Potted Cactus Table Runner Embroidery Project

1. Prepare your applique pieces before starting each block by ironing the fabric with spray starch 3 or 4 times to make the fabric as crisp as a piece of paper.  Then iron the Heat N Bond Lite to the back of the fabric.  For each design you will need to cut from the Batik fabrics and Heat N Bond Lite:

Design               Cactus               Pot

22101               8 1/2"x 7"           4" x 4"

22102              4" x 4"                 3" x 4"

22103              4" x 4 1/2"           3" x 2 1/2"

22104               8 1/2" x 4"           4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

22105               5 1/2" x 4 1/2"     3 1/2" x 3"

22106                 4" x 3 1/2"         3" x 3"

22107                 7" x 8"               6 1/2" x 4"

The cutting files are designed to cut fabric side up.  Peel the paper backing off the applique fabric and position the fabrics onto the cutting mat.

Open the FCM file and scan in your mat.  Move the applique cutting lines over the fabrics.

Cut the appliques and remove from the mat.

Cut your front, back and batting 9 ½” x 13 ½” for the large blocks and 7 ½” x 9 ½” for the smaller blocks. In the sample the fabric used for the front and back of the block are the same fabric. Tautly hoop poly mesh stabilizer in the hoop and take the fabric, appliques, and batting to the embroidery machine.

Run color stop 1 (CS1) as a placement line for the front fabric.

Spray adhesive on the back of the front fabric and position over the placement lines so that the fabric exceeds the placement lines by art last ½” on all sides. Run CS2 I water soluble thread to tack down the fabric.

Run the next CS in a color that matches your cactus fabric.

Spray adhesive on the back of your precut applique cactus and carefully position the fabric over the placement lines.  With an applique shape that is this complex align each segment of the cactus individually instead of just trying to align the whole shape at one time.  Then iron the applique to adhere it to the front fabric.  If using the stitch and trim method just spray the whole rectangle of cactus fabric and position over the placement lines.

Run the next CS in the same green thread to tack down the applique.  When using the precut appliques, it is not really necessary to run the color stop but it will let you know that your applique is in the correct place.  Those using the stitch and trim method need these tack down stitches to tack down the fabric.  They need to then trim the applique right up next to the tack down lines and then press the applique.

The next CS borders the cactus.

Change your thread to a color thread that matches your pot fabric.  Repeat Steps 9 10 and 11 to applique the pot.

There may or may not be an additional color stop in the design to stitch contrasting details on the design.  Follow the color chart for these additional details.  Do not stitch the last two color stops yet.

Remove the hoop from the machine, do not unhoop. Turn the hoop face down on a flat surface.  Spray adhesive on your batting and align over the original placement lines on the back of the hoop.  Spray adhesive on the back of the back fabric and align over the batting right side up.  Sometimes when putting the hoop back into the machine the needle plate will cause the back fabric or batting to flip into the sewing area of the block.  A strip of embroidery tape along the outer edge of the batting and fabric that will go first into the machine will prevent that from happening.

Return the hoop to the machine and run the next to last color stop in water soluble thread to tack down the quilt block fabric.

Stitch the final CS in white to quilt the block.

Remove the quilt block from the hoop.  Lay the ¼” mark of a see-through ruler on the final tack down lines and trim all sides of the block to ¼” seam allowances. 

Complete the other 6 blocks for this project following the above instructions and lay them out in the manner you would like to have them in your table runner.

Cut 2 1 ¼” strips and 2 1 ½” strips across the width of the fabric for the sashing.  You can also cut 3 strips of the same fabric 2 ¼” wide for the binding (not pictured).

Spray the 1 ¼” and the 1 ½” sashing strips with spray starch fold the long sides into the center and press.  Keep the wider and more narrow sashing strips separate, the narrow strips will be stitched to the back of the table runner, the wider strips will be stitched to the front.

Load invisible thread into the bobbin and top of your sewing machine. Select a wide zigzag, 5.5mm if you have it and with a wide spacing, 4mm is good.

We will join the smaller blocks together first.  Butt two of the smaller blocks at your sewing machine without gaps or overlaps and zigzag the two blocks together.

Select a stitch at your sewing machine to stitch down the sashing strips.  I prefer a stitch such as the Serpentine stitch as when stitched with the invisible thread it blends in nicely with the stipple stitch quilt on these blocks.  But, you can use whatever stitch you prefer. Take a picture of your settings so that you will remember what settings you used as you will be alternating between the zigzag stitch and the sashing tack down stitches in the next few steps.

Turn the two joined blocks face down.  Center a narrow sashing strip over the zigzag seam.  Stitch down both sides of the sashing with your Serpentine or stitch of your choice. 

Turn the joined blocks right side up.  Center and stitch down a wider sashing strip over the zigzag seam on the front of the blocks.  Repeat these instructions for the second two small blocks.

Trim away the excess sashing strips from all sides of the combined small blocks.

Switch back to the zigzag settings on your machine.  Zigzag the large blocks to the combined small blocks as in Step 22.

Lay the table runner face down at your machine.  Center the narrow sashing strips over the vertical zigzag seams and stitch down both sides of the sashing.

The back of your table runner will now look like this.

Stitch the remaining wider strips of sashing over the vertical zigzag seams on the front of the table runner in the same manner.

Trim the excess sashing all around the table runner squaring it up as necessary.

Bind the table runner using your preferred method.

Congratulations your Potted Cactus Table Runner is complete!