Hi all!   At long last the new laptop has arrived, the nearly-deceased one is retired, and I’m scrambling to catch up.  So first things first!  Janome has published my freebie table runner pattern on their website and blog as part of the holiday celebrations. As always, thanks to Janome America for having me in their Artist and Teacher program for lo these many happy and productive years.

A table runner I made to feature the Janome 15000’s beautiful embroidery.  And no, my table is NEVER this tidy.  My laptop lives where the lower left corner is and there is always a pile of “to do” stuff!

I used a Lonni Rossi embroidery design built in on the Janome 15000 I am currently using.  I altered the colors of the built-in design to a wintry, holiday palette of red, green and golden tan.  Honestly, I never thought I’d like machine embroidery (the wanting to do my own thing stuff), but this design is so gorgeous and even *I*, a soul who doesn’t like uber-computerized machines, was able to stitch this out nearly perfectly the first try!

To see the project on the Janome site, go here and scroll down to December 14, 2015 or go here.   To download a PDF including full color photos with some neat tips for getting those skinny red strips to be perfect, go here.

The plain old vanilla photo of the table runner.

Here’s what the project looks like in the original color selection on my 15000.  Quite a difference, eh?  And here is the boring, straight-on view of the table runner.

The Janome 15000 open to the Lonni Rossi block in the original colors.

Close up of the original color way on the machine.

I’ve got one more version/colorway, but it is a gift (as yet unfinished) for Christmas, so I’ll just have to share it and add it in here later!

If you don’t have this machine, never fear–you can just insert your favorite embroidery or fabric instead of doing this beautiful design.

This tablerunner was featured at the Janome Institute late this past summer and it is now featured on their blog, here (scroll to October 15, 2015) and here on their projects page.  And I’m sharing the pattern with you here as a Halloween Treat!

Spiderwebs table runner (c) Sarah Ann Smith 2015. Featured on the Janome America website/blog on October 15, and on Sarah’s blog. Photo (c) Janome-America; used with permission and thanks!

For many years now I’ve been fortunate to be associated with Janome America.   I have been sewing on their machines since late 2004, moving up the product line so I’ve had a chance to test machines at all levels.  And in about a week  I will review here my test-drive of the reasonably priced Skyline S7, a brand-spanking-new machine (and to spill the beans–I can’t believe how much you get for the price!).  Anyway, I occasionally do projects for Janome.  Although this tablerunner was made on a top of the line Janome 15000, all you need is a machine that does a straight stitch.  If you have the triple-straight-stitch also, that’s good because it gives you a “bold” line on the spiderweb, but it isn’t necessary.  Even the most basic sewing machines (as long as they are not straight-stitch only) have this stitch (look for three vertical lines next to each other).

Most of my work is very involved and advanced, and the projects Janome features tend to be easier, so I drove down to one of my favorite local shops, Alewives Fabrics (here).  I found the fabulous Halloween fabric, and I’m not usually a major fan of decorating for this holiday.  But I love the ghostly dresses and the “polka dots” on the black that are really little skulls!   I also adore spiders (anything that eats mosquitoes is a friend of mine) and spiderwebs.  The green cotton-linen blend was perfect!

Detail of the spiderweb block.

Spiderwebs for Halloween Table Runner  is the PDF for the pattern (also available on the Janome projects page, see link above).  Yep–this is a total freebie, including a full-size page of the spiderweb design which, of course, doesn’t need to be just like mine!   A friend had a great idea which I wish *I* had thought of:  to include a line of glow-in-the-dark thread with the stitching on the web!   If I were to make this again, I would feed the two threads together as if one (Thanks Lutra!)  through a large needle (size 16 or maybe even 18) to do the spiderweb stitching.

I always love the backs of things:

The quilting on the back of the tablerunner, so it is reversible if you want.

The fabric requirements on the pattern are SCANT–they are what I had, and I used every tiny little bit!   If you find you need to square things up a lot, buy a little more than I suggested.

Spiderwebs table runner (c) Sarah Ann Smith 2015. Featured on the Janome America website/blog on October 15, and on Sarah’s blog. Photo (c) Janome-America; used with permission and thanks!

An extra thanks to Taylor D. and Janome America for letting me use some of their photos (the nicely staged ones on the table)–I forgot to take nice photos before I sent it off to them for Institute!   And as always, thanks to Janome for having me in their Artist-Teacher program for so many years.  I truly appreciate it–and best of all, for making such great machines.  Yes, I’m affiliated, but I’d say the same things if I paid full MSRP!

You coulda knocked me over with a feather!   I very rarely hear back from students despite my invitation (Plea!) to send pics of projects!  Well Nancy McConnell DID!  THANK YOU, Nancy, and yep, I’m shouting!

