Hey everyone. Today we're making a bright bed runner that wakes up a whole bedroom with one long, happy strip of color.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the Grunge 108-inch Wide Back in Turquoise.
It is by BasicGrey for Moda.
The collection is Grunge.
The pattern number is 11108 298.
The color is Turquoise.
And the material is 100% cotton.
It layers a painterly, hand-dyed texture.
That texture runs across extra-wide turquoise yardage.
It was made for seamless quilt backing.
That is the listing's main job for it.
Backing quilts with no piecing seams.
No joins down the middle.
Just one smooth, wide piece.
This fabric is 108 inches wide.
That width is the whole story here.
It is sold by the yard.
It comes through High Country Quilts.
And today, we are flipping the idea.
We are not hiding this color on the back.
We are putting it right on top of the bed.
Where everybody can see it.
Why it suits a bed runner
A bed runner is a long, narrow quilt.
It lays across the foot of the bed.
It adds color without covering everything.
It is smaller than a full quilt.
So it sews up much faster.
Super duper fun for a weekend.
This Turquoise fabric suits it beautifully.
First, that 108 inch width.
A queen bed is about 60 inches wide.
A king is about 76 inches wide.
Your runner needs to cross that, plus drape.
One cut of this fabric crosses it easily.
No piecing the length together.
Just like that, your long edge is done.
Second, that painterly Grunge texture.
It reads rich, not flat.
It gives you depth in a single fabric.
You do not need ten prints to make it interesting.
One fabric can carry the whole runner.
Or add a simple border if you like.
That choice is completely up to you.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
One wide panel, a little batting, and binding.
That is a really really good project.
Materials list
- Grunge Turquoise wideback — 2 yards total, enough for the runner top, the backing, and binding strips, using the full 108 inch width
- Low-loft cotton batting — one piece about 26 x 92 inches for a queen runner
- Thread — 50 weight cotton for piecing and quilting, in a turquoise or soft aqua that blends
- A size 80/12 or 90/14 needle for sewing and quilting the cotton layers
- Rotary cutter, long ruler, cutting mat, pins, and a good iron
- Optional walking foot — helpful for keeping the three layers feeding evenly
Measure your own bed first, folks.
Beds and mattresses vary a bit.
My queen runner finishes about 24 x 90 inches.
That gives about 15 inches of drape per side.
For a king, aim for about 24 x 106 inches.
Adjust your cut to fit your bed.
Brief steps
Step 1: Prewash and press your fabric well.
Square up one end carefully.
Trim the selvages.
Take your time here.
It is not a race.
Step 2: Cut your top panel.
Cut it 24 1/2 x 90 1/2 inches.
That allows for 1/4 inch seams if you add a border.
No border? Cut it to your finished size plus binding room.
Step 3: Cut your backing a little bigger.
Cut it about 26 x 92 inches.
Cut your batting the same size.
Layer backing wrong side up, batting, then top right side up.
Step 4: Pin or baste the layers well.
Smooth from the center out.
Keep it flat, but do not stretch it.
Step 5: Quilt it simply.
Try straight lines about 2 inches apart.
Or try a soft meander, freehand style.
Or stitch in the ditch along any border seams.
Use about 10 to 12 stitches per inch.
Slow down at the long edges.
Slow down or the layers can shift and pucker.
Step 6: Trim, square up, and bind.
Cut binding strips 2 1/2 inches wide.
Sew them on at 1/4 inch.
Fold to the back and finish by hand or machine.
Tie off your ends clean.
Press the finished runner flat.
Lay it across the foot of the bed.
Practical tips
Test your quilting line on a scrap sandwich first.
Check your tension before you commit.
I have quilted a whole row, then looked underneath.
Oh my goodness, what a nest.
We admit it, fix it, and move on.
Use that test scrap and save yourself the seam ripper.
Press as you go, y'all.
That one habit makes a simple runner look finished.
And let that turquoise be the star.
Keep pillows and bedding simple around it.
The color will do the work.
Here is your permission beat, friends.
It does not have to be perfect.
You are your own worst critic.
If a quilting line wanders a little, let it be.
Nobody at the foot of your bed is measuring it.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty, go make that bed smile.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 108" Grunge Turquoise 11108 298 45" wide fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
