Hey everyone. Today we're making a simple table runner that lets a bold print do all the talking.
The fabric first
Our star today is Blocks Pink, from the Colori collection by Estè MacLeod for Free Spirit Fabrics.
It's a quilting cotton, 44/45 inches wide, sold by the yard.
Colori is a vibrant, modern collection. Think joyful colour. Think playful stars, blossoms, hoops, and ribbons.
Estè mixes organic shapes with geometric shapes, too. The result feels fresh and rhythmic. Almost kaleidoscopic, in the best way.
Her signature birds, florals, and plant motifs run through the collection, in bright, energetic palettes.
Blocks Pink brings that geometric side forward. Those blocky shapes read clean and modern on a table. And y'all, that matters for a runner. A runner is a long, narrow stage. A print with rhythm carries the whole length without getting lost.
We're not reinventing the wheel here. We're picking a fabric with built-in movement, then keeping the sewing simple.
The project: a weekend table runner
Our finished runner measures about 16 inches by 44 inches. That's a friendly size for most dining tables and sideboards.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? Three reasons.
First, scale. A runner shows off a long, uncut stretch of print. You get to see those blocks repeat and play together.
Second, effort. One good print means no piecing marathon. No twenty fabrics to audition.
Third, payoff. Lay this down the middle of a plain table and the room changes. Just like that.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. This is a Saturday-morning project, not a semester-long commitment.
What you'll need
- 1 yard of Blocks Pink Colori cotton for the top — that gives you room to straighten the cut and choose your favorite stretch of print
- 1/2 yard of a coordinating solid or blender for the backing, or one piece about 18 by 46 inches
- Cotton batting, one piece about 18 by 46 inches
- 1/4 yard for binding, cut into 2 1/2-inch strips, or about 130 inches of ready-made double-fold binding
- Matching all-purpose thread for piecing and a thread you like for quilting
- Rotary cutter, mat, and a long ruler
- Pins or clips, an iron, and your sewing machine with a walking foot if you have one
Brief steps
1. Cut the top. Press your fabric first. Then cut one rectangle 16 1/2 inches by 44 1/2 inches. Take a second before you cut. Shift the rectangle so a nice run of blocks sits down the center. Completely up to you where it lands.
2. Layer it up. Lay the backing wrong side up. Center the batting on top. Then center the runner top, right side up. Smooth from the middle outward. Pin or spray-baste every 4 to 5 inches.
3. Quilt it simply. This is where the print guides you. I like to echo the block shapes with straight lines about 1/4 inch from the printed edges. Set your stitch length to about 3.0, roughly 8 to 9 stitches per inch. A walking foot helps all three layers travel together evenly.
You could also meander gently across the whole thing. Or stitch in the ditch along a few shapes. All three work. My preference is the echo quilting. It suits that geometric rhythm.
4. Trim and bind. Trim the sandwich even with the top, keeping your edges square. Join your 2 1/2-inch binding strips, press them in half lengthwise, and sew the binding on with a 1/4-inch seam. Miter the corners, then fold the binding to the back and stitch it down by hand or machine.
Practical tips from my table to yours
Press, don't iron. Lift and set the iron down instead of pushing it. Pushing can stretch a long, narrow piece out of square. Ask me how I know. I've made that banana-shaped runner, folks. Measure both long sides before you bind. If one side wandered, trim gently back to square first.
Slow down at the corners when you bind. Really. A rushed miter puffs up. A patient one lies flat and looks sharp.
And here's your permission beat, because I mean it. Your quilting lines do not have to be perfect. A little wobble in an echo line just looks hand-guided, because it is. You're your own worst critic here. Everyone else sees a bright, happy runner on your table. Take your time. It's not a race.
Want it longer? Add length before you cut, in 6-inch steps, and cut extra binding to match. The method stays exactly the same. Super duper easy to adjust.
Alrighty, that's our runner. Thanks so much for sewing along with me, friends. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Blocks Pink Colori Cotton 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
