Cut Twice - Sew Once

 I have always wanted to try a project that has been in my head for quite some time.  My curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided to give it a try.  It was new and different and definitely something I will be doing again in the future.

 

I collected up my supplies (3/8" bias tape maker, Best Press, and lightweight double sided fusible web).  For fabrics, I grabbed some orange and gray out of my stash and some white for an accent.  For this project, I cut the white fabric into 1" strips to run through the bias tape maker (apply Best Press to the fabric before making into the bias tape so it will hold its shape) and I cut the gray and orange fabric into 7" x 14" rectangles.  I then cut 1/4" wide strips of the fusible and ironed it onto the back of the assembled bias tape.

Once I decided on the fabric order, I overlapped two adjoining fabrics about 2" on my cutting board and made a single slice with a rotary cutter so each piece was cut at the same angle. 

Once all the pieces were cut, I layered the project onto the backing and the batting.  I overlapped the cut wedges about 1/2".  I then took the entire piece to the ironing board.

I trimmed my bias tape slightly longer than the width of the runner and pressed it over the raw edges of the wedges with an iron, adhering the fusible to the project.  I also kept applying alot of heat to warm the entire project all the way through the batting and backing.  The heat will cause all of the layers to somewhat stick together so you don't have to pin the project to quilt.

Once I had everything in place, I carefully moved the project to my sewing machine.  With a walking foot, I stitched down both sides of the bias tape, which also quilts the project as you go.

I added a few more quilted lines and a binding and the project was completed.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  I'm thinking this would be a great process for some simple placemats or super fast potholders - both of which are in my very near future.

If you really like this table runner, it is for sale at a very affordable price.  I also have another example here where I cut the pieces in a curve.  To see some examples of projects made by others, click here.  I hope you give this a try and see how easy it can be.