Quilted Holiday Table Runner
There's no better way to get in the festive spirit than to decorate your table with a holiday table runner! I love this design because it can show off several fun prints and it always catches our attention. It's also pretty quick to make!
Let's jump right into the tutorial so you can get started!
--
Supplies:
5 different woven prints for the strips, 1/4 yard each
1 coordinating print for the outer trim, 1/4 yard
1 main print for the back side, 1 yard
quilt batting, 1 yard
--
First, gather your fabric selections. Decide which ones you want for the strips and which one you want for the outer trim.
This project is quickest if you use a rotary cutter to cut the rectangles. If you don't have one, you can use a yardstick to mark the fabric and scissors to cut it. These instructions show how to use the rotary cutter.
Take your first fabric and lay it out on your cutting mat, with its folded corner at the bottom corner of your mat. (If the bottom edge of the fabric isn't even, trim it so it is a straight line.) Measure up the amount needed, in this case it is 4", and lay the yardstick straight across.
Use the rotary cutter to cut through the layers, all across the fabric. This will create a 4" tall strip that has the width of the fabric. Repeat this step to create another strip that is 4" tall. Then use your rotary cutter to cut the strips so they are the exact measurements below:
Cut 4 strips: 4" x 12" each
Repeat the cutting steps with your other 4 strip fabrics until you have a total of 20 strips.
Decide what order you want the prints arranged in. Pick up one of each print and stack them in the order you want them, and then repeat a second, third, and fourth time. When you're done you should have a repeating pattern of strips in one big stack, as shown above. You're ready to take them to your sewing machine!
Lay your first strip down with its right side up. Then lay the second strip on top of it (upside down), with right sides together. Sew along the upper long edge, as shown in yellow above, using a 3/8" seam allowance.
After sewing, open up the fabric so it looks like the photo above. Use a pin to mark the "end" strip so you won't waste time trying to figure out which end to add onto each time. In the photo above, I placed the pin in the pumpkin. This will always be the end strip.
Take the third piece and sew it to the top of the second, again with right sides together and the pattern upside down.
Then add the fourth piece to the top of that, as shown above. Continue adding strips to the top, each time being sure to match right sides together and to have the print upside down, so it will be right side up after flipping it.
When you have half of your strips sewn on, you may want to start flipping your directional prints the other direction, so they will be "right side up" on both ends of the table runner. Notice in the photo above that the red mark indicates the "middle" of the table runner, and from there the directional prints are pointing toward the ends of the table runner. This isn't completely necessary but it's a nice detail to watch if your prints are all directional.
When you have all 20 strips sewn in place, you are ready to topstitch them! A sure way to have even topstitching is to set your needle 1/8" to the side (most machines have this setting) and then you can aim straight down the seam while sewing, and the stitching will be 1/8" to the side. Look closely at the photo above, to see that the foot is aimed down the center of the seam while the needle is off to the left side. As you topstitch, be sure to catch the seam allowance underneath as you sew. Also be sure to have your seam allowances/topstitching go in the same direction for all of the strips.
When you are done topstitching all your seams, lay it out and admire your work!
Now you're ready to cut the outer trim that will go around the edges! For most patterns I cut all my pieces at the beginning, but for this project I wait until this point to cut these strips, just to make sure that the strips ended up at the length I expected. At this point, your table runner should be approximately 65.75" long. If that's the case, then you're ready to cut your outer strips. (If not, then you may need to add to the lengths below.)
Cut 4 strips: 2.5" x 34
Take two of the long strips and match them with right sides together on one end. Sew them together as shown in yellow above, using a 3/8" seam allowance.
Repeat with the other two long strips.
You should now have two very long strips. They are much longer than you need for the side edges, but you will be trimming off the excess AFTER sewing, to use the excess for the trim on both ends of the table runner.
Lay the table runner out flat with its right side up. Starting on one end, match the strip to the long edge, with right sides together. Sew in place along the edge, as shown in yellow.
Flip the fabric out and topstitch by sewing 1/8" from the edge.
Take the other long strip and do the same on the other long edge of the table runner. Sew it in place, then flip it out and topstitch.
You are now ready to trim off the excess of the trim, if you did not do so already. There should be just enough left over to match up with the ends of the table runner, as shown above. Match with right sides together, then sew in place. Flip out and then topstitch. Repat on the other end of the table runner.
The top of your table runner is done! Admire your work and get ready to add the batting layers and back. You will want to lay the table runner out on a very large surface where it can lay completely flat.
You are ready to cut the back fabric. Again, I usually cut all the fabric at the beginning, but I wait until now to cut the back of the table runner, just in case the measurements aren't quite what I expect them to be. Check your measurements to make sure your table runner is approximately 16" x 68" or less. If it is much more than that, you may need to add to the measurements of the back fabric.
Take the back fabric and cut it so you have two pieces that are 17" x 35" each.
Match them on the short edges, right sides together, and sew them so they make one long panel. Open it up and topstitch the seam. Your back panel should now be approximately 17" x 69." This is intentionally a bit larger than your front panel.
Do the same with your batting so it is also approximately 17" x 69."
You are now ready to stack your layers and it is very important to stack them in the correct order!
First, lay out the cotton batting on the bottom.
Then place the back panel on top of the batting, with its right side facing up. The layers should match pretty evenly but make sure they match perfectly on ONE long edge.
Then place the front quilted panel on top of them, this time face down so they are right sides together. Again be sure that ONE long edge matches the other two layers perfectly.
With the three layers stacked, pin or clip them together along the one long edge that matches perfectly. Then adjust as needed and trim off the excess of the two bottom layers, being sure not to cut into the quilted layer at all.
When the edges are matching neatly, pin or clip in place all around, until it looks like the photo above.
You are now ready to sew all around the table runner, leaving a 6" opening on one of the long sides, as shown in yellow. Use a precise 3/8" seam allowance as you sew, following the edge of the quilted panel (not the batting) to make sure your quilted top stays neat and even. After sewing, use scissors to clip the four corners close to the stitching.
Use the opening to turn the table runner right side out. Use a chopstick or small ruler to make the corners nice and square.
Use an iron to make the edges even and crisp. Iron on the top side to make sure the bottom fabric does not come up to the top. See the photo above.
At the opening, carefully iron to create folds that blend in with the existing seams.
You are ready to topstitch to create the quilting effect on your table runner! Look carefully at the yellow markings above! Do NOT sew right along the edge of the table runner, except at the area where you need to sew the opening shut. Topstitch that small edge portion only, 1/8" from the edge. Then using the picture above as your guide, topstitch along the seams where the trim meets the strips. Then sew another 1/2" out from that edge, creating a stitching line approximately halfway through the trim. Then topstitch along the seams of each of the strips. See the photo below before stitching.
Rather than sewing 1/8" from the seams, this time you will "stitch in the ditch" by sewing directly down the seams. It creates a neater quilting look, but make sure you take your time and sew carefully to stay on the lines. Also be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each of your stitching lines, to keep them secure.
When you are all done, your table runner should look something like this!
Throw it on your table, add some decor, and enjoy your festive new look!
I hope you love sewing this project as much as I do! I would love to see your photos when you're done, so please share them in our sewing community or in the blog comments below!
--
Happy Sewing!