Bonus Projects for the Valentine 26 Mystery

 

Bonus Valentine 26 Mystery

Table Topper, Table Runner, Mug Rug

 

If you missed the reveal of the Valentine 26 Mystery, go back and look at Clue 5. Be sure to download all of the PDF’s as this pattern will be taken down and go into my Etsy Shop for sale after February 14^th, 2026.

In this Pattern Bonus, you can make a simple Mug Rug, a simple Table Topper and a simple Table Runner.

Table Runner:

This pattern can be adjusted to fit the length of your table by simply adding or subtracting Hearts and lengthening or shortening strip piece to work with the length you need.

You will need 3 of the completed heart blocks. For this example, I have mixed them up, using a block from clue 1, 2 and 3 and the completion in clue 4.

You will need:

2 strips of your background fabric that measure 2.25” x WOF.

1 strip of your accent fabric that measures 2.25” x WOF.

2 strips of your accent fabric that measure 3.5” x WOF

2 strips of your accent fabric that measure 3.5” x 12”

3 completed heart blocks

Using a ¼” seam allowance, stitch together a strip set using your 2 background strips and 1 accent strip. It should look like the photo below.

Sub cut this strip set into the following sizes:

2 that measure 2.5” and 2 that measure 6.75”

Layout your strip set cuts and your heart blocks as shown in the finished photo below.

Stitch one of the 2.5” strip set pieces to the top of one of your heart blocks, then stitch one of the 6.75” strip set pieces to the bottom of that heart, continue by attaching another heart, another 6.75” strip set, another heart and the final 2.5” strip set.

Using your 3.5 x WOF strips, Stitch one strip down each side of your Table Runner and trim even with the top and bottom.

Using your 3.5” x 12” strips, stitch one strip to the top and one to the bottom to complete your table runner. Trim even with your sides.

( I have purposely given some flexibility here for new quilter/sewists)

For your backing - Cut a piece of fabric that measures 13.5” x WOF.

Cut a piece of thin batting (Hobbs 80/20 or similar) the same size as your backing.

With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, lay your batting on top and then lay your table runner on top of that creating a “quilt sandwich”. Pin in place carefully, smoothing and making sure that your table runner is in the middle so that there is excess batting and backing all around it. Quilt as desired. For a Newby, I would quilt by stitching in the ditch. You can watch my video tutorial for the mug rug by clicking here, and that will demonstrate how to stitch in the ditch. Add your binding and you are finished.

Mug Rug

You will need:

1 finished heart block

A scrap of batting measuring 6.5” square

A scrap of backing measuring 6.5” square

Place your backing fabric, wrong side up, lay your batting on top and then place your heart block on top of your batting centering it so you have a margin of batting and backing all the way around your block. Pin all in place. Stitch in the ditch or quilt as desired. A video showing you how to stitch in the ditch is linked here. Trim away excess batting and backing even with your heart block. Finish by binding.  For new quilters, I will link a video binding tutorial for a mug rug here.

Star Table Topper

To make the Star Table Topper you will need the following:

4 completed heart blocks each measuring 5.75” square

2 strips of an accent fabric measuring 1.5” x 5.75”

2 strips of your accent fabric measuring 1.5” x 6.6”

1 square of a different accent fabric measuring 1.5” x 1.5” square

2 squares of background fabric measuring 4.75” square

Watch the video Tutorial linked Here. 

When you have made your topper block, watch the video tutorial here for instructions to complete your project.

Please send me photos of your completed projects, I would love to see them and will post them on our social media for you. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed this mystery.

 

 

 

 

Maple Sugar Table Topper Tutorial

Suitable for a beginner! You can make this easy Table Topper. Change up the fabrics and it can serve for any holiday or occasion you wish. The topper measures 18.5" x 18.5" square

For the center of this table topper, I used a piece of Kona Cotton Black which I had fun experimenting with.  Dying fabric using Tsukineko Ink which I picked up at the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, CA a few weeks ago. 

