Candy Applique Table Topper

Use metallic thread and your applique skills to make this gorgeous, homemade Christmas craft from C&T Publishing. The candy applique table topper is the perfect finishing touch for a holiday table.

Materials:

• Blue: 1 yard for background and backing
• Red: 1/2 yard for candy cane appliqués and binding
• White: 1/2 yard for round mint candy and candy cane appliqués
• Green: 13˝ × 16˝ rectangle (or a fat quarter) for round mint candy appliqués
• Batting: 16˝ × 44˝
• Fusible web (18˝ wide): 11/8 yards
• Patterns

Instructions:
Cutting Fabrics

1. From Blue: Cut 1 rectangle 14˝ × width of fabric for the background.
    
2. Remove the selvages.
    
3. Cut 1 rectangle 16˝ × width of fabric for the backing.
    
4. Remove the selvages.*
    
5. *Cut the backing in half, and add a coordinating inset to the backing as desired to make it larger than the background piece.
    
6. From Red: Cut 4 strips 21/2˝ × width of fabric for the binding.

Creating the Appliqués

1. All the appliqué template patterns can be downloaded by clicking the link in the Materials section. They are printed actual size and are reversed for tracing onto fusible web. Cut out the round mint candy appliqués and candy cane appliqués from white fabric. (Cut the complete candy cane shape.)
2. Cut out the green fabric segments for the mint candies and the red segments (numbered 1–5) for the candy canes.
3. Refer to Fusible Appliqué Preparations for additional instructions on creating the appliqués.

Positioning and Fusing the Appliqués

1. Remove the paper backing from the appliqués. Refer to the project photo and the illustration for placement.
    
2. Arrange the appliqués on the background, overlapping as desired. Place the green mint candy segments on top of the white circle appliqués, alternating with the white spaces. For the candy canes, place the red segments on top of the white appliqués as shown, alternating with the white spaces.
    
3. Be sure to place the fusible side of the fabric against the background. Finger-press the appliqués into place. Remember that there is a 1/4˝-wide seam allowance for binding on all sides of the background. Two of the round mint candy appliqués and both candy canes extend into this seam allowance.
    
4. When you’re satisfied with the arrangement of all of the appliqué pieces, fuse them into place on the background, following the manufacturer’s instructions for the fusible web you’re using. Trim the excess appliqué fabric from the sides of the runner.

Quilting and Finishing

1. Sandwich the batting between the runner top and backing, wrong sides together, smoothing the top outward from the center. Pin the layers together.
    
2. Quilt as desired. I used gold metallic thread in a looping circle pattern over the whole runner, including the appliqués.
    
3. Satin stitch around the outside of each appliqué as well as between all candy segments. I used green metallic thread for the round mint candy and red metallic thread for the candy canes.
    
4. Bind the runner.