One Panel, Two Patriotic Projects: Making a Wall Hanging and Runner From a Single Kit
Most quilt kits make one thing. The America Beautiful Quilt Kit makes two: a wall hanging and a table runner, both built from a single panel. Designer Deb Strain and Coach House Designs teamed up on this pairing, and it is a clever bit of quilting math — one panel, cut and framed two ways, gives you a matched set for a wall and a table. Here is what the kit contains, how the two projects come together, and how to get the best result from panel fabric.
What You Make: A Matched Pair in Two Sizes
The two finished quilts measure 36" x 48" and 22" x 50". The 36" x 48" piece is sized as a wall hanging — large enough to anchor an entryway, a mantel wall, or a seasonal Americana display, small enough to hang from a simple rod or clips without sagging. The 22" x 50" piece is the runner: long and narrow, made to run down the center of a dining table, sideboard, or dresser with the panel artwork showcased along its length.
Because both projects come from the same panel and the same coordinating fabrics, they share one color story and one mood. Hang them in the same room and the space instantly looks pulled together — which makes this kit a smart choice for holiday decorating, a housewarming gift, or anyone who likes their seasonal quilts to coordinate rather than compete.
What Is Included in the Kit
The kit includes the fabric to make both the wall hanging and the runner, along with the binding for each project — so both pieces get their proper finished edge from what is in the box. It also includes the pattern, CHD 2012 from Coach House Designs, which walks you through cutting the panel and assembling both quilts.
The kit arrives in a compact box measuring 6.25" x 9.75" x 3", easy to store on a shelf or tuck into a gift bag. Note what the listing does not mention: backing and batting are not listed as included, so plan for those separately. The good news is that both projects are small — a wall hanging and a runner need only modest cuts of batting and backing, and many quilters will find suitable pieces already in their stash.
Skill Level and Time
Panel projects are among the most approachable quilts you can make, and this one suits a confident beginner on up. There is no intricate piecing to keep accurate: the panel does the artistic heavy lifting, and your job is cutting it true, adding the included fabrics around it, layering, quilting, and binding. If you can sew a consistent quarter-inch seam and bind a small quilt, you have every skill this kit asks for. Most makers can finish the runner in a day and the wall hanging over a relaxed weekend, quilting included — a fast turnaround for two finished pieces.
Tips for Success With Panel Fabric
Square the panel before you cut. Printed panels are not always perfectly on grain. Measure the printed design itself — not the fabric edges — and trim to the pattern's dimensions so your borders sit straight and the artwork does not lean.
Let the quilting support the picture. On a panel, heavy quilting can fight the artwork. Outline the main shapes, echo a few printed details, or use an allover meander in the background areas. A wall hanging also benefits from quilting that keeps it flat, so do not skip the background entirely.
Think about hanging early. Before you bind the 36" x 48" piece, decide how it will hang. A sleeve added during binding is the tidy option; small quilts also hang beautifully from clip rings or a decorative rod, which need no sleeve at all.
Press, don't push. Panel cotton can distort if you drag an iron across it. Lift and press instead, and your borders will meet the panel edges without ripples.
Two finished projects, one panel, and fabric, binding, and pattern all in a single small box — the America Beautiful kit is an efficient way to add a coordinated patriotic touch to both a wall and a table.
Shop the America Beautiful Quilt Kit at Linda's Electric Quilters.
