Runners of the Unathletic Kind...

Most of the things I make are for gifts.  To say I truly enjoy the creative process would probably not be a strong enough statement.  I need to create.  It keeps me sane.  But the act of making something for someone else to enjoy ramps up the activity to another level for me.  While I am making things I like to think about the person who will receive the gift and pray for them as I work.  There are a lot of days that, due to my occupation,  I spend my time correcting and discipling tomorrows adults.  Conversing with the Lord and thinking about "recipients" makes me feel like I am involved in adult type relationships.  So anyway, creating keeps me sane.

Here are a couple things I can finally show you as they have found their final and heartfelt homes.  This first is a runner for my mom.  We bought the "fruit ladies" on a trip to the fabric store together a few years ago.  After I brought "the ladies" home I couldn't think of one appropriate thing to do with a textile covered with broad bottomed ladies at the beach.  It finally occurred to me that it would be just the thing to make my mom smile.  One of the most heart wrenching things Mom said after Dad died is that she couldn't smile.  Mom is from Fun Country, so the fact that she couldn't smile was ground moving stuff.  Here we are a few months down the road and being from Control Country I decided maybe I could help her out a bit.

Yes, those are my feet standing on my island.  I was having a hard time getting the whole thing in the frame.

Right under Miss Cherry Bottom I quilted "to make you smile".  It worked!!

I had to add this shot of the back.  I pieced together some pink "scraps".  I think they look like cotton candy.  I didn't bind the runner.  I serged the edges, made a ruffle- of course!- and placed raw edges even right sides together and sewed on the ruffle.  I top stitched using a wavy stitch.  

Last week we went to visit my Aunt Diane and Uncle Chuck.  It was Aunt Diane's birthday at the end of April so here is what I took to her.

This technique is a modified log cabin.  Start with a wonky square in the middle and keep adding rhombuses -I think that would be the correct geometric term- of varying lengths and widths.  I wanted my finished blocks to be 9'' square.  When I was done sewing I made a template and trued them all up.  This is a great use for leftover pieces you love and can't bare to throw out.  Also a great project for new sewers.  My girls both have a runner in progress.  It is nice not to have to measure!

I used my new circular sewing attachment to quilt the runner, that is why the circles are sew concentric!  I am looking forward to using it again soon.  Breadwinner gave it to me for Christmas and I wasn't sure if he hadn't wasted his money on the suggestion of the sewing saleslady.  Turns out I LOVE circles.  Fun way to play with all the different stitches on my sewing machine as well.  

You can see the circular stitching very well from the back.  Finished once again with a ruffle!  Long live the ruffle!!