Friday, November 18, 2011

Jolly Holiday ~ Free Patterns: Table Runner and Gift Bag

A little about me . . . . I am the owner of RGA Design and I am passionate about teaching.  Our business is all about helping others learn to machine quilt.  I designed the Patriot Dream fabric line for Henry Glass with machine quilters in mind.  My husband, Andy, has even learned to speak the quilting language. Our five children are grown, married to amazing people, and are parents to our wonderful grandchildren (13 with 4 more on the way). Read on for my thoughts on the holidays . . . .   

1. What is your favorite holiday food?

I love holiday treats and we always try to have a lovely Christmas dinner with all the trimmings using our nicest dishes and linens. Cranberry sauce (secret word) is a great way to add a Christmas color to our meal.  

2. Does your family have a favorite holiday tradition?

Our family loves to celebrate Christmas together. One of our traditions is to break family traditions. One year, we surprised our children on Christmas Eve by letting them open all their presents and instead of our usual Christmas Day celebrations, we went snow skiing. It has been a wonderful memory and something my children often talk about even years later.


3. Did you like or hate sitting on Santa's lap?

My oldest (and only) daughter did NOT like sitting on Santa's lap. Visiting Santa became low on the priority list for our family during December mostly because we do not live near one of the malls where Santa hangs out! 









4. Was there a gift that you really desperately wanted? Did you get it?

When I was 6 years old I had my heart set on a Saucy Walker Doll. The advertisements showed this almost life-size doll walking. To my great surprise I did get one for Christmas though I remember being sorely disappointed that she couldn't actually walk. I have been a little sceptical about advertisements since then!

5. What's your favorite holiday movie?

It's a Wonderful Life

6. Favorite holiday song?

I love all the carols and Handel's Messiah! They are the songs I hum all through the Christmas season. We got lucky this year and won the lottery for tickets for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert in Salt Lake City. What a treat that will be!

7. Do you make many holiday presents? 

I prefer giving homemade gifts but it isn't always practical with our large family.  Over the years my homemade gifts have ranged from Cabbage Patch dolls to blue jeans, but now they almost always have something to do with quilting.

8. Would you prefer a large fully decorated tree or one like Charlie Brown's tree?

Our family moved to Okinawa Japan right before Christmas one year and we did our best to piece together a holiday for our children. Since we were staying in temporary quarters, our military sponsor loaned us this silver tinsel tree which he had used in Viet Nam.   (Note: The TV is not part of our Christmas. We just moved it under the table to make room for our 'Charlie Brown' tree and few gifts.)


9. If you could go back in time, when would you say was your most favorite holiday memory?

When I was almost three years old I got chicken pox at Christmas time. My mother had just given birth to my younger sister so it was my grandfather who rocked me and held me most of that Christmas holiday. I am grateful for this special memory where I felt so loved and secure!

10. Do you like a big family gathering at the holidays or do you prefer a small dinner followed by hot chocolate by the fire?
I  love spending time with family during the holidays. However, since we have exponential growth and are scattered over several states, we are thankful for whatever time we get together. Two years ago we were able to have a family gathering during Christmastime where every family member was present . . . and we have the picture to prove it!






Now for our project and free pattern . . . .

Ten Minute Table Runner & Twelve Minute Gift Bag 

When time is in short supply, this table runner or gift bag
makes a delightful fast and fun gift or decoration. 

This runner is made with 1/3 yard of a theme print and 2/3 yards of coordinating fabric. 
The red stripe is from my Patriot Dream line.

 
This runner is is 1/3 yard and 2/3 yards but it is longer. I used the  57" wide Patriot Dream fabric
for the theme fabric and cut the contrasting fabric 57" lengthwise.
 

Runner and Gift Bag - With a few folds, the runner becomes a gift bag.  It is the perfect size for a quilt book.
The focus theme fabric is 10" and the coordinating fabric is 18"
Tomorrow is the final day of our Blog Hop
Be sure to check out the blogs by  Linda Lum DeBono and  Chelsea Anderson to find the last secret words!

73 comments:

  1. Love the runner/gift bag. This pattern makes a gift that keeps on giving. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thank you so much for sharing! The runner is just the perfect size for my table!

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  3. Thanks for such a fun blog hop! What great, quick gifts too, thank you.

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  4. Thanks for the lovely and quick pattern! It will be very useful for me!

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  5. Thank you for the runner & bag pattern. I enjoyed seeing your photos very much.

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  6. Oh that video tut is a really helpful touch for a newbie! Thank you :)

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  7. Thanks for the great project -definitely need a quick project with all the other details that need attention! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  8. Thank you for the patterns. Beautiful family. The picture is outstanding.

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  9. Only 10 minutes??? Right up my alley!!!! Thank you so much for those patterns!! I can decorate like I want to and not have to spend weeks piecing and quilting a table runner!! Thank you for sharing!!

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  10. Great table runner.
    Loved reading about your Christmas. Love the photo with the little silver tree.

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  11. I too am leary of advertisements. Can it ever be as could as they make it look?;)

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  12. What a wonderful family photo! Thank you for sharing and being a part of the HG Blog HOp - it is so fun to meet all the designers.

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  13. Renae, I "Like"d RGA Design for Quilting by Machine on Facebook (I'm #15). How come I didn't know about you before this??? Silly me! Kd ~ www.KdQuilts.com

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  14. Thanks for the patterns and participating in the blog hop.
    Linda
    http://homesweetquiltinghome.blogspot.com/

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  15. Loved making the runner! Great idea!

