Tutorials
5.4.2016
Blue Room Project #6 is a quilt-as-you-go table topper. We have almost finished the Blue Room – a remodeled addition to our home to be used as a bedroom for foreign exchange students or a quiet reading space. I wanted to make a table topper to cover a used night stand I found.
To read about the previous projects, please click on the links below:
Project #1 Piccadilly Circus Mini Quilt
Project #2 Rise and Shine Mini Quilt
Project #3 Graceful Stars Mini Quilt
Project #4 Pinwheel Mini Quilt
I found my inspiration in Jo’s Little Favorites.
There was small quilt called Bordered Toile, featuring a series of borders added to center fabric. The pattern in the book calls for regular piecing and quilting later on.
I measured the top of bedside table and subtracted a 1/4″ all around. I did the math – planning for a center rectangle, six borders with 1/2″ finished size and a 1-1/2″ finished outer border – working backward to figure out the size needed for the center.
I wanted to make it a quicker project with the quilt-as-you-go technique. The rectangle was centered and ironed on a piece of Pellon® Fusible Fleece. 505 Spray & Fix was used to adhere batting to backing. Then, the borders were added one-by-one by laying the border strip right-side down, aligning the raw edges, sewing a 1/4″ seam allowance, and pressing the strip away from the center. I added the longer sides first, then the shorter sides for each fabric.
The Clover Wedge Iron and Fold Away 12″ x 18″ placed next to my sewing machine provided a convenient place to press each strip. I was careful to not touch the iron to the fusible fleece which held the fabric in place while the next strip was sewn on.
I had added most of the rows with the quilt-as-you-go method when I realized I should have quilted the center first – Duh!
Quilting the center last worked fine. I marked repeating and overlapping large vertical melon shapes using a black 82263 Frixion Pen and a melon-shaped template (made from template plastic) from another appliqué project – then quilted the design with matching blue Essential thread.
The quilt-as-you-go table topper fit perfectly on the night stand. The blues complemented the blues in the bed quilt and lamp. The flange binding in a striped fabric added another design element and sped up the addition of the binding as well. All-in-all, a fun, quick, useful, and attractive project!
Please check back next week to see the other Blue Room project that will sit on the table topper!
