Bring out your Inktense Ink Pencils to make this lively Talavera Ocean Table Runner. The quilted and outlined blocks are made in the hoop. Paint and then join at your sewing machine. It will look great on your summer table.
This is a project that you can really sink your teeth into. It is not fast, but it is simple. The embroidery of the quilted blocks is quick to stitch. I cannot really tell you how long it will take you to paint the blocks. A good estimate is 1 hour per block, but it you fill in the background of the blocks they could take you an hour or more. It depends on how much paint you put down. The process is mesmerizing and very relaxing. Please read the article on Tips for Painting Embroidery with Inktense Ink Pencils for an explanation of the techniques. If the stripes run lengthwise on your fabric you only need 1/4 yard to complete all six mug rugs. The Fiesta Serape Stripe Orange used in the samples has horizonal stripes. Therefore, the 2 ¼” strips needed to be cut lengthwise to have the multiple colors as shown in the samples and you will need one yard to cut appropriate length strips. The Fiesta Serape Stripe Orange fabric was purchased from Fabrics.com.
Step 1:
Cut 4 10” x 10” squares each of White Kona PFD Cloth, Turquoise Kona Cloth and Battilizer or low loft batting. Hoop stabilizer tautly in your hoop. For each block you will need 1 each of the PFD fabric, back fabric and Battilizer.
Step 2:
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Run color-stop (CS 1) in white as a placement line for your fabric.
Step 3:
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Spray adhesive on the back of the White PDF fabric and position over the placement line so that the fabric exceeds the placement line by ½” on all sides.
Step 4:
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Follow the color chart until the black outlines are stitched. Do not run the last two CSs yet.
Step 5:
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Remove the hoop from the machine and place face down on a flat surface. Spray the Battilizer with adhesive and position over the original placement lines so that the Battilizer exceeds the placement lines by ½” on all sides. Spray adhesive on one side of the Turquoise Kona Cloth and align over the Battilizer.
Step 6:
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Return the hoop to the machine and run the water-soluble tack down stitch to join the back to the front of the block. Run the final CS in Blue (to represent water) or color of your choice to quilt the block.
Step 7:
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Remove the block from the hoop and trim away the excess stabilizer. You may trim the blocks to ¼” from the placement lines at this point, but I preferred to just trim away the stabilizer at this point to have just a little extra fabric around the block during the painting process.
Trim all sides of the blocks to a ¼” seam allowance from the tack down stitches.
Step 11:
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Load invisible thread in the bobbin and in the top of your sewing machine. Select a wide zigzag stitch that is spaced about 3mm apart.
Step 12:
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Butt the sides of two completed blocks together without gaps or overlaps and zigzag the blocks together. Repeat to join all 4 blocks.
Step 13:
Cut the sashing and borders as follows: Borders:
a. Royal Blue cut 4 34” x 2 ½” b. Royal Blue cut 4 15” x 2 ½” c. Battilizer cut 2 34” x 2 ½” d. Battilizer cut 2 34” x 2 ½”
Sashing:
a. White Kona cut 3 - 1 ½” x 10” b. Turquoise Kona cut 3 - 1 ¼” x 10” c. Royal Blue cut 2 - 34” x 1 ½” d. Royal Blue cut 2 - 34” x 1 ¼” e. Royal Blue cut 2 - 15” x 1 ½” f. Royal Blue cut 2 – 15” x 1 ¼”
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Step 14:
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Fold the long edges of the sashing strips into the center and press. Keep the wider sashing strips separate from the narrow strips. The narrow sashing will go on the back of the table runner, the wide strips will be stitched to the front.
Step 15:
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Choose a Serpentine stitch on your sewing machine keeping the invisible thread in your machine.
Step 16:
Place the table runner face down at your sewing machine. Lay the turquoise sashing strip over the zigzag joins having the sashing extend beyond both edges of the blocks and stitch down both sides with the serpentine stitch.
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Step 17:
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Turn the table runner right side up. Lay the white sashing strips over the zigzag joining seams on the front. Switch to same thread in the top of the machine, leaving the invisible thread in the bobbin, and stich down each side of the sashing with the serpentine stitch. Add a third row of serpentine stitch down the center of the sashing to keep the sashing from appearing too obvious on the table runner top.
Step 18:
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Trim the excess sashing from both sides of the table runner.
Step 19:
Make quilt sandwiches from the border pieces by spraying one side of a border piece with adhesive. Align a corresponding fabric strip over the Battilizer. Spray adhesive on the second side of the Battilizer and align a corresponding strip of fabric over the Battilizer. You should have two 34 ½” x 2 ½” border pieces and two 15” x 2 ½” borders.
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Step 20:
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Put invisible thread back in the top of the machine, your invisible thread should still be in the bobbin. Extend the long border strips about an inch beyond the ends of the table runner. Zigzag the borders to the long edges of the table runner on both the top and bottom of the table runner.
Step 21:
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Trim the excess border strips even with the blocks.
Step 22:
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Align the end borders and zigzag them to the table runner as you did the long borders.
Step 23:
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Trim off the excess borders from both ends of the table runner even with the blocks.
Step 24:
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Turn the table runner face down. Align the narrow long sashing strips over the long back zigzag seam that attaches the long borders to the blocks. Start and stop this sashing where the side borders are attached. Stitch down both sides of the sashing strip with the serpentine stitch.
Step 25:
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Turn the table runner face up. Stitch the wider sashing strips over the top and bottom zigzag seams over the inside blocks and stitch down both sides with the serpentine stitch.
Step 26:
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Turn the table runner face down. Align the narrow sashing strips over the end border seams and stitch down both sides with the serpentine stitch. These sashing strips cover the full height of the table runner.
Step 27:
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Turn the table runner face up, stitch the remaining wide sashing strips over the front side border seams with the serpentine stitch.
Step 28:
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Trim off the excess sashing and square up the table runner. This one was measured 2 ¾” from the inside of the sashing strips so that the border would be even all the way around the table runner.
Step 29:
Congratulations your Talavera Ocean 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.