Below is a demo video I shot at the show which gives you an idea of the application process. You can use any focus fabric for your center, it does not have to be hand dyed. If you want to pick up these inks, you can get them at www.teacherstamp.com. This demo was given by Thomas Teng. He and his lovely wife Joyce are the owners of TSC Designs which has been a family owned business since 1985. They are able to answer all your questions about Tsukineko Inks.

For the Maple Sugar Table Topper you will need:

1.)  A square of focus fabric for your center - cut (1) 6.5" x 6.5"

2.)  Two coordinating and contrasting fabrics cut as follows:

Gold Batik  cut (4) 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles
                    cut (1) 7.5" square
                    cut (1) 2" x 9" strip

Burnt Orange Batik cut (1) 9" square
                                 cut (4) 3.5" x 3.5" squares
                                 cut (4) 3.5" x 6.5" squares
                                 cut (1) 2 x 9" strip
                                 cut (1) 2 x 16" strip
Batting (1) measure 20 x 20 (you will trim to fit after quilting)
Backing fabric (1) measure 20 x 20 
Binding Fabric cut (2) 2" or 2.5" x WOF strips, depending on how thick a binding you wish.

I have used the 3 x 6" Quilt-In-A-Day Flying Geese Ruler to make four flying geese as illustrated below.

Place the 7.5" square on top of the 9" square, centering them with right sides facing each other. Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other. Pin the squares together.

Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the drawn line as shown. Remove your pins and then press to set your seams, cut apart on the drawn line as shown below.

Open each half and press flat, make sure there are no tucks and that you have pressed the seam toward the large triangle. You should have two pieces that look like the photo below.

Place your pieces right sides together so that opposite fabrics touch and your seams are parallel with each other...DO NOT TRY TO MATCH YOUR SEAMS. Your pieces should look like the photo below with a "swallow tail" on each side. 

Again you will draw a diagonal line from corner to corner, pin and stitch on both sides of your drawn line as shown in the photo below.

When you have stitched on both sides of your drawn line, then you will remove your pins, press to set your seam and cut apart on the drawn line as shown below.

Now before you press these two halves open, you will make a little clip in the middle of your seam as shown below. Fold your fabric in half to find your middle and then make a little clip to the seam. I have made a wedge to show you the clip.

From the right side, press INTO one triangle. turn and press INTO the second triangle. Turn over and press on the wrong side. At the clipped seam, fabric is pressed AWAY from triangles as shown below.

Now don't freak out! You didn't sew it wrong! You should have two squares that look exactly like the photo below. And now the magic begins...

Place your ruler on your square and line up the solid teal lines with the peak of your triangle as shown below and trim away the excess.

Repeat this process for the remaining half of your square and also the the second square.  You will have four perfect flying geese!

There are lots of methods for making your flying geese, if you like another method, use that...you want your geese to measure 3.5" x 6.5" (they will finish in the quilt at 3" x 6")

Now take your flying geese unit and matching up a 3.5" x 6.5" rectangle of your gold batik stitch them together on the long side that does not have the point of the geese as shown below. Press to the rectangle. Create four of these and set them aside.

Take your  (2) 2" x 9" strips...one of the gold batik and one of the burnt orange batik and match them together. Stitch a 1/4" seam down one side to create a strip set as shown below. I have made this larger than needed to allow you some wiggle room when cutting.

From your strip set, cut (4) pieces that measure 2" x Width of your Strip set which should be 3.5". They should look like the photo below.

Now take your 2" x 16" strip of burnt orange and placing that under your needle...lay your strip set pieces that you just cut on top of that strip, right sides together and making sure that you have the golden batik piece at the bottom closest to you, stitch them as shown below...leave yourself a little room between each piece...about 1/2 an inch should be plenty.  Press open to the long strip and then trim apart. Each little block you just constructed should measure 3.5" Square. This is a good time to square them up.

To the squares above we will be adding a 3.5" square of the burnt orange and a 3.5" x 6.5" rectangle of the burnt orange.

