Friday Finish: Valentine's Gifts

Now that the recipients have received their handmade gifts, I can show you pictures of the quilted table runner and rice bag I completed. I’ll admit, it was hard to part with either of these.

The table runner made with scrappy Happy Flower EPP blocks was finished several weeks ago. The batting, backing, and binding were scraps from other projects. Love when that happens! I used my Juki and walking foot for the quilting.

Any tips on photographing long table runners? I had a difficult time getting the perfect image.

Remember that LOVE letters embroidery? I backed the panel with white solid fabric and pieced it into a Komebukuro (modern Japanese rice bag). The pattern was purchased back in November and I have been waiting for the right moment to try it out. A gift for a friend dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis seemed like a good moment.

I took a class with the pattern maker (Karen Stevens) last September at Squam. Her pattern wasn’t out at that time but I fell in love with the Japanese rice bags she brought with her. She adds her own unique style with the boro patches and hand stitching. The only change I made was using fusible fleece instead of interfacing so the bag would have a bit more structure.

I posted a video of the bag on Instagram that provides a better look at the bag’s details. I’d like to make more of these. The pattern is written in a way that encourages uniqueness of each bag. You can see what I mean by searching the hashtag #kzkomebukuro on Instagram.

The LOVE letters embroidery was based on my heart enamel pin which I sent to my Valentine’s!

Did you make or receive any handmade Valentine’s this year? I hope your day was filled with love!

Happy stitching,

small projectsRene' MartinezFebruary 16, 2019small projects, embroidery, EPP, Friday Finish, gifts, enamel pins, EtsyComment