I started with my stack of charm squares. These were all cut by me a few years ago when I was teaching a class all about different options to use charm squares. So I went through the stack and picked out the ones that fit a nice bright and happy theme. I thought 36 was a good number.
Then I sewed them all together in a 6 x 6 layout. No, I did not sew them like they are laid out above. I just sewed them together randomly. For some reason I didn't take a picture after they were sewn. This blogging is new to me and I'm still working on taking more pictures.
I laid the finished piece on my cutting mat and cut it into 6 1/2" strips horizontally and vertically. I started at one edge and when the cut was going to end up almost right the seam near the middle, I cut the seam out and kept going.
I assembled the new blocks in a 3 x 5 layout to make a table runner. I had one block left over.
Since all this was really quick and easy, I thought I'd try making the binding out of charm squares, too. I picked out 12 more charms and sewed them together. (It seems like one square in the middle was cut a little big, but I didn't worry about it because of how this piece would be used.) I should have pressed all these seams open. I didn't so I re-pressed them all after they were cut.
I next cut diagonally into 2 1/2" strips. Since I had that one block left over, I decided to cut it the same way. I then joined all the strips end to end. The ends were already cut on the diagonal, so they went together easily. I didn't do any calculations to figure out how manycharms I needed, but it came out pretty close.
Simple, fast, done.
Finished size 18" x 30"
Created by Diane Lapacek near Poynette, WI