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  16. Thank you so much for the table runner and gift bag design. We have a large and growing family too so whenever we are all together, every few years we try for a family photo, yours is great.

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  17. What a wonderful photo of your family! Thank you for the patterns. Time is running short and they look like the perfect things to make!

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  18. Our family has grown so much that it's wall to wall adults and children! I wouldn't change it for the world. I love the closeness of Christmas and all the craziness it brings! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  19. I've been having a great time learning about all the designers! The project looks like a nice quick one.

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  20. Thanks for sharing and contributing to the blog hop!!

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  21. Thank you for sharing the patterns. It has been fun visiting each one. Nola

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  22. That is a wonderful family shot-- I'll bet it is really hard to get everyone together! We have 14 in our extended family, and it does take quite an effort to find a day when everyone can get together-- so when we *do*, we always try to get a picture!! Thanks for the pattern-- especially the gift bag! Love it! :-)

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  23. That's a clever idea - folding the runner to form a gift bag! Thank you. Your family photo is a real treasure.

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  24. Thank you so much for the table runner and bag pattern. They are lovely.

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  25. what a great gift idea! Thank you
    I shall certainly be making one!

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  26. Great project, thanks so much for sharing and being a part of the blog hop , it has been great fun

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  27. Thanks so much for the runner and bag pattern!! Very sweet of you!
    Paulette

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  28. Clever runner pattern - thanks for sharing. Have a merry Christmas.

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  29. LOVE THESE TABLE RUNNERS!
    THANKS FOR SHARING!

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  30. Thanks for sharing these patterns with us, quick and easy is my cup of tea! A great idea. Happy holidays!

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  31. Thank you for the pattern. Thanks for sharing about the Saucy Walker Doll, I got one for Christmas also and still have mine. My daughter played with it and trimmed its hair a little bit at one point Lol. I still have the shoes, but I don't know what happened to her original outfit, fortunately my mom made a couple other outfits for her to wear. Yeah, I remember being a little disappointed about how she didn't walk quite like I thought she would.

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  32. What a wonderful idea, using the table runner as a wrapper, thank you.

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  33. Ooops, sorry, I'm #14 and your button is now on my blog at www.KdQuilts.com ~ Kd :)

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  34. Oh, I had seen the runner pattern before but the wrapper idea is new to me. Love it!

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  35. Thank you for sharing the patterns. Great gift ideas! I have enjoyed this blog hop.

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  36. Thanks to you for the good idea and the pattern ☺
    Liebe Grüße
    Bente - Germany

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  37. thanks for the "quicky" patterns.....great for emergencies.......wow your going to be even busier with 4 more grandchildren on the way.......wonderful..........have a lovely Christmas.......

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  38. Wow, talk about "speedy" sewing. Thanks for the great post.

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  39. Ooooh...I'm raiding my stash right away...I need one for Thanksgiving! Thank you!

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  40. Great table runner. Thanks for sharing the patterns.

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  41. Love the table runner and the gift bag, and that is an awesome family photo.

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  42. Thanks you for the wonderful table runner pattern! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

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  43. Thanks for sharing the table runner and gift bag. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

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  44. Thank you for the table runner pattern. Great use for focus fabric. Happy Holidays

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  45. Wow!! Love this so clever and pretty!!

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  46. Thanks so much for the quick and clever table runner and gift bag pattern. Thanks for being part of the hop. I'm a new follower as well.

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  47. Thank you for sharing your holiday memories with us! Thank you also for the pattern for the table runner and it is clever as a gift wrap too!
    esterlingg1923 at gmail dot com

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  48. The table runner pattern is wonderful. Thank you. I heard the Messiah done by the St Louis Symphony when I was young and have loved it since. Enjoy your concert experience. It is a heavenly sound.

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  49. Your table runner is the perfect "have a gift on-hand for unexpected guests" type of gift--something homemade but "do-able" at this busy time of year.

    I'm sure the concert on Temple Square will be lovely this year, as always. Someday I'm going to get there!

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  50. I've actually made the 10-minute table runner before. It is so quick and easy, and looks fantastic!

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  51. Thanks for the table runner idea. I'm loving the blog hop!

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  52. The 12 minute gift bag pattern is wonderful, I can see that it will become a favourite very quickly. Love the Blog Hop, thanks for sharing, and have a lovely Christmas

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  53. Thank you for your wonderful ideas with the runner and gift bag. Greatly appreciated.

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  54. I like the bag and the runner. Quick and easy is a plus.

    Judy T

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  55. Thanks for participating in the Henry Glass blog hop There are so many wonderful patterns and fun things to be inspired about Christmas.
    Regards from Western Canada,
    Anna

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  56. Enjoyed your video tutorial, your pattern is brilliant. Thank you.

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  57. What a cute way to wrap a gift book! Thanks for the pattern.

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  58. So quick and fun for one of those last minute gifts, thanks.

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  59. thank you for the runner pattern ... it's perfect to applique on it. love your family picture!

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  60. I love your family picture!!! And so lucky you get to see the tab in concert!

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  61. Thanks for the holiday inspiration and the patterns.

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  62. It is tough to get everyone together when they live in different states. Same at our house. Thanks for the gift pattern ideas.

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  63. Good ideas! I like the way you express your idea and the topic you choose. KEep on your sharing! I appreciate it. custom boxes

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  64. Thank you, wonderful tutorial!
    Merry Christmas ☺

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  65. Table runners are great. Its a good idea. Printed table runners and printed table cloths look great.

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  66. Thanks for sharing about Best Table Runner................

    Table Runner

    Trade Show Displays

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