You will be creating (4) of these units.  First we will attach the 3.5" square to the units shown above using a 1/4" seam. As you lay them out to stitch, make sure that your gold batik square is under your needle first and place the burnt orange 3.5" square on top as shown below. 

Construct (4) of these and press the seam to the 3.5" square. Now we will add the 3.5" x 6.5" rectangle to our unit. Lay them all out as shown below so you are stitching them all the same.  Use a 1/4" seam allowance and stitch the long strip to the pieced unit as shown.

Create (4) of the units shown below.

You are ready to lay out your table topper. There are many possibilities at this point depending on which way you turn your geese unit. Below are some possibilities.

Once you have decided on your layout. Stitch your topper together in rows as shown below. Then finish by stitching your rows together. Press your top and bottom rows to the outside, away from the geese unit.  Press your center row toward your center block away from your geese units. This will let you nest your seams when you stitch them for perfect matching.

Make your quilt sandwich with batting and backing and quilt as desired. When you are finished quilting, trim your batting and backing to your topper and then bind for a finished topper.

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial. Experiment with different fabrics and be sure to share a photo with me when you have finished your Maple Sugar Table Topper! I always love to see what you create. Happy Quilting! Special Thanks to Brittany Kay for her sweet suggestion of Maple Sugar for the name!

Mistletoe Table Topper Tutorial

This little mistletoe table topper is just perfect for Christmas and pretty enough to leave out year round. I'm going to go over some basics in this tutorial. You can select any kind of fabric you want.

You will need the following:

1- 12.5"x 12.5" square of background fabric

2- 5" x 5" squares of background fabric

A wide mouth jar ring

8" by WOF light weight Pellon fusible.

A pencil or a permanent marking pen. (something to draw with)

A focus fabric, the amount will depend on how far apart your focused interests are...you will need four focus pieces.

Batting and backing 22" square.

2- 2.5" x WOF strips for binding.

Take your 12.5"square background fabric and press in half both ways, also press again in half on the diagonal both ways to look like the photo below. This creates a "grid" for you to lay out your design and match up your side pieces.

                           

Now take your two 5" squares and cut them on the diagonal as shown in the photo below. Set them aside for now.  These will be your "star" tips later.

Now take your wide mouth canning jar ring and use it to draw 4 circles on the paper side of your fusible as shown below.

Now use your wide mouth canning ring to select the focus area on your fabric that you want to feature in your ornament.  Cut a square of fabric that gives you enough room to move your fusible paper around to get your design centered as you wish.

Once you have isolated your focus feature and cut it out, place your fusible on the backside of your fabric, with the paper up and press into place.

Trim away the excess cutting out your circle on the line. Repeat this so you have 4 "ornaments".

Lay your "ornaments" out on your background fabric, using the pressed "grid" to lay them out in a pleasing design. Peel off the paper backing and press them into place according to your fusible directions.

Print out the pattern for the mistletoe and trace the design onto the paper side of your fusible. You will need to make 4.                        

                          PDF PATTERN FOR MISTLETOE

Again, press your fusible design onto the backside of your selected fabric and then cut out carefully on the lines.

Place your mistletoe as you like it and press into place.

To make the top of the ornament...draw a circle using a bobbin and a removable marker...you can either hand stitch or zigzag a couple times across to make the top of the ornament hanger. You can blanket stitch around the ornaments or simply straight stitch close to the edge for a raw edge finish. Embellish as desired.

To create the star points, take the triangle pieces you cut earlier from the 5" squares and fold them point to point. Finger press on the long edge to create a crease.

Line the crease on the triangle with the crease on your 12.5" square and folding right sides together, pin into place and stitch 1/4" along the edge.

Fold out and press seam to the outside. Lay your backing fabric wrong side up, your batting on top of that and place your star topper right side up on top of that to create your quilt sandwich. Quilt as desired. Once quilted, trim away your excess batting and backing and bind. 

For more tips and ideas refer to: Christmas Table Topper Tutorial

Posting will be updated with binding.