and align over the placement lines on the back of the hoop so that the Battilizer® exceeds the placement lines by ½” on all sides. Spray adhesive on the wrong side of the back fabric rectangle and align over the Battilizer®.
Step 9:
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Return the hoop to the machine and run the next to last CS to tack down the batting and back fabric. Run the final CS to quilt the block.
Step 10:
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Remove the block from the hoop. Align the 1/4” mark of a see-through ruler along the placement lines of the block and trim all sides to a ¼” seam allowance. Repeat the above instructions for all 5 blocks and lay them out in the order you want them to be in your table runner.
Step 11:
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Set your sewing machine to zigzag stitch that is 5.5mm in width with a spacing of 4mm. If your machine does not have a 5.5mm width use the widest width available. Butt your first two blocks together without gaps or overlaps and stitch the blocks together with the zigzag stitch. Repeat to join all blocks to each other.
Step 12:
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Trim the blocks to make sure the top and bottom edges are straight.
Step 13:
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From the white fabric cut 4 strips 1 ¼” x 11 ½” and 4 strips 1 ½” x 11.5” for sashing.
Step 14:
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Spray the sashing strips with spray starch and press the long edges into the center of the strips. Keep the narrow strips separate from the wider ones as the narrow strips are sewn to the back of the table runner and the wider ones will be sewn to the front.
Step 15:
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Load invisible thread on the top and in the bobbin of your sewing machine. Lay a narrow sashing strip over the zigzag joins on the back of the table runner. Usually you will see me attach these with a serpentine stitch, but due to the type of quilting used in this blocks a straight stitch was sewn down each side of the sashing strip. Repeat over all 4 joins of the blocks.
Step 16:
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Turn the table runner face up and apply the wider sashing strips over the zigzag joins in the same manner.
Step 17:
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Trim the excess sashing from the top and bottom of the table runner.
Step 18:
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For the borders cut:
a. 4 border strips 12” x 3” b. 4 border strips 38” x 3 c. 2 Battilizer® strips 12” x 3” d. 2 Battilizer® strips 38” x 3”
Step 19:
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Make quilt sandwiches from the fabric and the Battilizer® by spraying one side of the Battilizer® with adhesive spray, align a corresponding fabric strip right side up over the sprayed Battilizer®. Spray the second side of the Battilizer® with adhesive spray and align a second corresponding piece of the fabric over it. Do this for all the border strips.
Step 20:
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Having the top edge of the border strip about ½” above the side of the table runner, butt the side border strips to the table runner sides and join with a zigzag stitch.
Step 21:
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Trim the excess borders.
Step 22:
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Join the top and bottom borders to the table runner in the same manner.
Step 23:
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Trim the excess from the top and bottom borders.
Step 24:
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For the final red sashing and binding cut:
a. 3 strips 1 ¼” by the width of the fabric b. 3 strips 1 ½” by the width of the fabric c. 4 strips 2 ¼” wide by the width of the fabric for binding
Step 25:
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Spray the sashing strips with spray starch and press the long edges into the center of the strips. Keep the narrow strips separate from the wider ones as the narrow strips are sewn to the back of the table runner and the wider ones will be sewn to the front.
Step 26:
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Appy the narrow strips to cover the zigzag seams on the back of the quilt ends first. Have the sashing extending over the top and bottom borders even though the seams do not extend through those borders. Stitch down both sides of the sashing with a straight stitch.
Step 27:
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Turn the table runner over and apply the wider sashing strips over the same seams.
Step 28:
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Turn the table runner face down and stitch the narrow sashing over the zigzag seams that join the top and bottom borders to the table runner. Then turn the table runner face up and stitch the wider sashing across those same seams on the front.
Step 29:
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Trim the excess sashing and square up the table runner.
Step 30:
Bind using your preferred method. Congratulations you Christmas Tree Applique Table Runner is complete!
Award winning Digitizer, Embroidery Educator, Author and a Consultant to the Industry, Pat Williams has 30 years of experience in the embroidery industry. Pat has won multiple awards for her digitizing expertise including the 2007 Impressions Awards Grand Championship, Best of Show as well as the 1st and 2nd Place Awards. Pat’s love of digitizing has afforded her the opportunity to write numerous articles for Impressions magazine in the United States and Images Magazine in Europe. In 2001 Pat was named “Embroidery Educator of the Year.” For many years Pat taught digitizing seminars at the ISS Shows in Long Beach, CA and for Compucon software. She now resides in Tucson, AZ.
