Bookshelf quilt/table runner sew-a-long July 2016

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It's time to start our bookshelf table runner!

To start with, you will need:

A cutting mat, rotary cutter, and ruler
At least 2 yards of background fabric, preferably a solid black, brown, or white.  This is for the back part of the bookshelf.  If you're doing a whole quilt, you will need more than 2 yards
At least 1/8 yard each of 10-20 (more is better) different colored fabrics in varying patterns and colors.  ***Or For a scrappy table runner, you will need 30-40 scraps measuring 8-13" long and at least 2 inches wide.***

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From your background fabric, we will cut our strips across the WOF (width of fabric). If you've never used a rotary cutter before, here's one of many tutorials you can find on youtube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1fnolPlQVs

Cut 1 strip 2 and 1/2" wide
Cut 1 strip 2 and 1/4" wide
Cut 1 strip 2" wide
Cut 1 strip 1 and 3/4" wide
Cut 1 strip 1 and 1/2" wide
Cut 1 strip 1 and 1/4" wide
Cut 1 strip 1" wide

Once you have cut these strips from the background color, cut strips from your other fabrics in these same widths. For example, you might want your blue fabric to be a thick book, so cut a strip 2 and 1/2" wide from your blue, or you may want a green book that's thinner, so cut it at 1 and 1/2 in" etc. ***For scrappy, which is what I'm doing, cut your scraps into the same widths as you did your background fabric.

To make it easier to keep track, I'd put all the 2" width strips of both background and book colors in the same pile, all the 1" strips together, etc.

Now, for a quilt, you may want to cut a bunch more so you have several strips. These directions are just to start with. As we work on the project, we can cut more strips as needed.

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Now, match up your 2 and 1/2" background strip with the same width colored or "book" strip and sew short ends together, right sides facing, using a 1/4" seam allowance. This will make one very long strip, that's ok. Then sew the next size background strip to the matching "book" strip the same way, short ends together.

Once you've finished sewing the matching strips, press your seams open. Some folks prefer to press all seams to the darker fabric, for this block, I'm pressing them open to avoid extra bulk.

So far I've not posted any pics, but I will soon. Any questions yet?

[AD in WNC]

OK,time for a question. What color thread do you use? The lightest color, the overall base color or do you switch colors for every seam? If I have basically white books on a black background which color thread do you recommend? Thanks!

[Deleted]

Good question. I would avoid using black, as the dark tails could show through. I plan to use a medium gray throughout--no need to switch, at least not for piecing. You may want to use a light gray if your "books" are mostly white. When pressing the seams, press enough to open but not enough to stretch the fabrics apart until the seam stitches smile. Once the project is quilted, you probably won't even be able to tell what color thread was used to piece it.

[Deleted]

Sorry I'm a little slow. We have thunderstorms on the way and are trying to get a few important things done to keep further flooding from getting in the house. I'll be back this afternoon, so we can finish this quilt block, (Lord willing!)

In the meantime, go ahead and cut another 1 and 3/4" wide "book" strip and sew it to the other end of the matching background strip, right sides together using a 1/4" seam.
***Note, if you are an experienced quilter who gets her seams even, this measurement will be fine. If, however, you want a little wiggle room in case of imperfection, make this a 2" strip and sew to the matching background strip. We will square up the block at the end, so it won't matter.***

This will give you one strip that has color on each end and the background color in the middle. Cut it in the middle of the background color to make your last "straight"  piece for this block. The last piece will be a leaning book.  Lay out your strips in a whatever order pleases you, colors at the bottom and background fabric at the top. Play around with the lengths and sizes of the "books" until you get a layout you like.

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Once you get your strips in the order you like, cut them about 13" long. I put the strips on my cutting mat to get them lined up, then cut with the rotary cutter.

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Once you get all your strips sewn, decide where you want to place your "leaning" book--right or left side.

There hasn't been much discussion so far. How are you all coming along? Are we going too fast or too slow?

Some personal notes--now I remember why I rarely use black for anything. No matter how much I sweep, my fabric still gets blessed with doggie hair! When done with this project, I'll have to take a lint roller to it.

Also, I personally do not like the 1" book. By the time it's sewn in, I think it is too narrow. Probably won't make too many that size for my next few blocks.

[krisinmi]

@potsiemama, I can't wait to get back from vacation and get started on my books! Thank you so much for leading us in this.

[AD in WNC]

@potsiemama Thank you for your help and patience! I agree, my black background is picking up dog hair and shedding black fuzzies onto the carpet. I just laid out my third block. My plan is one block per day.

How much space is everyone working in? I have a 6ft table for laying out and cutting, but I still have fabric laying down one side of my bed. OK I'm single, so I don't have to share my space with anyone except the dog.

[Deleted]

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. We found out the flood damage to our home is much more extensive than we knew and we're trying to deal with all the complications of that. As soon as things settle down a bit, I'll post more directions.

AD in WNC, did you figure out how to do a leaning book strip? I haven't posted the directions yet but I'm sure it's not hard to figure out. Good for you for making 3 blocks already!

