Friday morning's class at the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo in Chantilly, VA  was In the Hoop Trapunto Table Runner, sponsored by Husqvarna Viking.  I've been wanting to learn how to do Trapunto style in quilting, and if can be done in the hoop on my embroidery machine, that would be perfect!

The Trapunto technique produces puffed-up areas like this example:

Modern trapunto design. Source: http://designersaur.wordpress.com/tag/tapunto/

In the class I was in, we embroidered a design on hooped fabric and batting.  To complete the table runner, we added a border and used a couple of tools to produce mitered corners and a folded-over backing-binding.    I ran out of time at the end of class to complete the backing/binding so I needed to finish it at home.

My flat table runner at the end of class.

The design does not look Trapunto-style at all.  In fact, it looks pretty darn flat.  When I asked the instructor what was Trapunto about this runner, she said that the class kit contained the wrong batting.  It should have contained the polyester higher-loft batting, not the standard cotton batting we were provided.

Once home, I thought I would try to improve it.  I found instructions from Viking on using embroidery to make a Trapunto Table Runner.  The instructions indicate to trim the stitched designs and batting to 1/4 inch outside the stitching line.  So I trimmed the batting away from the back of the designs as much as I could, and added another layer of batting for the entire table runner, and stitched-in-the-ditch.  After it is done, it didn't really make a difference.

Completed and non-trapunto looking.

I have to say that this class was disappointing.  I didn't do anything special that I could not have done at home.   Also, what I came to learn, Trapunto, did not happen.  The good news is that I got to shop the vendors after class and find more new projects and tools for my hobby.  I also have another class tomorrow for more fun!

Happy Stitching!