One of my favorite Christmas items to uncover every year is a table runner my mother made for me. It's the first thing I pull out, and for me, its appearance signals the official arrival of the holiday season. The first of our three projects for Christmas in July with Moda is a patchwork, pom pom table runner, featuring the whimsical winter wonderland of Kate Spain's Joy collection. This happy centerpiece certainly has the potential to become a best-loved holiday tradition. Make one for yourself plus a couple for friends and family. We used a Layer Cake, which contains forty 10" x 10" squares. That's plenty for several runners, simply add your favorite solid. We used Moda's Bella Solids.

Our thanks to our friends at Moda Fabrics for sponsoring this year's Christmas in July series. If you haven't already, take a look at our opening article. It gives you some interesting background on the history of glimpsing Santa in the summer, and profiles the latest Moda Christmas collections we love.

Joy by Kate Spain is available now in stores and online. We invite you to shop the great online retailers in our S4H Marketplace; many of them have a great selection of all the colors and patterns in stock and ready to ship!

Joy by Kate Spain for Moda is available now. Check out our Marketplace vendors to shop online.  

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any sewing machine (we recommend the Janome Memory Craft 6300)
• Quarter Inch Seam foot (optional, but very helpful with all the ¼" seam allowances and for attaching the trim)
• Walking foot (optional)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• We used a Layer Cake, however, it's not mandatory. We selected NINE different coordinating prints from the Layer Cake, which means you could make three to four runners from one Layer Cake (plus the associated solid fabric). If you choose not to use pre-cuts, you'll need to cut nine pieces that measure 10" x 10" from which your other pieces will be cut: we used a Joy Layer Cake by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics in the following prints:
  Holly Falling Snow
  Berry Falling Snow
  Berry Peace
  Snow Jolly
  Holly on Snow Winter Garden
  Holly and Berry Tree Line
  Mint Falling Snow
  Berry on Snow Winter Garden
  Snow Tannenbaum
• 1½ yards of a 44-45" wide coordinating solid fabric for sashing strips and backing: we used Moda's Bella Solids in Bleached White
• ¾ yard of 45" wide quilt batting: we used Warm & Natural
• 4 yards of pom pom fringe: we used bright green
• All purpose thread to match fabrics
• Quilting thread to match/highlight fabrics: we used aqua
• Lots of large safety pins for basting layers 
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil 
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Seam gauge
• Tape measure
• Straight pins

Getting Started

NOTE: Quilting is all about personal choice. We created our Christmas in July with Moda Table Runner to include all our Joy by Kate Spain favorites, and we've listed these cuts below so you can recreate the exact design. Everything is also broken out in blocks and rows so you can select and cut your own fabrics. 

1. From the NINE prints, cut the following: 
   FOUR 5" x 5" squares of Holly Falling Snow
   FOUR 5" x 5" squares of Berry Falling Snow
   FOUR 5" x 5" squares of Berry Peace
   FOUR 5" x 5" squares of Snow Jolly
   FOUR 5" x 5" squares of Holly on Snow Winter Garden
   FOUR 5" x 5" squares of Holly and Berry Tree Line
   TWO 9½" x 5" rectangles of Mint Falling Snow
   ONE 9½" x 5" rectangle of Berry on Snow Winter Garden
   TWO 9½" x 5" rectangles of Snow Tannenbaum
2. From the coordination solid (Moda Bella Solids in Bleached White in our sample), cut the following:
   FOURTEEN 5" x 5" squares
   FOUR 5" x 2¾" rectangles
   ONE 23½ x 45" (width of fabric) rectangle for the backing
3. From the batting, cut ONE 23½ x 45" rectangle 

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

Creating the blocks 

NOTE: Paying special attention to seam allowances is important in every project, but is essential in patchwork because your seams need to match up perfectly (quilters call this ‘perfect points'). Therefore, you need to be very careful to make sure all allowances are consistent. For this project ALL our seam allowances are ¼". If you are brand new to patchwork, check out our tutorial on quilting basics.

Using our diagram above as you guide, assemble the seven different sets of blocks that will make up the front of the table runner. To do this, it helps to sort out the fabric cuts needed for each block and stack them in the order to be sewn. 