Two years ago in March 2011 I had the pleasure of teaching for Cape Cod (Massachusetts)’s Bayberry Quilters, and Nancy was in my Balinese Garden class.  I always encourage students to do their own thing and adapt the pattern at will, and she did, and I’m so glad!   The pattern, here, is for a pillow or tablerunner.  Nancy let hers GROW into this beauty:

I just love the way the flowers dance across the surface!

Here’s what Nancy wrote:

Well, more than two years later, I completed the quilt on May 7th.  I had fun making the flowers and got carried away making
so many, but I had to use them, so “Garden Party” is a bit manic, but I am happy with it.  I used lots of rayon thread that I had in my stash
and was pleased with the results.  I will show the quilt in our annual Quilt Show on August 1, 2 and 3rd.  Hope you can attend.  Here’s the link to it:
http://bayberryquiltersofcapecod.com/

Alas, I won’t be able to go down (will be taking son to running camp in Vermont about then), but if you are in the vicinity, do go!

Here’s a detail photo:

Detal of Nancy McConnell’s Garden Party Quilt.

Thank you so much Nancy for being in the class and especially for sharing your quilt with me and letting me share it, in turn, with all of you!

In early May, I did a quick trip to Hingham, Massachusetts, to do a lecture and day workshop for the Herring Run Quilt Guild.  They selected one of my few project classes, the Balinese Garden pattern.

It has been quite some time since I taught that class, so I decided I had better refresh my memory and re-make the project.  Since I wrote the pattern (true confessions here) for both pillow and table runner, but had only made the pillow, I opted to make a table runner. Here it is before the applique stitching:

I wanted to use something interesting for the background since there is a fair amount of blank space in the center (useful so that dishes don’t wobble), but that means that achieving a good contrast with the applique pieces can be a challenge.  I TOTALLY LOVE the way this turned out.  I came up with a two-layer method for using medium-value fabric for the background AND the leaves, but having them “pop” by using a highly contrasting “under-leaf,” in this case one that is darker.  (In my Blue Applique Vest, I used a lighter under-leaf layer; check that out in my post dated July  14.)

And here it is with the applique stitching done (it is still in the “top” stage…ahem):

And some detail shots so you can see how I used the utility and decorative stitches on my machine, and a lot of great colors of cloth and thread, to pop the applique:

In the next photo, you can see how I layered the purples and deep blues under the leaf greens.  This pops the batiks on the busy aqua-lime background fabric and means I don’t have to satin stitch to achieve good   contrast and sharp edges.  I used a feather stitch in aqua or leaf-green to secure both the main leaf shape and the under-leaf to the background.  After there many washings, there may be some fraying at the outer edges of these fused leaves, but I am OK with that.

And it is my favorite “Caribbean” colors!

As this post goes live, I will be finishing up teaching for the Arizona Quilt Guild.  It’s pretty neat:  I fly in to Phoenix on Tuesday and teach at a shop in the greater Phoenix area on Wednesday.  On Thursday, my host/program chair drives me to San Manuel (north of Phoenix, south of Flagstaff) for teaching, then on to Flagstaff that night.  I discovered that our hotel there is literally right on the old Route 66!  I’ll be teaching there on Friday, and giving a lecture on Saturday.

As a traveling quilt teacher, you need several things…above all compact, lightweight clothes because most of one’s suitcase is filled with teaching stuff!   And it helps if the clothing is bright so folks can see you if you are lecturing in a large hall or teaching in a crowded classroom:

I hadn’t made a new vest in years, and needed something.  Because I am on my feet going around the classroom all day, I need something not-hot.  I picked this pattern, Cosmopolitan 337, from Lois Ericson of Design and Sew.  The pattern  also has instructions for making a vest:

I found the pattern online here…I’ve never shopped there, but at least they have it!  I bought mine at Quilt Festival last year….it says Lois has retired, so I guess I’d better stock up on her patterns that I love and don’t have yet!  Here’s a full shot of the front (please ignore the chin that is succumbing to age and gravity):

The vest, it turns out, was a bit large—which makes sense since jackets are supposed to be roomy.  So I did quite a bit of down-sizing (yeah!), and reduced the drop shoulder by nearly two inches.  I added the coral inserted stripes (love the effect), but next time  rather than try to reduce the panels on both sides of the princess seam, I would take the stripe out of the center pieces, which are a bit wide to my eye–definitely OK and wearable (and don’t you LOVE that print … wish I had even more of it…sounds like a trip to Alewives Fabrics is in order).  I opted for in-seam pockets (yeah!  Pockets!), but there are also some really cool patch pockets… next one!  Here’s the back, with my hair only slightly frowzy:

I used a nice batik for the lining and was careful, sorry I didn’t take a picture, and can use it reversed, too!  I also like that it covers the tuckus (aka posterior).  I still haven’t done a closing…not enough time before getting on the plane.  That can happen later!