Hey everyone! Today you're going to learn how to make a simple bed runner that dresses up the foot of a bed without covering the whole quilt.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This is the Black Footstool Charcoal Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard from Benartex.
It is cotton.
It is 108 inches wide.
It was made by Pat Sloan.
The colors are black and charcoal gray.
Those deep, moody tones go with so much.
They sit pretty on a white or cream bed cover.
They add contrast on a lighter quilt, too.
The design brings in flowers and leaves.
That softens all that dark color, just a bit.
You get drama, but you still get pretty.
And because it is a wideback, you get room to work.
One cut can span the foot of a bed.
No piecing narrow widths together.
No seam running right where your eye lands.
Just like that, the fabric does the hard part.
We will let it be the whole top.
We will use it for the backing, too.
Why this fabric suits a bed runner
A bed runner is a long, narrow quilt.
It lays across the foot of the bed.
Ours will finish about 26 by 88 inches.
That fits across a queen bed nicely.
It gives you drop on both sides.
Completely up to you on the exact size.
Measure your own bed and adjust the length.
This fabric suits a runner really, really well.
At 108 inches wide, the length is easy.
You cut across the width and you are there.
The black and charcoal tones anchor the bed.
The flowers and leaves keep it from feeling heavy.
And a runner is a low-commitment make.
You get a whole new look for the room.
But you did not have to remake the bed quilt.
Super duper easy, and super duper fun.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Materials list
- Black Footstool Charcoal Cotton Wideback Fabric — 1 1/2 yards; that covers the top, a one-piece backing, and binding strips, thanks to the 108 inch width
- Batting — 1 piece about 28 by 90 inches
- Dark all-purpose thread for quilting and binding
- Sewing machine with an 80/12 universal needle
- Rotary cutter, long ruler, pins, and a fabric marker
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
One fabric, one batting, and a free afternoon.
That is the whole supply list, folks.
Brief steps
- Press the wideback well. Lay it flat on a big table or the floor. Check which way the flowers and leaves run before you cut anything.
- Cut the top panel 26 by 88 inches. Keep the design running the way you want it across the bed.
- Cut the backing 28 by 90 inches from the same wideback. That gives you about 1 inch of extra backing on every side.
- Layer the sandwich. Backing wrong side up, batting in the middle, top panel right side up on top.
- Baste the layers. Pin every 4 to 6 inches, working from the center out to the edges.
- Quilt it simply. Start with long, gentle lines down the length of the runner, spaced a few inches apart. Or use a soft meander all over.
- Use a 2.5 mm stitch length, about 10 stitches per inch. Take your time on the long runs.
- Trim the sandwich even with the top panel. Check both corners and both long edges as you go.
- Cut binding strips 2 1/2 inches wide from the leftover wideback. Join them, attach the binding, miter the corners, and stitch it down.
- Lay the finished runner across the foot of the bed. Step back and enjoy that contrast.
Practical tips from my table
Check the direction of the design twice.
Cut it once.
I have laid a runner out sideways before.
Oh my goodness, those leaves were climbing the bed.
The fix was simple, thank goodness.
I turned the panel before I quilted it.
That is why we check before the pins go in.
Press dark fabric from the back when you can.
It keeps the front looking smooth and clean.
And go slow on those long quilting lines.
Slow down or the line starts to wander.
It's not a race, folks.
Short breaks help on a piece this long.
Now, the permission beat.
Your lines do not have to be perfect.
Your corners do not have to match mine.
You are your own worst critic, I promise.
Drape this runner over a bed, and all anyone sees is a beautiful finish.
That is the whole point.
Alrighty, thank y'all so much for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Black Footstool Charcoal Cotton Wideback Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
