Hey everyone. Today we're making a sweet table runner in a soft baby pink floral, start to finish in a weekend.
Here we go. No big quilt commitment. Just a pretty centerpiece for your table. Super duper easy, and super duper cute when it's done.
Meet the fabric first
This is the Baby Pink The Hill View Site fabric, from Sewing Sanctuary Quality Fabric.
It is 100% cotton. The width is 43 to 44 inches. That's your standard quilting cotton width, folks. Easy to cut. Easy to handle.
The color is right in the name. Baby pink. Soft and gentle, not loud at all.
It's tagged as a floral design, with a floral pattern. So the pink isn't just flat color. It has that garden feel woven right in.
That makes it a lovely pick when you want color without shouting. It brightens a table. It doesn't take over the whole room.
The project: a table runner
A table runner is a long, narrow quilted strip. It runs down the center of your table. Placemats and dishes sit on either side.
This fabric suits it really, really well. Quilting cotton holds its shape nicely. It presses crisp. It quilts flat.
And that baby pink floral deserves to be seen flat and whole. A runner shows it off. No tiny cutting. No chopping the pattern into bits.
My version finishes at 14 by 40 inches. That fits most dining tables nicely. It also works on a sideboard or a dresser.
You have options, folks. Make it longer for a big table. Make it shorter for a small one. My preference is 40 inches. Completely up to you, though.
Materials list
- 1/2 yard of Baby Pink The Hill View Site for the top — that gives you a piece 18 by 43/44 inches to trim down
- 1/2 yard of a coordinating cotton for the backing
- Thin cotton batting, at least 18 by 44 inches
- Binding fabric: about 1/4 yard, cut into 2 1/2-inch strips — you will need roughly 120 inches of binding
- All-purpose thread in soft white or pale pink
- A size 80/12 quilting needle for piecing, or 90/14 for quilting through the layers
- Rotary cutter, ruler, pins or clips, and a walking foot if you have one
My real numbers: cut the top and backing at 15 by 41 inches. Quilt first, then trim to a clean 14 by 40 inches before you bind. That little trim forgives a lot.
Brief steps
- Press your fabric well. Smooth cotton starts you off straight.
- Cut the top and backing to 15 by 41 inches. Keep your cuts square.
- Layer backing face down, batting, then the top face up. Smooth from the center out.
- Baste every 4 to 6 inches with pins or spray. Keep those layers friendly.
- Quilt with a soft meander, or echo lines about 2 inches apart. Follow the floral feel.
- Go slow around the edges. Slow down or the layers can shift on you.
- Trim the quilted runner to 14 by 40 inches, square and even.
- Sew on your binding, fold it over, and stitch it down. Just like that, you're done.
Practical tips from my table
Set your stitch length to about 3.0 millimeters for quilting. That's roughly 8 to 9 stitches per inch. It rides nicely over batting. It shows well, too.
For the binding seams, drop back to about 2.5 millimeters. Shorter stitches hold those joins secure.
Use your walking foot if you have one. Three layers love to creep. I learned that the honest way. My first runner ended a little wavy. The fix was simple. Rebaste, slow down, and sew it again.
Try stitch in the ditch if you want it quiet. Try a gentle freehand meander if you want it soft. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Both work beautifully on pink floral.
Here is your permission beat, folks. It does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic. A tiny wobble just proves a person made it. Take your time. It's not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Half a yard, one weekend, one fresh table. Alrighty, you've got this.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Baby Pink The Hill View Site 43"/44" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
