Seams Sew Precious: Working with Dresdens: A Thanksgiving Table Runner

I just love everything about fall: the cool crisp air, the fashion, the smells of spiced apple and pumpkin, and all of the beautifully rich colors that nature drops on us. Fall is just around the corner and over the past week I got to dabble in some of it as I created a Thanksgiving table runner for one of my favorite clients! The inspiration: a square runner that I had completed earlier this year.

The runner is covered in bright, colorful turkey feathers which meant I was playing with dresdens!

Only I was making these dresdens much smaller to fit onto a skinnier and longer runner. I made these about 5.5 inches tall. I made 20 to create the center circle and then 4 for each side of the runner.

I pinned the dresden to the center of the runner and began stitching down. Rather than zig-zagging like the original, I decided to use a regular straight stitch. The feathers were so thin that I worried a zig-zag stitch would be too bold and take away from the individual colors of the feathers.

As I got further and further along I knew that the straight stitch was the right choice. It kept with the dainty look of the thinner feathers!

It even looked really neat from the bottom.

I used the same process to attached the corner feathers. I then decided to add just a little bit of quilting to make the details pop. So I echo quilted around the center feathers 4 times.

I also echoed around the corner feathers at the ends 2 times for an added pop.

I think this has to be one of my favorite creations thus far!

I also had a few good thrifty finds this weekend . . . the craft supply selection was a bit disappointing where I went but I still managed to find a few good pieces. First were cute little linen pouches for 99 cents . . . they are a wedding favor set but I am thinking they will be cute for gifting small items or even to repurpose as pockets for some projects!

Next were some really cute glass jars (they look like miniature candy shop jars) brand new in their box for $2.99. My mom actually found them and knew that they would be perfect to use in my sewing room for organizing all my small accessories.

And then the item I splurged on. Sounds funny to say splurge when you are talking about $4.99 but for me, that is a splurge on a used top. But it was so vintage and has so much potential. It almost reminded me of an old nightgown but it is more fitted and is tunic length. I loved the details on it and can't help but picture it in the summer with capris and a cute belt around it's waist or in the fall with skinny jeans and a denim jacket! So I bought it, despite some repairs I will need to make to it.