Tea Time Returns!

Today is my day for the In the Kitchen stitchin’ blog hop sponsored by Createinthesticks.com. Thank you Carla for the inspiration to create and share. This hop required us to interpret making something for a kitchen. I made a tea time table runner.

Here’s a snapshot of the runner I made for our memory unit at work.

I created a special table runner for the memory unit in honor of the first tea social coming back from the height of the pandemic. What began as a quickie scrap project, morphed into a paper piecing extravaganza. I downloaded the patterns for the teapot, cups and cupcake on this site: ipatchandquilt.com. All the patterns together only cost $4, which was so affordable! The teapot showcases my favorite Kaffe Fassett “spot” fabric in magenta. I intentionally used scraps to keep the project more interesting. My colleague, who loves all things tea, was the inspiration for my color choices.

Do you see the open flower in this teapot? This blooming tea is from Harney & Sons. It is mild tasting and is named “Seven Sons Congratulating,” though they sell several others on their site too.

Table runners are all ubiquitious in model showrooms and on blogs, but is there are standard size? I looked for more information on table runners and wasn’t disappointed. Here is an interesting article if you’re curious to read more. Having the runner long enough to hang over the ends of the table is apparently the decorating goal. Who knew!? I’m going to be a rebel and go with a smaller runner for only the center of the table. Before washing and shrinking, the runner measured 15″ x 77 inches long, which is still plenty long.

The runner isn’t exactly straight, and the binding isn’t on here yet. I’m keeping it wonky to represent the year that we’ve had.

Close up of the paper-pieced cupcake and tea set.

I wanted to make many more floral teacups but time was catching up with me. I love the way these look and the pattern was easy to follow.

This is the tea set we see in my Mom’s kitchen on special occasions. She has been collecting Royal Albert Petit Point pieces for years.

The ends of the runner are made in a herringbone design. This simple herringbone runner tutorial from leighlaurelstudios.com was my guide. While mine is scrappy, she makes her runner using a single fall-themed fabric line. I incorporated the same blue fabric from the teapot background into the herringbone to keep everything unified. While the actual tutorial ends with a flat side, I have mine with a pointed end.

I have fabric with macaroons, stars, flowers, tiny white dogs and it all blends well with the tea set.

I tossed in a strip of pink bunnies, because they make me smile. I also love the gingham cherry and strawberry strip and the pink daisy fabric strip.

I used fusible batting for this runner and it makes the project a little more stiff. If you make a herringbone runner, I would suggest doing it as a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) project. It wasn’t my goal for this project, but would be if I do one again.

BUMMER!!! My Babylock Crescendo sewing machine broke as I was sewing on the binding. My repair shop recently went out of business so now I need to research a new place. Wish me luck!

To view what was stitchin’ in the kitchen all week long, click here. Check out the other participants and please leave comments for as many blogs as possible. We all love the feedback.

Thursday, April 22nd

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting

Quilting Gail

Sew Many Yarns

ThatFabricFeeling YOU ARE HERE

Annie’s Musings

Quilt Schmilt

Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel 

Homespun Hannah’s Blog

Food for Thought

linking up to: Oh Scrap, Midweek Makers, Needle And Thread Thursday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Peacock Party, Finished or not Friday, Brag About Your Goodies, Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday