Easy Mini Tutorial- Blooming Table Runner

 After I finished this table runner, I thought to myself.  That was easy.  I should have made a tutorial.  I think I can still walk you through it without the step by step pictures- it is that easy. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of petite size charms (or cut some regular charms into 2.5 squares).  You need 28 petite charms.
• 1/2 yard focus fabric for the center (mine is the dark chocolate with those big blooms)
• 1.5 inch strip of contrasting fabric (your strip needs to be at least 29 inches long)
• 1/4 yard binding material
• 1/2 yard of backing material
• 1/2 yard of your favorite batting (I used warm and natural scrap I had from another project)

Prepare your fabric:

• Lay your charms out into rows, 2 rows of 7 charms (for each end cap of the runner).  4 rows total  Sew them together, you know the drill.  Iron the rows in opposite directions, and then sew 2 rows together for end "caps".  Repeat for the opposite end.  They should look like the photo below, just not attached to the focus piece or the contrasting fabric yet.

•  Iron your contrasting fabric strip wrong sides together.  This piece is going to peek out.  It will not be sewn in on both sides. 
• Now is the time to check your measurements.  My petite charm end caps measured 14.5 inches long.  So, I am going to cut my green contrast strip to that length.  If your charms measurement is different, just cut according to that length because you want everything to match up nicely.
• You also need to cut your focus fabric that length.  So, again make your adjustments, but mine measures 14.5 long by 25 inches wide.  If you don't want your runner that big, you may want to make the width smaller.  IT IS OKAY.  Make it yours. 
• Now that everything is prepared it is time to sew some more. On each end of your focus fabric (that is my brown fabric with the big blooms), you want to sandwich the raw edge of the green contrast fabric (not the folded edge) between your focus fabric and your charms.  So lay the focus fabric right side up, lay the green raw edges on top of that, and then put the charms right side down on top.  Be sure to match up all 4 raw edges and pin.  Sew with a 1/4 inch seam.  You have one end done!  Repeat for the other end.  IRON.  Congratulations the top of your super easy Blooming Table Runner is done.  Don't you feel accomplished? 

• After you make your yummy quilting sandwich (consisting of your backing, batting, and top),  now you get to quilt it.  Anything would look nice, even straight lines.  Whatever you do, don't completely sew down your green contrast strip.  I chose to meander in the center, cross hatch over the charms, and I sewed just to the inside of the seam of the green contrast strip.  If you enlarge the photo, you can see what I did. 
• Finish it by binding using your favorite method. 

Finished runner 14.5 X 34

If you have any questions, or if I lost you in a step...please feel free to ask!