“Travel Plans” Published!

I am so excited to share the good news that my table runner design, “Travel Plans,” is published in the April/May issue of McCall’s Quick Quilts!  When designing this quilt, I experimented with elongating a “Trip Around the World” design, working with rectangles instead of squares. I also had in mind a link-up connection of the three motifs. Using my Electric Quilt computer program, I tried out various colorations of the design. McCall’s editors selected a red, white, and blue palette, but I think the design would be equally pretty with Easter, or fall, or Christmas themed fabrics.

“Travel Plans” fabrics are from Gerri Robinson’s “American Beauty” line for Red Rooster fabrics. Aren’t they gorgeous? I truly enjoyed creating the project with this red, tan, and blue collection. Click here to see McCall’s online write-up about the project.

Construction Tip:  If you press the seams of the first and third motifs as per the first picture, and press the seams of the center motif as per the second picture, the seam allowances will mesh nicely when connecting the three motifs together.

    

I quilted the runner diagonally through all the rectangles, creating a cross-hatch design. Four types of sewing guides were used:  blue water soluble marker, chalk, masking tape, and the quilting guide pictured below. In retrospect, the marker and the chalk helped me achieve the straighter lines.

“Travel Plans,” measuring at 18″ x 67,” is suitable for a sizeable table or as a bed runner. You could make it in a weekend! If you do make the project, please send me a picture. Better yet, send a picture and accompanying story line to the editors at McCall’s; they love to hear and see which projects appeal to their readership.

There is a bonus idea printed in the magazine—placemats made of just one “Travel Plans” motif each. I suggest decreasing the size of the rectangles, cutting them 2” x 2 3/4″ for this project.

If you are not a subscriber to Quick Quilts and cannot find the April/May issue at your favorite newsstand, you can order a copy from the Quilt and Sew Shop.