We recently took a trip to Austin, Texas where we dropped in on our friend, Barbara Goldkorn who was teaching a 3-hour hands-on class. What a fun event!
Students made their own version of the Woven Table Runner featured in Barbara’s new book, Cutting-Edge Serger Techniques. Students made the table runner entirely with their own Baby Lock sergers—this way they’d be comfortable applying the techniques they learned in class on their own at home.
I’ll be the first to admit, I had no idea a serger was packed with so many innovative and creative features! What a great way to spend a day!
As the students discovered, making the table runner was the chance to learn new techniques and apply more familiar techniques in unexpected ways. The end result is not just a table runner—but new skills that can be used on countless other projects. What a great opportunity to expand the use of a serger! And if you don’t own a serger, you may be inspired to purchase one now!
When you think of binding, more than likely you imagine binding the edge of a quilt. But Barbara uses the technique in a more creative manner. Students attached a single fold binder to their Baby Lock sergers. Then they serged the binding fabric to the fabric strips.
The end result – strips of fabric with a beautifully finished edge. These strips will be used for weaving as shown below.
One of the really fun aspects of taking a class is the opportunity to see the different color schemes people select for their projects.
I love these traditional Christmas colors.
On the other end of the spectrum are pretty pastels! What a great way to welcome Spring any time of the year!
Here are some elegant snowflakes.
Festive reds!
Holiday prints with red and gold.
Students also learned how to shrink fabric. Yes, shrink fabric! There wasn’t a magic wand involved but I hear it was a seemingly magical product known as Texture Magic.
Here’s a look at the assembly process. There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment!
I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to create a table runner of my own. The hardest part—deciding what colors to use!
If you missed out on this fun class – don’t fret! Barbara’s book, Cutting-Edge Serger Techniques gives easy-to-follow step by step instructions with photos to ensure success.
73 COMMENTS
Judy Klep
10 years agoThe man’s tablerunner has no borders.
mgarland
10 years agoThe gentleman’s does not have a border
Judy Shirley
10 years agothere is only one gentleman in the group which is so nice to see and he has no borders.
Is there anywhere in Alberta Canada where you may purchase this book? To purchase it from the USA and the cost of shipping and everything else the book is almost gold plated. I really wish there was away to get stuff to Canada cheaper.
Cindy
10 years agoThe man did not get his border on his table runner.
Belinda Germain
10 years agoAt first glance I only noticed that there was only one man in the group, then I noticed all the others have a border, but his does not, unless he has it folded under.
Sandi Babcock
10 years agoThe lady in the center has no shoes on.
Joyce Fike
10 years agoThe lady is bare foot
Pam George
10 years agothe gentleman did not put boarders on his table runner and there is a bare foot lady in the group
Nancy Drake
10 years ago1 gentleman
1 table runner with no border
1 lady with no shoes
1 lady is not quite smiling
Susan kutybs
10 years agothere’s a great big man among several small women and one free-thinking lady with bare feet.
Lynn
10 years agoThere is a gentleman amongst the ladies.
Charlotte Silber
10 years agoThe one that is on left Gold and Brown she placed her textured fabric at the end and center.
Frances Powell
10 years agoThe gentleman’s does not have a border.
Kathy
10 years agoon the red one, she did not use two different fabrics to weave.
but weaved the same strips both ways
Valerie Gwara
10 years agoone gentleman
the center lady has no shoes
the gentleman’s runner has no border at all (a couple of the runners are obviously not finished and have only 1 border)
Cindy Carson
10 years agoOne lady has no shoes – great unless she finds a pin underfoot! The gent has no border. That would be me… not quite finished.
Judy
10 years agoOnly one man in the group and he did not put borders on his table runner! Going to see if I can find the book, look interesting. I don’t use my server enough, I an always looking for more things to make on it! Thanks
Shirley Clark
10 years agoOne lady is barefooted! LOL
Hilary McDaniel
10 years agoThe lady holding the red runner is bare footed. Her runner is a different pattern.
Ginny wright
10 years agoThe 2 ladies Ion the left only have borders on one side.
Cheryl
10 years agoOne man among the group of ladies, one lady is barefoot, one runner with no borders
Casie Williams
10 years agoThe gentleman’s project is borderless. Of course, he might just be a little behind in the process. 😀
Barbara McKenzie
10 years agoHmmm – there’s only one beard, there’s only one gray haired lady, there’s only one blond, there’s only one pair of flip-flops….I could go on and on! The table runners are beautiful!
Donna G.
10 years agoOne man, one runner with no borders, one woman with no shoes. But all with beautiful projects!
joyce
10 years agoThe lady in the center is barefoot and the man’s runner does not have a border.,
Kathie W
10 years agoThere is no border on the gentleman’s quilt project
M Sanders
10 years agoAgree with one man, one barefoot, one with no borders . . how about one over 6′ tall.
Linda Gillian
10 years agoThere is a man in the group of women. . . and HE is sewing and doing his project! Love it!
lB Lepech
10 years agoThere is a handsome gentleman amongst the ladies!!
the nut on the hill
10 years agothe man has his runner over his shoulder and the lady,s are
holder them with their hands.
Susan
10 years agoDifferences:
1 man
Man’s runner does not have a border and accent trim
Center lady is barefoot
Sheryl Colle
10 years agoThe 2nd lady from the left has squares and rectangles in her project.
