Monday 24 March 2014

Citrus Holiday: Patchwork Table Topper with Vintage Button Trim

How many of you remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer is pitching the coffee table book about coffee tables? The center point of most living rooms is indeed the coffee table. So it certainly deserves its own decorator touch for holiday celebrations. This table topper project features a nine-patch center section that shows off a beautiful selection of our Heather Bailey Pop Garden & Bijoux fabrics.

An accent row of vintage, mother-of-pearl buttons and bright corner tassels make our topper extra special. Both these touches are optional, of course, but so are marshmallows in hot chocolate – and we all know cocoa really isn't very fun without those melty mini marshmallows.

Our Citrus Holiday projects were made using Heather Bailey's delightful Pop Garden & Bijoux Collection. To learn more about how we created this non-traditional holiday palette, read our article: Citrus Holiday: A Lighthearted Living Room.

Sewing Tools You Need

Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome Jem Gold 3)

Fabric and Other Supplies

Fabric for inside squares (nine total with a finished size of 12" x 12" each): ½ yard of 45" wide fabric will yield three 13" x 13" cut squares. We chose four fabrics, which meant we cut three squares from one fabric, but only two from the others. You could certainly use just three fabrics. We used: Heather Bailey's Pop Garden & Bijoux: Paisley in Blue, Pineapple Brocade in Canary, Wallpaper Roses in Green, and Peonies in Red
Fabric for outer borders and back: 1½ yards of 45" wide fabric: we used a cream cotton sateen
NOTE: you will need to be quite exact in your cutting to make 1½ yards work (see below); if you want a little "fudge room" get 1¾ yards
Four large tassels in a coordinating color: we made our own out of orange-red embroidery floss
Small buttons to sew around border (optional): we used a variety of mother-of-pearl vintage buttons
All purpose thread
See-through ruler
Fabric pencil
Iron and ironing board
Hand sewing needle
Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
Straight pins

Getting Started

Cut nine 13" x 13" squares from your selected fabrics.
From your backing and border fabric, cut two strips 3" x 41", two strips 3" x 37" and one square 41" x 41".
If you've decided to make your own tassels, make four now. For easy step-by-step instructions, see our tutorial: How to Make a Tassel.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

The center of this table topper is a simple Nine Patch Block, one of the easier quilting block patterns. Lay out your nine squares in three rows of three, in a pattern pleasing to you. If you'd like to duplicate ours, we used the following sequences: Blue Paisley, Green Wallpaper Roses, Canary Pineapple Brocade in row one; Red Peonies, Blue Paisley, Green Wallpaper Roses in row two; and Canary Pineapple Brocade, Green Wallpaper Roses, Red Peonies in row three.

Starting with row one, pin square one to square two right sides together. Stitch them along ONE side, using a ½" seam allowance.
Take square three from row one and pin to the opposite side of square two. Stitch in place with a ½" seam allowance to create your first row of three squares.
Repeat to create rows two and three.
Stitch the three rows together along the long sides to complete your Nine Patch Center Patchwork piece. Finished, it should measure 37" x 37".
With right sides together along the 37" side, pin one 3" x 37" border strip to the top of your center patchwork and the other 3" x 37" border strip to the bottom.
Stitch both top and bottom, using a ½" seam allowance. You now have a piece that measures 37" x 41".
With right sides together along the 41" side, pin one 3" x 41" border strip to the right of your center patchwork and the other 3" x 41" border strip to the left side.
Stitch both left and right, using a ½" seam allowance. You now have a piece that measures 41" x 41" with nice right-angle corners.
If using accent buttons on the border, sew them on now. Your exact placement will depend on the size of buttons you use. You want them to be spaced evenly along each edge and at least ¾" to 1" from the raw edge so you can sew your final ½" seam without interference and top stitch around the edge to finish. Use your ruler and fabric pencil to mark the point for each button.
With right sides together, pin the finished front piece to the 41" x 41" backing fabric square around all four sides, leaving a 7" - 8" opening for turning. NOTE: Remember, this cloth needs to lay nice and flat on your table. Be especially careful when pinning to insure the two pieces are flat against one another - with no baggy center or edges. After pinning, lay it flat on a table or the floor to check. Trim the raw edges to square if necessary.
Stitch front to back around all sides, using a 1/2 seam allowance and leaving the 7" - 8" opening for turning.
Clip all four corners. It's also a good idea to back-tack at each corner to reinforce them and make sure they stay sharp when turned right-side-out.
Using the 7" - 8" opening, turn the piece right-side-out. Be sure to push out each corner so it is flush and square. Use a long tool with a dull point, like a knitting needle or a chopstick.
Tuck in the raw edges of the opening ½" so they are even with the sew edge. Press flat around all four edges and all four corners. If you've used vintage buttons, be careful when pressing as the heat and pressure can crack delicate shell buttons.
Topstitch approximately ¼" from the outside edge all around four sides. This topstitching will seal the 7" - 8" opening.
Carefully hand-stitch a tassel to each corner.