Snappy Sunflower Table Runner

• Baby Lock Anthem Quilting & Sewing Machine
• ¼” Patchwork Foot
• N+ presser foot or the Applique Foot
• Digital Dual Feed Foot, with ¼” sole and Stitch in the Ditch Sole
• Stitch Regulator Foot with Echo Quilting Sole and Open Toed Sole
• Quilt Binding Foot

Thread:

• 1 Spool Light Gray Polyester Construction Thread and a bobbin
• 2 Spools decorative embroidery thread, Yellow and Yellow-Orange and a bobbin with bobbin weight thread
• 2 Spools Polyester Quilting or Embroidery thread, Teal and Yellow and bobbins of matching thread

Fabric 100% Quilters Cotton:

• 2 pieces of Light Teal fabric that reads like a solid, cut 12 ½” x 12 ½”
• 1 piece of Dark Teal fabric that reads like a solid, cut 12 ½” x 16 ½”
• 1 piece of Yellow-Orange fabric for flower centers, 12 ½” x 12 ½”
• 1 piece of Golden Yellow fabric for petals, ½ yard
• 3 pieces of Sunflower print for borders, 4 ½” x 42”
• 3 pieces of print for binding, 2 ¼”-2 ½” (your preferred width) x 42”
• 1 piece of Backing fabric, 57”x 30”
• 1 piece of low loft batting or Baby Lock Ultra Soft and Fusible 57” x 30”
• ½ yard of Light Weight Fusible Web, like Steam a Seam Lite or Heat N Bond Lite
• 1 piece of tear away stabilizer, 12 ½” x 41”
• Scissors, sharp to cut applique shapes out of fabric without fraying the edges
• Paper scissors to cut template material and fusible web
• Pins
• Removeable Marking Pen visible on the Teal fabrics, I used a chalk wheel
• Pencil to trace applique shapes to fusible web
• Permanent marking pen to trace petal and center motifs on template plastic
• Quilters Template Plastic to create the Petal and Center motifs or your favorite method to transfer the shapes to the fusible web
• Applique Pressing Sheet or Parchment Paper
• Cutting Mat, Rulers, and Rotary Cutter
• Ironing Station
• Preferred equipment to free motion quilt, basting spray, safety pins, Teflon surface-like a Supreme Slider, gloves, etc.

1. Cut the Light and Dark Teal Fabric to the sizes listing in above supply list.
2. Using the Sunflower Petal and Center Template included at the bottom of the instructions, transfer the shapes on to the Quilters Template Plastic with a permanent marking pen. If you are using a raw edge applique technique, you will need to trace the motif on the solid line of the template. Using paper scissors, cut the shapes on the solid line you traced on the template plastic.
3. On the paper side of the fusible web, trace 30 petals (this is an estimate) and 4 centers.  Leave about ¼” space between each of the motifs. Then using the paper scissors, cut the petals and centers apart leaving about ¼” of the fusible web outside the solid line, and about ¼” inside the solid line. Extending the fusible web beyond the solid shape ensures that the fusible web will be at the raw edge of the applique.  Cutting a window out of the center of the drawn motif, reduces the thickness of the applique shape and leaves a soft finished product.

4. Fuse the 4 circles to the wrong side of the Yellow-Orange fabric according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not overlap the fusible web pieces. When cool cut on the solid line.

5. Fuse the 30 petals to the wrong side of the yellow fabric according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Do not overlap the fusible web pieces.  When cool cut on the solid line.

6. Thread the needle with the construction thread and load a bobbin with the construction thread.  Put the ¼” Patchwork presser foot on the Anthem machine.  Select a Center Straight Stitch, I used the one in the Utility Stitches, Quilters Category, #Q-01, with a stitch length of 2.5 mm.

7. With a ¼” seam allowance, piece each of the darker Teal pieces of fabric to each 12” end of the light Teal fabric.  Press the seams flat.

8. Use a pin to score the paper on the fusible web in the center portion of the fusible web, then peel off the paper from the inside to the outside. By doing this you will avoid fraying the raw edge of the applique.

9. There is no exact placement to the arrangement of the sunflowers and the petals.  I started by placing 1/4 of a center on an outside dark teal corner.  Then I placed 4 petals radiating out from it.  Two of the petals were only halfway on the teal block.  I placed the applique pressing sheet under the block and the portions of the petals and the center that were off the block.  Then using another pressing sheet or a piece of parchment paper on the top of the four petals and center, I fused them in place according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Wait for them to cool down, then remove them from the pressing sheet/parchment paper.  Trim applique pieces not on the block off the project.

