For my mother's birthday this year, I made her a table runner. She has a big dining room table with slate tiles on top. It's really beautiful, but a bit hard. I thought a runner would soften up the stoneyness of it, and I happened to have some linen (shocking!) in colours that would go nicely. When I was in my sewing room a little while ago, thinking of what to make, I thought of the runner, and decided to make another one. This one I'll give to my mother-in-law. She's been sick recently, and is recovering at home, and I know she'll appreciate something like this for when she makes us all a huge Polish dinner when we are all together. Haha, I'm not giving it to her ONLY so she makes us dinner... God, I sound awful now.... anyway...

My photography skills are not that great when taking pictures of things like fabric. Hopefully, over the next while they'll get better! As excuses, I present the fact that it is late afternoon, raining, dark and gloomy, and I had to use a flash. I hope the effect of the fabric comes across - it's basically folded randomly and sewn in sections into a runner.

Randomly folded table runner:

• I measured my dining table, hoping it is sort of close to the size of my mother-in-law's table. I figured out a lenth for the runner that would drape down on either end of the table about 18 inches.
• I ironed large pieces of linen and measured out one piece of the lightest colour (in the picture above) for the bottom layer of the runner. The length was what I figured from measuring the table, plus the overhang of 18" on either end; the width was 18" - it just looked about right. I added an inch all around for a seam.
• I ironed and cut smaller pieces of linen - they were all the same width as the large piece above (18" plus an inch on either side for seam), but were of differing much shorter lengths - some were only 5" long, while others were closer to 30" long.
• I then started folding the small linen sections sort of like an accordian - I didn't care if each part of the accordian was a different size than the next, nor did I mind if the folds started going crooked - it made it look natural and almost like waves. I ironed as I made each fold.
• I tried to remember to have patience. This took a long time, I won't lie. And if you're ironing for 3 hours straight, you may want to do it on a day that the Humidex is less that 30 degress Celsius. Just saying.
• After all the ironing was done, I then turned the accordians to the back, and sewed about a quarter of an inch into each fold like this:

• After the sewing, I turned it over face up again, and re-ironed it all flat, but made sure to keep the folds (ie, not pulling the new seams entirely flat in order to keep the wavy look).
• Once I had the sections done, I then just cut sections of the second lightest shade of linen to go in-between the folded sections. I kept addition sections until I was basically at the length of the bottom layer. These non-folded sections were also random lengths.
• I have yet to finish this work-in-progress, but basically all I need to do is put the two layers together, with fronts facing eachother, sew up the sides leaving a hole big enough that I can turn the whole thing inside out, sew up the turning hole by hand, and it'll be finished!

I will try to do a non-linen inspired entry next. I know it can get a little boring for some :)