Quiltin' Tia - Creative Living: Quilting, Cooking, Decorating: Charm Square Tablerunner

"But what are you going to DO with them?"

Rule 1 of Quilt Club - Do not talk about what we do with our quilt fabric.

Mini Charm Packs

I was recently in a quilt shop (imagine that) and saw a pack of mini charm squares. I couldn't help but pick that adorable little bundle up and play with it! We all know how stinking cute charm packs are, but their little baby sibling the "mini charm pack" was the most precious thing ever. Then the words of my friend were spoken.

"But what are you going to DO with them?"

Good night! I don't know. Do we ever know what we are doing with all that orphaned, lonely fabric we take home to nuture and love? All I knew was that this little precisely perfect assortment was going to look better at my house than here at the shop. What did I do? I left it there, it probably is now on the island of misfit fabrics due to my lack of compassion. I left, but I couldn't stop thinking about those squares.

the cuteness factor is sky high with this little bundle

How my mind works (proceed with caution): I told myself that I needed to create a purpose for my new found crush. So I came up with an adaptation of my previous charm square table runner that this time uses both charm squares and mini charm squares. Ha! I now had a REASON to purchase those boogers and I could say, "I KNOW what I am going to make!" Yes, it was a long process to justify a purchase, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do.

My pretty little 2 1/2" squares sorted by color.

The new table runner uses one pack of 5" squares and one pack of 2 1/2" squares. They are sorted by light and dark (or if the pack is more about color, sort by color). I was intrigued by Moda's new Black Tie Affair fabrics. They were a mix of taupe, cream and black. Perfectly matching the fabric I chose for the new kitchen curtains. My set can be sorted by lights and darks.

Sorted into the groups for the points and background of points.

I ripped open my packets and began to play with my sweet darlings. I needed three runners, so I ordered two of each packet (the pattern for one runner is only one pack of each, I am just an overachiever). I studied each glorious print, so pleased with the variety. The table runner uses the small squares to make the points on three star blocks. To make sure the points were visible, I would need to choose my lightest and darkest squares for the points and background.

Next, I began to build my star blocks. The mediums can play as "lights" against the darkest of the darks. The mediums could play as "darks" against the lights. This for me is the fun part, putting little groups together until I was pleased with my sorting.

I sorted my squares, star centers, points and background (I was making three runners,
I needed 8 stars, one runner only takes three.

The remaining five inch squares were going to be the rest of my runner, so I set them aside for now. The pattern has you make the star blocks first. The star points will not look like a typical flying geese block, there will be a space between the points on the block.

Three stars done and then on to the four patches, two patches and singles.

I have my three stars, my two patches, and four patches and singles.
Time to make the runner!

The runner goes together super fast and I can't wait to try it out with some other charm packs. It takes about 1/2 yard for the binding, and 3/4 of a yard for the backing. It would be super cute to buy some of the yardage and make matching napkins. What a great gift idea! I may have to order some of the fabric since these will be in my kitchen and I have a thing for cloth napkins.