10. I then went to the opposite end and corner of the unit and created a three petal flower in the same manner, except all these petals fit inside the corner of the block.  Be mindful that you will have a ¼” seam allowance around the center pieced unit. Press in place using the pressing sheet/parchment paper.

11. I then created two flowers that overlapped the light and dark teal seams and had a whole circular center.  I did use portions of petals to create the illusion that the flower extended beyond the center unit.  I did not necessarily use a set amount of petals but spaced them visually to be pleasing without overlapping.  You can refer to the photo below for a reference when creating your two center flowers. After fusing in place, trim excess petals not on the pieced center blocks away from the center pieced unit.

12. Thread your machine with the Yellow-Orange embroidery thread and a bobbin weight thread on the bobbin.  Place the N+ or the applique presser foot on. Engage the reinforcement stitch, the cutting feature, and the pivot feature to assist you as you applique the raw edges.

13. In the Character/Decorative Stitches, select Category #8, and Stitch #8-53.  You will leave the length and width at the default settings.  I opened the Stitch Edit menu, and selected to do a vertical mirror image, so the flat side of the stitches would be to the left.  Take a test piece of fabric with stabilizer and draw a circle on it.  This drawn line will represent the raw edge of the center applique. Practice stitching so the flat edge of the stitches overlaps the drawn raw edge of the center.  The uneven right side will create a realistic flower center going beyond the applique.  When you are confident in your stitches, stitch around all four of the center applique motifs.  Be sure to reinforce when you start and stop. 

14. Next thread the needle with the yellow embroidery thread. For the petals I chose to use a blanket stitch. It is in Utility Stitch, Quilters Category, Q-14.  The stitch is at the default length and width, and there are no other edits to it.  Engage the reinforcement stitch, the cutting feature, and the pivot feature to assist you as you applique the raw edges.

15. I would take your practice fabric and draw a petal.  When using this stitch, I like to have the vertical portion of the stitch ride the edge of the petal applique, and the horizontal portion taking bites into the applique. As you practice notice where the vertical portion of the stitch is created in the presser foot.  Try to align that with the raw edge of the applique.  Do not watch the needle, just keep your eye on the edge of the applique and where it needs to be at in reference with the presser foot.

16. Stitch around all the petal motifs.  Be sure to reinforce the stitches when you start and stop. Trim excess threads.

17. Thread the machine with the construction thread. Select a center straight stitch, I used Utility Stitches, Quilters Category, #Q-01, with a stitch length of 2.5 mm. I attached the ¼” sole to the Digital Dual Feed and attached the foo to the machine.  Make sure that you plug the foot into the port on the back side and check to make sure the lever on the right side is lowered to engage the belt.

18. Measure the long sides of the center unit, it should be about 40 ½” long.  Cut two pieces of the 4 ½” border fabric to the correct size. Use the edge of the metal guide on the sole to assist you in getting a ¼” seam allowance. Sew both long borders to the long sides of the center unit. Press flat.

19. Now measure the two short sides of the table runner, it should be about 20 ½”.  Cut two pieces of the 4 ½” border strips to the correct size. Use the edge of the metal guide on the sole to assist you in getting a ¼” seam allowance. Sew both long borders to the long sides of the center unit. Press flat.

20. If using the Baby Lock Ultra Soft and Fusible instead of a low loft batting, fuse it to the wrong side of the backing fabric. If not, create a quilt sandwich by layering the backing fabric, wrong side up. Then the low loft batting, and finally the table runner, right side up. Note: you will need extra batting and backing extending beyond the top of the table runner to use the stitch regulation presser foot. Center the top in the middle of the sandwich.

21. Use your preferred method to secure the sandwich, temporary basting spray, safety pins, etc.

22. Thread your machine with the teal quilting thread in the needle and the bobbin.  Note, if your embroidery thread is polyester, you can use it if you are having trouble finding a matching color of quilting thread. Put the Stitch in the Ditch Sole on the Digital Dual Feed Foot.  Lengthen your stitch length to 3 mm.

