Quilted Halloween Table Runner

This is officially my first entirely complete quilting project, and my piece for the Blogger's Quilt Festival. :) I've been binding like a maniac all day trying to get it done before the linky closed; finished with just 36 minutes to spare. :P Obviously I've totally blown my original goal of Halloween, but hey, I'll have it for next year, right? I love the colors, so I'll probably keep it out until Thanksgiving anyways.

I've recently been falling in love with a number of Robert Kaufman fabrics. I'm still drooling on the inside waiting to start on my Dr. Seuss quilt...but I digress. I spotted this fabric in my LQS, and loved the colors so much I had to buy it, even though I had no project planned. I didn't actually notice it was a Robert Kaufman fabric until I started working with it weeks later - gave me a little chuckle. The pictures here really don't do the fabric justice.

This project is significant to me because its my first completed quilt project (though not the first to be started - I've got a couple UFOs/WIPs laying around yet). I didn't actually do a true binding, but rather folded the back around to the front. I wanted to do a traditional binding, but I ended up realizing I wasn't going to have enough fabric to do so and keep the lines all running in one direction, but I think it looks fabulous anyways. I've never done any binding by hand before - I think I much prefer the look to the machine binding I've done.

This was also my first time piecing, and of course I had to decide to do my squares on point just to make it harder. :P My points don't nearly line up consistently, but I don't really notice it when I just look at it as a whole. It's amazing how those flaws fade from a distance compared to up close examination while working on it.

I also changed up how I usually do my applique. I usually turn it under as I go and stitch by hand with an invisible stitch, but this time I instead first stitched around each letter, turned it under and pressed it, and then used a zig-zag stitch all around on my machine. Definitely went much faster, and I like how the thicker lines around the letters help keep the prints from fighting as much as they did otherwise by creating a barrier between them. Plus that bright orange thread is just pretty. :)

I'm thinking I'll use the scraps to make a 2-4 matching mug rugs. :)

I didn't have a chance to wash it before taking pictures, so please pardon the visible washable marker. I'll be updating the post with better pictures of it washed in the morning when I have a chance.

Kelsey

Linking up to Sew & Tell.