The two A Blocks

1. Each block uses the following cuts:
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Holly Falling Snow
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Berry Falling Snow
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Berry Peace
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Bleached White
2. Take the first pair (Berry Falling Snow and Holly Falling Snow) and pin them right sides together along one 5" side. Stitch together (remember - all seams are ¼"). Press the finished seam towards the darker square. 
    
3. Take the second pair (Berry Peace and Bleached White) and pin them right sides together along one 5" side. Stitch together. Press the finished seam towards the darker square.
4. To complete the block, you'll seam together the two pairs of squares.
   
5. Place these two pairs of squares right sides together, carefully aligning the seams so your intersection will perfectly match. It is much easier to align everything when the seam allowances are opposite one another. Carefully pin in place.
    
   NOTE: If you are using a directional motif, make sure the two pieces are both going the right way. Pin together along one side.
6. Stitch together, using a ¼" seam allowance.
   
7. Follow these same steps to create the second A Block. 

The two B Blocks

1. Each block uses the same cuts as for the A Blocks:
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Holly Falling Snow
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Berry Falling Snow
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Berry Peace
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Bleached White
2. Assemble the two blocks in the same manner as for the A Blocks, but the configuration should be a mirror image.
   

The four C Blocks

1. Each block uses the following cuts:
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Snow Jolly
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Holly on Snow Winter Garden
   TWO 5" x 5" squares of Bleached White
2. Take the first pair (Bleached White and Snow Jolly) and pin them right sides together along one 5" side. Stitch together. Press the finished seam towards the darker square.
3. Take the second pair (Holly on Snow Winter Garden and Bleached White) and pin them right sides together along one 5" side. Stitch together. Press the finished seam towards the darker square.
4. Place these two pairs of squares right sides together, carefully aligning the seams opposite one another so the intersection will perfectly match. Carefully pin in place.
5. Stitch together, using a ¼" seam allowance.
   
6. Follow these same steps to create the three identical C Blocks. 
   NOTE: Because the four prints we chose are not directional, and the cuts are perfect squares, all the C Blocks are identical and are simply rotated to create the patchwork variety. If you are using directional prints, you may need to create each of the four blocks individually to insure the prints are in the proper corners. Refer to the diagram above.

The two D Blocks

1. Each block uses the following cuts:
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Holly and Berry Tree Line
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Bleached White
2. Pin the pair right sides together along one 5" side. Stitch together. Press the finished seam towards the darker square.
   
3. Repeat to create the matching pair.

The two E Blocks 

1. Each block uses the following cuts:
   ONE 5" x 5" square of Holly and Berry Tree Line
   TWO 5" x 2¾" rectangles of Bleached White
2. Pin one 5" x 2¾" solid rectangle to either side of one 5" x 5" print square. 
3. Stitch together. Press the finished seams towards the square.
   
   NOTE: As you can see in the diagram above, we switched the direction of our Holly and Berry Tree Line print between the D Blocks and the E Blocks to add variety. 
4. Repeat the steps to create the second E Block.

The one F Block

1. This block uses the following cuts:
   ONE 9½" x 5" rectangle of Berry on Snow Winter Garden 
   TWO 9½" x 5" rectangles of Mint Falling Snow
2. Pin one Mint rectangle to either side of the Berry rectangle. 
3. Stitch together. Press the finished seams towards the Berry. 
   

The two G Blocks

1. The G Blocks are not actually sewn blocks, they are simply the TWO 9½" x 5" rectangles of Snow Tannenbaum.
   

Assembling the finished blocks into rows

When you are placing your blocks together, refer to the diagram above to make sure your pattern is following along correctly.

Row 1

1. Collect the two A Blocks and one G Block.
2. Pin one A Block to either side of the G Block. 
   NOTE: The G Blocks are directional. We placed our trees so they faced the middle of the runner. The trees in Row 1 are facing down; the trees in Row 5 are facing up.
3. Stitch together. Remember, you are still using ¼" seam allowances throughout
   
4. Press all the seam allowances on row one together and to the right.

Row 5

1. Collect the two B Blocks and one G Block.
2. Pin one B Block to either side of the G Block. 
3. Stitch together.  
4. Press all the seam allowances on row five together and to the right.

