Yesterday, I discussed potential quilt layouts for Bargello blocks we made over the last couple of days. I chose layout 1 with the gorgeous Fabric Creations Cotton showing off the beautiful orange in the center as shown below. Today I’ll discuss how to quilt the table runner with Fairfield Quilter’s 80/20 Quilt Batting and Gütermann MCT Sew-all Thread. I’ll also demonstrate how to add the appliqued bats with HeatNBond Feather Lite Fabric Adhesive and easily sew the binding with UNIQUE sewing binding and hem clips.
Layout 1 chosen as final table runner design
Finishing Instructions
- Sew block 1 to block 2 in the center as shown. Pin to match all seams.
Two Bargello blocks being sewn together with orange sections towards the center, pinned carefully
2. Press the seam open so that the table runner will lay flat.
3. Cut a 22” x 52” piece of orange fabric and the same for the batting. Fairfield Quilter’s 80/20 Quilt Batting was used for this project, it’s lofty, but lays flat enough when needed, shows texture when quilted and is lovely.
4. Download and trace the bat design onto the paper side of the HeatNBond Feather Lite Iron-on Adhesive as shown. Trace with a pencil or permanent marker so it’s easily visible. I used five of these bats.
Tracing on the paper side of the fabric adhesive.
5. Press the glue side of the fabric adhesive bats onto the solid black fabric as shown.
Glue side of the fabric adhesive being ironed to black fabric
6. Using scissors cut the bats out on the traced lines as shown.
Five applique bats cut out.
7. Remove the paper and iron the bats glue side down to the pre-cut orange piece of fabric, audition how they need to be laid out before pressing with an iron.
TIP Use a hot dry iron and a pressing action; for best results do not move the iron back and forth.
Remove the paper from the fabric.
Bats are auditioned and pressed in the center onto the orange backing fabric.
8. Center, sandwich, and baste the Bargello quilt top, batting, and backing that has the bat appliques facing outwards.
Bargello table runner centered, basted, and sandwiched.
9. Turn the table runner to the backing, install a free motion foot on your machine, engage feed dog down function and stitch and quilt as you go with black thread close to the edge of each bat as shown.
Free motion quilting and applique all at once with black thread very close to the edge of the bat applique.
10. Quilt the remainder of the table runner in a pattern of choice, I chose to quilt mine with an atmosphere style design in white as shown with a free motion method. The black thread for the bats will show up on the front of the table runner as shown and this creates a subtle design element
Quilted atmosphere lines with free motion quilting and white thread.
Quilted bats showing subtly on the front of the table runner with black thread.
11. Prepare binding by cutting 4 strips 2½” by width of fabric from black fabric.
TIP Here’s a free tutorial on Binding a Quilt if you need it.
I chose to sew my binding to the back of the quilt and fold it towards the front, I clipped it with UNIQUE sewing binding and hem clips as shown and found them very helpful to hold the binding while sewing. I then topstitched the binding very close to the edge with black thread.
Quilt binding sewn to the backing and rolled to the front, clipped with binding and hem clips
See the completed Batty for Bargello Table Runner!
The front of the completed Batty for Bargello Table Runner
The back of the completed Batty for Bargello Table Runner
Dress the Bargello table runner up for fall or Halloween
Enjoy the back side of the Batty for Bargello Table Runner as well!
This week we discovered the very interesting Bargello technique of piecing and design with Fabric Creations Cotton. I discovered some fantastic notions including Fairfield Quilter’s 80/20 Quilt Batting, UNIQUE sewing binding and hem clips, Gütermann MCT Sew-all Thread, KAI Ultra Rotary Cutter Replacement Straight Blade and Best Press Starch Alternative. I encourage you to look for these products at your local sewing or quilt shop.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed and more importantly will try to make a Bargello quilt block or two. This reversible table runner enhances your fall and Halloween decor.
Have a wonderful, ‘quilty’ weekend.
This is part 5 of 5 in this series
Go back to part 4: Creative quilt layouts with a Bargello quilt block