Photo Finish

cutting gingerbread cookies

Here's a photo finish to 2011. This new version of blogger is giving a good close up view when you click on the images.Celebrating the 12 days of Christmas gives us a chance to spread out the festivities. New Year's Eve falls on the 7th Day and our friends Simon and Angie came to visit with three small children Teresa, Annie and baby Joe.  I managed to get the binding on their table runner just before they arrived!  Since the table runner had a gingerbread theme we got out our favourite cookie cutters and made gingerbread biscuits.

finished products

Christmas table runners

the process start to finish

Pieced on the JUKI Exceed 600, I connected all the runners together with sashing so that I would only need to load the frame once. The sashing came in handy later.

Auditioning various threads
I used the Holly and Ivy thread from the King Tut range on one of the runners.

The Gingerbread runner needed ginger thread! MasterPiece #158 Moccasin

I used this hearts and loops pattern on two of the runners.Here it is in the King Tut 'Holly and Ivy'

All the runners were backed with green fleece.

While the project was on the frame the sashing fabric that joined the runners  was a perfect place to practice stitching and get the tension working right.

Once off the frame, I sliced off the sashing fabric. Now the runners were ready for binding.

Angie loved her present and everybody else enjoyed the ginger biscuits!