Delores Angus
10 years agoOne gentleman sewist with a borderless runner.
One shoeless lady sewist.
Seven successful class participants! Fun!!
Teresa Niwinska
10 years agobarefoot, border (not done yet), beard (only one!)
Ronda Lynn Halvorsen-Ferns
10 years agoOne borderless handsome man amongst five beautiful maidens and one barefoot one…. Looks like an awesome class, loved Barb when she is on SWN!
Ronda from Bend
Denyse Rose
10 years agoThe gentleman doesn’t have a border on his piece. The lady in the middle doesn’t have shoes on. That’s the way I like to sew! Only one of the students has a beard – the man, of course! Everyone has a smile so it must have been a fun class!
Karen Poole
10 years agoThere’s one man among all the women in the picture!
Jackie Richardson
10 years agoThe woman with the red table runner is barefoot !!
Linda Horton
10 years agoThe lady with no shoes–love her free spirit.
The man has no border.
Love your blog!
Barbara Frangella
10 years agoThere is only one gentleman in the group, and the lady in the center is not wearing shoes!!!
Royce Zook
10 years agoSix women, 1 man. Six bordered runners, 1 border-less runner. Wouldn’t consider shoeless person as different from the others as there is also one who’s feet can not be seen, so 5, 1 & 1 does not fit the requirements.
Barbra Goldcorn did not write just a good Serger book, she also is a great Instructor and, with her husband Ron, owns a great Sewing Notion and Machine Store, Sew Much More in Austin, TX.
Nancy Weber
10 years agoThere is only one gentleman in the group and one of the projects is unfinished. Hugs.
edith goss
10 years agoThe different interpretation of one table runner
The length to which creativity can lead you,
Jean Russum
10 years agoOnly one man in the group.
Bonnie Gray
10 years agoOne man in the group and no borders on his runner.
Lori Albrecht
10 years agoone man
no shoes
two no borders not finished
one border one size the other side is not the same size to me but cant’ really tell for sure
man hangs over shoulder
two ladies hanging over they arms
one ladies doesn’t look woven
three name tags others not showing
one stops at the ruffled block
some showing the backs
Pat Bailey
10 years agoOne lady without shoes. Going for comfort.
judit z
10 years agoOne gentleman, one no border, one barefeet
Suzanne Doggett
10 years agoI see a proud gentleman with his unfinished project over his shoulder, but what stands out to me is my kind of sewing person right there in the middle of the pic. She has her shoes kicked off and can feel the pressure she has on the sewing foot
Judy Witzel
10 years agoThe woman in the blue sweater has square and rectangular blocks in
her runner.
The others are all square.
Cheryl Disotell
10 years agoOne gentleman…and his table runner has no border.
One lady barefoot.
And one lady has a small border and holding green fabric in hand that
And the lady on the side of her seems to have one border longer than table runner.
P.S. I do like the table runner tho. 🙂
Jeanne
10 years agoOne of the gals is barefoot and there is a man in the group.
Gail Beam
10 years agoOnly one man in the group who has no border on his table runner and one of the ladies is not wearing any shoes. The lady with the green table runner left the wide borders off her table runner making hers more narrow.
Judy Abbott
10 years agoOne man..one barefoot person
Carol K.
10 years agoOnly one man in the group. One of the ladies is barefoot
shirley simmons
10 years agoone man in the group
the man table runner has no border
the lady don’t have shoes on
JudiC
10 years agoOne borderless man in the group.
Nancy Moulson
10 years agoThere’s one gentleman, One lady with no shoes…….. One runner with no border Nancy
Pat Scull
10 years agoThe mans runner does not have a border.
I love the looks of this runner.
Kim M. Harrington
10 years agoThere is a barefoot sewer in the picture.
Kris Jacobson
10 years agoThe gentlemens table runner looks like it is going to be really long
Kris Jacobson
10 years agoalso it looks like two used contrasting fabric for the woven part and the others used the same fabric
Lynn
10 years agoOne table runner hasn’t any borders.
Debby Parke
10 years agoThe lady with red table runner has bare feet! All of the projects are very beautiful too!
Carolyn
10 years agoOne barefoot twinkle toes!!! One man in the group, and his runner is borderless.
Paule-Marie
10 years agoone man, one barefoot lady, one runner with no border, one runner woven with the same fabric in the woof and weft, no make that 3, and several that have only partial borders.
Sandy P
10 years agobare foot lady
Doreen
10 years agoI noticed a few differences in the picture.
1. 1 male
2. No border on male’s runner
3. One woman no shoes. Her red runner also looks shorter.
beth daniels
10 years agoThe man’s tablerunner does not have a border. A lady is barefoot.
Beverly Passwaters
10 years agoThe Lady with the red table runner doesn’t have any shoes on.
I think our serger club at Rich’s Sew and Vac are doing this technique in one of our up coming clubs in the new year. I just got the book and am excited to try the different projects in it.
Merry Christmas
Bev Passwaters
Albany OR
Nancy Athearn
10 years agoThe first thing I noticed is that the lady in the center is not wearing shoes. My kind of seamstress – a kindred spirit!
Carolyn Harris
10 years agoThere is one man among a group of women.
Robyn Bacchi
10 years agoIs this book available in Ausralia? Or as an ebook?