Liberated Table Runner

You know how sometimes you just get seized by the notion that you must immediately throw yourself into a project? Well last night as I sat contentedly looking at my finished Santa Sacks for the kids and lazily contemplating my lately neglected knitting, this rather inconveniently happened to me.

You see after my 'office' lunch the other day I was putting away the laundered tablecloth and as it went into the draw I found myself thinking about my Christmas table setting, and it occurred to me that I have never really liked my red (and a bit shiny) Christmas tablecloth. In fact I quite dislike it. But the thought usually only occurs to me once a year, and then when Xmas is past the indulgence of a new red table cloth always seems a bit rich in the belt tightened atmosphere of January.

I have been a bit obsessed with a little pile of red fabrics that just haven't found their perfect usage yet, but last night inspiration hit. I would make a Christmas table runner that could sit over the top of my usual tablecloth. I knew I wanted stars ( I love them), but I was a bit bored of fiddly piecing and knew I needed stars fast! I remembered in Collaborative Quilting by Freddie Moran and Gwen Marston there was a technique for Liberated Stars. I decided I need some liberation, and by bedtime I had a Liberated Table Runner.

Now it needs to be a bit longer so I think I will add a pieced section at each end with little squares of all the much loved reds to give it a bit more patchworky look. Now I am fighting the desire to make it reversible and do Gwen and Freddies Liberated Trees on the back in green? For Boxing Day? Just turn it over et voila?! Hum, time may be against me!

However the snow lies deep and crisp and even outside this afternoon so perhaps it will get done!