Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to make a simple bed runner with warm safari style.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is 32742C Savanna Sunrise.
It comes from Windham Fabrics.
The collection is Savanna Sunrise.
And the pattern number is 32742C.
It gathers African savanna motifs together.
Think safari-morning warmth and grassland calm.
It is a wildlife novelty print.
And it has a peaceful, outdoorsy feel.
This is quilting cotton fabric.
It is 45 inches wide.
And it is sold by the yard.
I love a print like this.
It brings the whole room a story.
You don't need much else going on.
Really really pretty, y'all.
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.
And it protects your main bedding, too.
Ours will finish 24 inches wide.
And it will finish 82 inches long.
That drapes nicely on a queen bed.
Completely up to you.
This fabric suits it for good reasons.
The savanna motifs need room to breathe.
A long runner gives them that room.
You can show off the wildlife scene.
No tiny cutting chops it up.
Quilting cotton presses flat and crisp.
It layers cleanly with batting, too.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
One pretty panel, simple borders, done.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
What you will need
- This Savanna Sunrise fabric — 2 1/4 yards, enough for the long center panel cut lengthwise, with a little left over
- Coordinating solid or tonal cotton — 3/4 yard, for the side borders and binding
- Backing fabric — 2 1/2 yards of 45-inch-wide cotton, pieced down the middle if needed
- Cotton batting — one piece at least 28 by 86 inches
- All-purpose thread to match, plus a quilting thread you love
- A fresh 80/12 needle, rotary cutter, ruler, and mat
- Pins or clips, and your favorite marking tool
Brief steps
- Cut your center panel first. Cut it 18 1/2 inches wide by 82 1/2 inches long, running the length of the fabric. Center the motifs you love best. Take your time here. This cut sets the whole look.
- Add the side borders. Cut two strips 3 1/2 inches wide by 82 1/2 inches long from your coordinate. Sew one to each long side. Use a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Press the seams toward the borders.
- Layer it up. Lay the backing right side down. Smooth the batting over it. Then center your runner top, right side up. Baste with pins or spray. Smooth from the middle outward.
- Quilt it simply. Stitch in the ditch along both border seams first. Then echo those lines, or add a gentle meander across the panel. Keep the quilting open and loose. Let the savanna motifs stay the stars.
- Trim and bind. Square up the edges, then bind with 2 1/2-inch strips from your coordinate. Join the strips on the diagonal. Sew the binding on, then finish it by machine or by hand.
Practical tips
Let's talk numbers for a minute.
I sew runners with a 2.5 stitch length.
That is about 10 stitches per inch.
It holds well and quilts smoothly.
For quilting, lengthen it a touch.
Try 3.0 and see how you like it.
An 80/12 needle handles quilting cotton fine.
Slow down over the thick border seams.
Pushing fast there can snap a needle.
Ask me how I know, y'all.
I have bent one doing exactly that.
The fix is easy, though.
Slow down, and let the machine walk.
Now, about that center panel cut.
Lay the fabric out fully first.
Look at where the motifs fall.
Shift your ruler before you cut.
A two-inch shift can change everything.
And here's your permission beat, friends.
Your quilting lines do not need perfection.
You're your own worst critic here.
Nobody else will ever notice it.
Take your time, it's not a race.
Want a different look entirely?
Piece the center from big squares instead.
Cut them 12 1/2 inches square.
Seven in a row gets you close.
That shows each motif like a picture.
Or skip the borders altogether.
A single wide panel looks modern.
My pick is the bordered panel.
But it is completely up to you.
When it's done, lay it over plain bedding.
Oh my goodness, it warms up a room.
Just like that, your bed looks dressed.
Thanks for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 32742C Savanna Sunrise 45" wide fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
