Table Topper

It's been awhile since I've done any sewing.  I tend to go in spurts with it, where I'll make a bunch of things for a month or two and then let my machine collect dust for an entire season.  The dollhouse  took up all of my sewing table and crafting time for awhile, but it's time to put it away for awhile bring the sewing machine out of hibernation.  I had a layer cake (collection of 42 10" squares) of an older line called Neptune by Tula Pink, along with a bunch of yardage and odds and ends from other projects that used that fabric.  I had no idea what to do with it, so I cut the layer cake into fourths to make four charm packs.  I think charm packs are the easiest cuts to find patterns for, which is why I have so many of them.  I found a pattern on Moda Bake Shop , by Camille Roskelley, for a cute table topper that used one charm pack and some backing fabric.  It's already a simple project, and I made my version even simpler:

The pattern uses almost the entire charm pack--40 squares total (5 down, 8 across), along with two strips of fabric at each end and enough backing fabric and batting to accommodate the 25"X44" (approximate) dimensions.  Just arrange the squares, sew five together in eight strips, then connect the strips.  Connect the outside strips to a 2.5" strip of solid fabric cut to the same length as the charm strip.

Make the quilt "sandwich" and pin.

Quilt as you wish--I kept mine fancy free and just stitched in the ditch inside every seam to make a checkerboard pattern.

Finish it up with binding and voila!  Table topper.  It could also do double duty as a wall hanging, which I'm considering for this one.  I like these because they're not as long as a traditional table runner, which I find tend to get pulled and caught in the lap of anyone who sits at the end of the table.  They also get pulled on by tiny, curious hands.  This table topper is large enough to be useful but not so large that it gets in the way.

 I'm crossing my fingers that the weather clears up soon.  I just discovered that there's an event down the street from me from 9-4 today called Summer Market, where over 50 artists and vendors have outdoor tents to display and sell their handmade goods.  I went to this a few years ago and didn't realize it was an annual event.  I really want to check it out, and it doesn't hurt that there's a mobile cupcake bakery on site...

~Stacy