Autumn Runner

It’s Friday, and it’s time for a finish, don’t you think? My Autumn Runner is ready to be checked off my UFO list.

Autumn Runner - Another UFO off my list. This runner is beautiful autumn colors. - piecefulthoughts.com

This is a big runner, finishing at 19″ x 50″. It’s the biggest of the runners I’ve finished recently.


Autumn Runner - This fall runner is large, 19" x 50". The width covers the seat of the deck chair! - piecefulthoughts.com

It covers the width of the deck chair seat.

The fabrics were given to me years ago by my sister-in-law. The border fabric is Thimbleberries, but I don’t know origin of the rest of the fabrics. I believe the pattern may have come from a Gathering Friends tablerunner book.

The pattern of the flying geese block reminds me of when birds, particularly raptors, ride a thermal. A thermal is a column of warm air. Often when you see several birds whirling and circling high in the sky, they are riding a thermal. When several of them whirl and circle together, it’s called a kettle. During fall migration, you can see thousands of birds doing this if you live near a migratory flight path. It’s quite fascinating.

With that in mind, I kept the quilting simple and stitched straight lines in the direction of the geese,

Autumn Runner - Quilting detail close up - piecefulthoughts.com

I like the quilting detail on the back. Those straight lines look so clean and simple.

Autumn Runner - Quilting detail on the back - piecefulthoughts.com

For the border, I used a brown variegated thread and made simple straight(ish) lines the length and width of the border. I had just enough of the border fabric to cut 2″ strips for the binding (I normally cut 2-1/4″ strips). Thankfully the Warm & Natural batting is thin so I was able to easily do the final step of hand sewing the binding.

Here’s a photo in the morning sun on my deck which brings out the warm fall colors.

Autumn Runner - Photo in the morning sun, showing off those rich fall colors - piecefulthoughts.com

Linking up today with

Happy Friday, everyone!

Wendy

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33 thoughts on “Autumn Runner”

  1. Glad you got a finish this week-I didn’t! I only had starts, that are waiting for quilting now. I do think it is a Gathering Friends pattern, I have done one a long time ago. Great job on the quilting and now it is ready just in time for fall decorating.

  2. Did someone tell you that I am giving up sugar? Why else would you put chocolate, caramel and cinnabons all together in one runner??? I know that you have that devious streak in you but you could not wait till Halloween to show your witchy side…tch tch tch. Hope your long weekend is sweet and happy 🙂

  3. A beautiful finish and just in time for fall! And I have to say I am leaving your blog learning a bit more about birds that what I knew when I came here 🙂

  4. Rose Moy Mikulski

    Good for you for finishing an UFO, this is what behaving is, right. Thanks for the info on the flight patterns. For several years, during certain time of the year, hubby and I would hear bird sounds up in the air and we couldn’t see them and thought they were geese but I didn’t think they flew up that high. Well, we finally found out that they were migrating cranes. Glad you had enough of the Thimbleberries left for the binding but I’m pretty sure I had some. 🙂

  5. Hi Wendy! This is a fabulous Friday finish. I love all the color and fabrics in this runner, and I especially like the size. Your quilting is just perfect – it really gives the sensation of movement. And a UFO finish to boot! ~smile~ Roseanne

  6. Kathleen McCormick

    The runner is gorgeous on your chair, and yes, I could see making great covers for chairs as I am running out of places to put quilts! I think the quilting is just perfect for this runner. Congrats on the UFO finish!

  7. Such a beautiful runner Wendy! I knew about thermals but not about kettles! We lived on a migratory path for sandhill cranes out in Alberta, and here we are on the migratory path for a TON of birds, and the Monarch butterfly, all of whom rest/eat on Point Pelee National Park. Good you were able to make the 2″ binding work!

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