23. You are going to stitch in the ditch between the light teal and the dark teal pieced center unit.  I start close, but not through the petal that overlaps the seam and stitch to the border. You will not be stitching the whole seam, only the portion outside the flower. Since it is a table runner you will want to reinforce when you start and stop.  Leave the thread tails long if you desire to bury them.  As you stitch, slightly pull the seam flat and apart with your hands equally on each side, running the metal guide down the seam.  When you relax your hands, the stitches will create a crease down into the seam making the quilting stitches invisible.

24. Once both of the inside seams are stitched, stitch in the ditch between the center unit and the borders using the same technique.

25. Now change to the ¼” sole.  Select stitch #Q-02, use the Left/Right Shift to move the needle to the right to stitch a scant ¼”.  Keep the stitch length at 3mm.  Stitch around the outside perimeter of the table runner with a scan ¼” basting stitch.

26. Remove the Digital Dual Feed Foot and attach the stitch regulation presser foot with the Echo quilting foot. Once you plug the foot into the back of the machine your Stitch Sync menu will appear on the screen. Select Stitch Mode 1-Intermitent. If you are using the Baby Lock Soft and Fusible, you may need to lower the presser foot since it is thinner than batting. Select the Straight Stitch, and a stitch length of 2mm. Set the machine speed to the medium setting. Unplug your foot control and use the start/stop button to start stitching. Test on a fabric and batting practice piece to make sure you do not need to adjust the tension. Remember, you need to move the fabric before the machine stitches.  Also, the machine will engage a safety feature and pause the stitch if you have not moved the fabric in a while. Just use the start button to activate the stitches again.

27. Use the teal quilting thread and echo around the outside of the petals.  I used the first red line from the needle as a guide along the edge of the applique. This will be about ¼” away from the needle.  When the red line touched the other edge of the next applique, I then began going around the next petal.  I did not worry about getting in between petals.  We will quilt inside the centers and petals with yellow thread later.

28. After I echoed around the petals, I used the petal and circle templates to create additional flowers in the teal negative space. When I encountered an applique motif, I only went as far as the echo stitches.  This made the quilted flowers recede. I traced the prior echo quilting stitches as I quilted the negative space flowers. If you have trouble seeing through the acrylic echo quilting sole, use the open toed sole to quilt the negative space flowers.

29. Thread the machine with yellow quilting thread and put the echo quilting foot on.  Now quilt inside each of the petals and inside ¼”. Remember the first red line next to the needle is ¼” away from the needle. I used the grass like decorative stitches to travel from one petal to another and quilted the center circle along the flat edge of the stitch. When I finished the petals of the two larger flowers, I quilted a spiral to the center of the flower center.

30. Next, I changed to the open toed sole and used the yellow thread to quilt a leaf and loop pattern in the borders. Check out my video on creating the Loop and Leaf Border on my YouTube Channel, Linda Bratten Creations.

31. When I finished quilting, I pressed the table runner and trimmed the excess batting and backing, squaring up the corners and edges if needed. Below is a photo of the back of the table runner so you can see the quilting.

32. I took the binding fabric and joined the ends with a 45° mitered seam. Use your Guide Beam to assist you with this. Trim the excess off and pressed the miters flat. Then I pressed the binding in half, wrong sides together down the long side of the binding.

33. Sew your binding to the wrong side of the quilt, matching the raw edges.  You can use your ¼” Patchwork foot, the digital dual feed foot with the ¼” sole or a 4-thread overlock stitch on a serger. Set your stitch length to 2mm. Miter the corners and join the ends using your favorite methods.

34. Attach the Quilt Binding Foot and thread your machine with the teal thread in the needle and the bobbin. I like to use the Utility Stitches, Quilting Category, # Q-12, and in the Stitch Edit, I mirror it vertically, so the horizontal portion of the stitch goes to the right on the binding fold and the straight portion is at the edge of the fold of the binding. This creates a faux hand stitched look. 

35. Draw a line and stitch it on practice fabric so you know where to place the presser foot against the fold of the binding. When I bring the binding to the front of the quilt, I put the fold barely to the right of the line of stitches where I sewed the binding on.  Preferably the straight part of the Q-12 stitch will stitch right on top of the prior line of stitching. Be sure to reinforce when you start and stop. Engage the reinforcement stitch, the cutting feature, and the pivot feature to assist you as you as you sew the binding to the front of the table runner. Enjoy your new Snappy Sunflower Table Runner!

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