paintmejudy

Good morning! Is everyone glad to have summer almost over? It’s been a long, hot one in Phoenix and this heat will still be around this month and next. Ugh!

Are you ready for another mystery? Hope so, because I a’raring to go! Let’s get this train ride under way! Settle into the club car for a no-calorie snack and beverage while we say hello. As always, these mysteries are a non-fattening train ride but we do seem to eat a lot, don’t we?

A warm welcome to all returning passengers and to all new mystery train riders. Confident beginners and experienced quilters will enjoy this trip. Clues are posted Saturday morning by 8:30 MST – Arizona does not observe daylight savings time. Arizona time will be the same as PDST. You will begin working next week and the last clue will be given October 7th. At that point you will have all the directions needed to complete your runner, and I will show you my completed project.

We will make a table runner that will finish at approx. 21” x 53” with the sashing and border. Make 3 times the number of blocks and you will have a wall hanging or a table topper. I am using spring fabrics, because it is what I had in my stash. . I’m sure many of you will using fall, Halloween, or Christmas. A few days ago, I came across an adorable simple-to-make tree border if you are doing Christmas. (Will show you on the final day.) Can’t wait to see your fabric choices.

Choose fabrics that have small or medium scale prints that do not have a lot of blank background. Batiks would be terrific. Small prints with lots of empty background will not work well with this pattern for the A and B. My background C is a small print, tightly packed without a lot of white space. The D fabric was given to me as a hostess gift and I have been waiting for the perfect project to use it in, and think this is where it belongs! D is the only place where a larger scale print will work but still needs to be a print that does not have a lot of empty background. Keep in mind, be bold with D, it has a lot to say. In the picture, the background on C looks cream, but it is white.

NOTE: At this point, don’t stress over the sashing or border. I changed my mind on what to use three times as I was working on my sample. When you get to the place where you need the sashing, you will know exactly what your project is calling for, if you want colors from the runner or something different. And I am not going to show you my sash or border because I don’t want to influence your thinking on what to choose for the ABCD fabrics.

For this runner, the lengths of fabric shown will be WOF. I have allowed a few inches of each in case you need to recut anything. You will need:
A – 28”
B – 16”
C – background – ½ yard
D – a fat quarter will be more than enough for this. And even tho’ it be a wee piece it will make a dramatic impact!
E - sashing – 1/3 yard
F – border – ½ yard
G – binding ½ yard
And you will need additional fabric for the backing.

So, I will check in, as usual, a few times a day to see how you are doing and to answer any questions you may have; of course feel free to send a PM if you wish. But my work is done for the moment; I’ll be in the club car. I smell breakfast burritos and cheese quiche.