[AD in WNC]

@potsiemama I was hoping that there wasn't any hidden flood damage. I'm sorry that you have yo go through that!

I haven't managed to try a leaning book yet, but I did find a numeric labelled picture that I can follow (I think). I will do a couple more vertical and one more horizontal block before I get brave enough to try a leaning book. Thanks!

[Deleted]

@potsiemama, I'm so sorry that the damage is worst than you thought. That's a real bummer, but things take as long as they take to sort out. Please don't worry about posting quilt instructions while you're trying to get back on your feet. That just adds extra and unnecessary pressure on an already difficult situation.

I haven't even started mine yet - been preoccupied with a big project and even getting close to quilting anything has been beyond me just at the moment, so I'm delighted that you guys aren't getting too far ahead of me.

[calicokatie1]

potsiemama, Sorry to hear about the flood damage and all the problems that brings.  Here's hoping you'll be able to get everything back in shape with minimal stress.  We appreciate you leading this project and it is on your timetable.  I had expected to be working on my shelf quilt this month but it looks like all the fabrics that I'll need are in storage right now and I can't get to them yet so it looks like mine will be a fall project.  

I'm staying with the jar quilt idea and found some free patterns on the fat cat pattern site for anyone interested in those.  If I do a shelf with these, I'd do machine applique.
www.fatcatpatterns.com/freepatterns/fcp_collections.pdf

Snowglobes would also be cute to fill a shelf or to set beside your books

www.fatcatpatterns.com/freepatterns/fcp_gumballs.pdf

If you take a look at her free patterns page, she has thimbles, cakes, babushkas and other things that might appeal to you.
www.fatcatpatterns.com/freepatterns.html

[krisinmi]

calicokatie1, thanks for those links. I'd been thinking I'd like to put a teacup or mug on one of my shelves, and now I have pattern for it! A cat would be pretty neat too.

I haven't even started yet, somehow July is just getting away from me, but I intend to one of these days. I'm planning to make a lap sized bookshelf quilt and give to my parents this Christmas. Mom was a librarian for 30 years, and Dad was a Legal Editor for about the same length of time; both are avid readers.

[AD in WNC]

krisinmi I figured that a cat and some tea cups would be great too. I also plan on a few canning jars (in honor of HF) and a fish tank (because I was a biology major in college). My tea cup and fish fabric arrived today. I live too far out to have a large fabric store nearby. My sis suggested fabric.com and they do have a nice selection of prints.

[Maura]

We are moving and have an empty bookshelf. I’m thinking of making something that would fit over the bookshelf. I like the idea of a cat and fish tank, AD.

This is a great idea for using up leftovers. I’m going to include it in my class on using up leftovers.

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Things are starting to settle down a bit here. I'll shoot for August 1st and try again!  Calicokatie, I love those links!

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I am so sorry I've not been able to do this thread the way I wanted to. We've had a medical emergency with my dd that has kept me from doing much of anything while we try to take care of her. I guess the flood has made her worse. It's all I can do to keep my head above water right now. I am so sorry to let you all down like this, but if any of you want to do a tutorial, please go ahead and take over.

[AD in WNC]

@potsiemama Many prayers for your daughter, and recovery from the flood! Those are things you cannot plan for and they take precedence over the quilt project.

My work hours have increased drastically in the last few weeks,so I am on hold until September (and maybe into October).

[Deleted]

@potsiemama - you haven't let us down in the slightest!!! I'm so sorry you're having to paddle so hard to stay afloat. Stuff happens and things need dealing with. Please don't stress about a quilt project, OK? Just look after your daughter (and yourself). Everything else is insignificant.

I'm preoccupied with a large community project at the moment and since moving my computer out from my quilt room into the warmth of the dining room I've barely set foot in the quilt room, let alone gone near my machine, for weeks and weeks. So despite my best intentions of doing this project, it 'ain't gonna happen' any time soon. I have 3 projects I need to do first, so go figure when I'm going to get round to them, LOL. But that's the beauty of having hobbies like quilting - you can just pick them up when the time or urge takes you. How do you think we quilters get to have so many UFOs, hmmmmm?

Take care, and check in when you can to let us know how things are going.

[AD in WNC]

@potsiemama I hope you dd is doing better and the flood clean up is mostly done! I was working on my quilt yesterday and thinking of you. Sending prayers, hugs, moral support, and pixie dust sparkles your way!

I have finished half of the squares that I plan to make for my quilt. I am doing a throw with three squares across by four squares tall. Thanks to your moral support, I have finished all of the book squares, and the fish bowl. I still have the canning jars and teacups/pot to do. I have the jar pattern sketched out, and hopefully will get the jars all cut out today.

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I would love to see your progress! I found some fabric with goldfish all over it that would be perfect for a fish bowl. Also found some fabric with food designs that would make great "jars" for the quilt.

Sorry to MIA for so long. Dd1 is much better. A couple of months after the flood, I was rear-ended which totaled my car and sent me and dd2 for treatment with back/neck trouble from whiplash. So life has been full of doctor's appointments for the girls and I. It's been a crazy year and I'll be glad to welcome 2017! The bookshelf quilt is on my "to-do" list for the new year.