Hey everyone. Today we're making a warm bed runner, and I'll show you how one wideback in a rich orange can dress up a whole bed.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the 108" Earth Tones Orange Leaf Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard from P&B Textiles.
It is cotton. It is 108 inches wide. And it has a unique leaf-like, textural print.
This colorway is orange. Warm, rich, and full of fall feeling. The product description tells us the Earth Tones group offers 15 rich, earthy colors. This orange is the one we're sewing with today.
P&B suggests it for the back of your next quilt. They also mention curtains or a duvet cover. A fabric built to cover that much ground can shine across a bed, too.
And that width is the real gift, y'all. At 108 inches wide, this fabric can cover a runner's full length in one piece. No piecing. No seam in the middle. Just like that, your cutting gets simpler.
The project: a bed runner
A bed runner is a long, narrow quilted strip. It lays across the foot of the bed. It adds color, texture, and a finished look.
I like to finish mine around 24 by 90 inches for a queen bed. That gives you the bed's width plus a nice drop on each side. Measure your own bed first. Completely up to you.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? First, that long single cut. Second, the leaf print gives you texture from end to end. You don't need busy blocks to make it interesting. Third, cotton is comfortable, familiar, and easy to sew. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
My preference is this print on top and back. It makes the runner reversible. But a solid backing works fine, too. Pick the look you like best.
Materials list
- About 2 yards of this 108-inch wideback for the top, back, and binding — one long cut gives you room for both sides
- Batting cut about 26 by 92 inches, so you have extra on every side before trimming
- Thread for piecing and quilting — cream, rust, or warm brown all sit nicely with this orange
- Binding: cut into 2 1/2-inch strips; a 24 by 90 inch runner has a 228-inch perimeter, so plan about 240 inches of binding with joins and corners
- Rotary cutter, long ruler, pins or clips, safety pins for basting, and a walking foot if you have one
Here is the math, because numbers help. Your finished runner is 24 by 90 inches. Cut your top and backing a little big, about 26 by 92 inches. That extra room forgives a little shifting while you quilt. Then you trim down clean at the end.
Brief steps
- Measure your bed first. Decide your finished length. Then press everything. Smooth fabric cuts straighter.
- Cut your top and backing to about 26 by 92 inches and square them up.
- Layer backing face down, batting, then top face up. Baste every 4 to 6 inches if you're pinning.
- Quilt it. Try straight lines with ruler work down the length. Or add a gentle meander, or echo the leaf shapes here and there. I aim for about 8 to 10 stitches per inch as a friendly guide — not a rule, just a guide.
- Trim square to 24 by 90 inches.
- Sew your binding around the edge, miter the corners, and tie off your ends cleanly.
Slow down near the long edges when you quilt. That's where layers love to shift. A walking foot helps feed them evenly. If a line wanders a little, the leaf texture hides it well. Ask me how I know.
Practical tips from my table
First, test your thread on a small scrap sandwich. Cream will show your quilting more. Rust will blend right in. Both are really, really pretty. Decide which look you want before you start.
Second, save those leftover strips. A matching pillow sham can come right out of them. Nothing wasted.
Third, quilt this one in sections of time. Ninety inches is a long pass under the machine. Stop, stretch, come back fresh. Take your time, it's not a race.
And here's the permission part, folks. It does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic. Folks will see a cozy bed dressed in warm orange leaves. They will not be measuring your corners.
If I can do this, y'all can do this. One pretty wideback, one long weekend project, and a bed that looks finished. Super duper satisfying.
Thanks for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 108" Earth Tones Orange Leaf Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