Rows 2 and 4

1. Collect the four C Blocks and two D Blocks.
2. Pin one C Block to either side of each D Block. 
   
   NOTE: Make sure you are correctly rotating your C Blocks so the white corners are correctly configured: upper left and upper right in row 2, lower right and lower left in row 4. Again, refer to the diagram above if you are losing track. 
3. Stitch together.  
4. Press all the seam allowances on row two together and to the left.
5. Press all the seam allowances on row four together and to the left.

Row 3 

1. Collect the two E Blocks and one F Block.
2. Pin one E Block to either side of the F Block. 
   
3. Stitch together.  
4. Press all the seam allowances on row three together and to the right.

Assembling the rows

1. Collect the five rows. We assembled ours from the bottom up. 
2. Find Row 5 and Row 4. Place them right sides together, carefully aligning the seams so your intersection will perfectly match. Did you notice the pressing to the left and to the right we did above? Now you can see why it was important. As you did going across the rows, it is much easier to align the corners when the seam allowances are opposite one another. Carefully pin in place. 
   
3. Stitch the rows together, using a ¼" seam allowance.
4. Place Row 3 right sides together with the unsewn side of Row 4. Carefully align the seam allowances and pin in place.
5. Stitch the rows together, using a ¼" seam allowance.
6. Continuing adding and stitching rows in this same manner until you have completed all 5 rows.
7. Press all the seams from the back. 
   

Adding the pom pom fringe

1. Find the 4 yards of pom pom fringe. Starting in the middle of one side, and leaving a few inches at the head, lightly pin the trim to the entire perimeter of the runner. You are working on the right side of the front of the runner, and the top edge of the trim insertion strip should be just slightly below the raw edge of the fabric. 
   NOTE: We like few if any pins when working with pom pom trim. It isn't a slippery trim and we find it helpful to guide the poms with our fingers.
2. Use a ¼ seam allowance to stitch the trim in place. We used our Janome Quarter Inch Seam foot to keep our seam perfect and consistent all around. 
   
3. We you come to a corner, stop with your needle in the down position and curve the trim around the corner, keeping the poms out of the way of the needle.   
   
4. When you've stitched all the way around and are approaching your starting point, stop about two inches away. Lock your stitch and cut the threads.
5. Gently pull the trim away from the runner and pin the ends of the trim together. Try to place the seams to keep the poms at as consistent a distance as possible from one another while still allowing the trim to lay flat along the edge of the runner. Adjust the ends as needed. Laying flat is the number one priority; pom distance is number two. 
6. Stitch the ends together. Trim away the excess poms.
   
7. Place the trim back against the edge of the runner and complete the seam so it is in a perfect line with the original seam.
   

Layering 

1. Lay the batting on your work surface. 
2. Place the runner top, with the pom pom fringe stitched in place, on the batting. The runner top should be right side up. 
3. Pin baste the runner top to the batting. 
   NOTE: To "pin baste" means to place large safety pins through both layers to hold them together. About every 5-6" apart is fine.
   
4. Trim the batting flush with the runner top. 
   NOTE: A ruler and rotary cutter is best for the step. 
5. Lay the runner back (the Bleached White 23½ x 45" rectangle in our sample) on the runner top, right sides together, sandwiching the pom poms between the layers.
6. Pin all around, leaving a 6" - 7" opening along one side for turning. 
7. Stitch all around, using a ¼" seam allowance. Remember to lock your stitch at either side of the 6" x 7" opening. 
8. Trim the corners.
9. Turn the runner right side out. Push out all the corners. Press well. 
10. Hand stitch the opening closed.
     

Quilting

1. Pin baste all the layers. You can use the original pins. Simply unhook them and replace them through all three layers.
   
2. Re-thread your machine with contrasting thread in the top and bottom. We used aqua. 
3. Attach a Walking foot if possible, it will help keep your layers from shifting. We were also able to use our Walking foot's quilt guide bar to keep a super straight line.  
   NOTE: If you don't have a Walking foot, you may want to consider drawing your quilting lines with a fabric pen or pencil prior to stitching to give yourself nice straight lines to follow. 
4. To quilt the fabric and batting layers together, start from one corner, and stitch a line that runs diagonally through each square.
5. Continue quilting diagonally through the quilt so each square has a diagonal line quilted through it. Work outward from the center of the quilt to avoid bunching.
   
6. Rotate the quilt top and stitch a diagonal line from the opposite direction to create an "X" in each square.

Contributors

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation and Instructional Outline: Debbie Guild