Scrappy Summer Sew Along - Sweet and Simple Runner Tutorial!!! ...

Good morning cute people!

I'm excited to show you my latest 

Scrappy Happy project 

that I made last week.

Last Monday we kicked off the 

Scrappy Happy Summer 

sew along…

the button and the flickr group

 are now ready to go!

Add the above button 

to your blog and 

click here

to join up for a 

summer of scrappy happiness:)

So remember when I showed you

 these trimmings off of the 

Easy Corner Triangles 

from last weeks

 Scrappy Happy Summer project?

I did NOT want to throw them out!

After all…

this sew along is about

 using up our scraps right?

 I cut them into cute little 1 1/2" squares:)

I have been wanting to make a runner to protect the 

top of my piano ever since I painted it 3 years ago.

I decided that these little squares would be the perfect answer!

So I measured my piano top and started 

playing with my squares to see what

 fast and easy runner that I could come up with.

I played with my squares in several different settings

 (on my design board)

rearranging them until they made me happy:)

I decided on this easy setting for my runner.

I liked this sweet and simple block!

Because the 1 1/2" squares were in matching sets of 4…

I decided to use the solid yellow squares for the centers

 and add 4 of the matching squares around it…

along with 4 background squares in the corners.

I also used 2 different backgrounds to add a little more interest

as I alternated the blocks for the runner.

Because my piano is 58" long…

I needed to cut a few more squares

 from my scrappy stash baskets.

I could have used my 1 1/2" basket of strips and squares

but I decided to use my 3 1/2" basket…

it was fast and easy to cut several more matching sets of 4 for each block.

You can cut a set from one 3 1/2"square!

Of course you could easily make 

a smaller runner or a doll quilt from your leftover squares…

this sew along is about deciding 

what YOU want to make…

you are the boss of your own scraps!

You could measure your piano or maybe

your sofa table or fireplace mantle and

 customize the size of your runner to fit.

It's easy using just simple math and graph paper…

all you need to know is that

 each little block measures 3" when finished:)

But if you want to make one like mine…

here is what I did. 

It measures 13 1/2" x 55 1/2" and 

consists of 51 sweet little blocks

in a setting of 3 across and 17 down.

For EACH of the 51 blocks I cut -

1 - 1 1/2" yellow square 

4 - 1 1/2" matching squares

4 - 1 1/2" background squares

I also cut border strips;

2 - 2 1/2" x 13 1/2"

and 2 - 2 1/2" x 51 1/2"

I used 1/4 yard of white background

 and 

just under 1/2 yard of the polka dot background.

I made 25 of the blocks with the 

pink polka dot background and

 26 of them with the white background.

I pressed all of my seams open 

so that they would lay nice and flat…

I do this whenever I am working with small pieces.

Pressing the seams open also makes it easy peasy

to line up the seams when sewing together.

I like to use these Fork Pins by Clover 

when I am sewing 2 open seams together.

Because a pin goes on each side of the seam…

there is absolutely no shifting:)

51 sweet and simple blocks all sewn:)

They each measure 3 1/2" at this point.

I sewed them into rows…

alternating the two different backgrounds.

And pressed ALL seams open.

You can't believe how flat it is for such tiny pieces!

Now it's time to add the border strips.

This is how I cut border strips when they

 need to be wider than the width of my fabric;

 I cut 4 - 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric strips 

from my pink polka dot fabric.

Cut off the selvedge...

and sew them together on the diagonal like this.

You can mark them…

or just use your Angler 2 lines that

 is taped to your sewing machine like I usually do:)

After sewing, trim off the excess leaving about 1/4" seam allowance...

and press open for less bulk.

Cut and sew on your side strips first…

(2 1/2" x 51 1/2")

And then the end strips last.

(2 1/2" x 13 1/2")

Press all seams towards the border strips…

and quilt your Sweet and Simple runner!

Next…choose your binding fabric.

I chose a yellow print in the same shade of my 

solid yellow for the center squares of each block…

so that the binding would coordinate nicely:)

I cut 4 - 2 1/2" x WOF strips

and prepared 150" of binding.

CLICK HERE

if you want to see how I further 

prepare my binding and bind my quilts.

Bind your runner and take

 a few photos to add to our flickr group...

We all want to see what you are making!

I'll chat at you next Monday 

when it's time for the next 

Scrappy Happy Summer episode:)

But if you want to see what

 I'm up to in the meantime …

CLICK HERE 

and join me on Instagram:)

Have a quilty kind of summer…

xx

Lori