Hey everyone! Today we're making a festive table runner that lets some very cheerful Christmas characters run right down the middle of your table.
Here we go.
Meet the Fabric
This is the 12 Days of Christmas Character Red cotton fabric, from Quilting Treasures.
It comes from the 12 Days of Christmas collection by Julie Lynch for QT Fabrics.
It's 100% cotton, and it runs 44 to 45 inches wide. That's our standard quilting cotton width, folks. Easy to cut. Easy to plan around.
The print features beautifully illustrated holiday characters from that classic song. Lords-a-leaping. Maids-a-milking. And all the birds, too. Florals, ornaments, stripes, and stars are part of the wider collection, but this print is about the characters. They are the artwork here.
The color story is really really festive. That joyful red base leads the way. Then you get rich teal and jade. Charcoal and gray to ground it. Plus soft aqua, dark turquoise, and little touches of lime green.
That red makes a statement, y'all. It says Christmas is here. And because the characters are so expressive, we won't chop them up small. We'll cut wide and let them be seen.
The Project: A Festive Table Runner
A table runner is such a good weekend project. It is useful. It is giftable. And it changes the whole room without a big quilt commitment.
Finished size for this one is about 14 by 42 inches. That fits most dining tables nicely. It also works on a sideboard or a coffee table. Completely up to you.
Here's why this fabric suits it. A runner is one long, open space. Those characters get room to parade down the center. No tiny piecing hides them. And the red base does the decorating work for you. Super duper easy.
Materials
- 3/4 yard of this Character Red fabric for the center panel
- 1/4 yard of a teal, jade, or dark turquoise tonal for the narrow inner border
- 1/4 yard of a charcoal or gray tonal for the outer border
- 1/2 yard of backing fabric, or enough to cover 16 by 44 inches
- Thin batting at least 16 by 44 inches
- Matching thread, 50-weight for piecing
- 1/4 yard for binding, cut into 2 1/2-inch strips
- Your usual rotary cutter, ruler, and a fresh needle — I use a size 80/12 for piecing cotton like this
Brief Steps
Step 1: Cut the center panel. Cut one piece about 10 1/2 inches wide by 36 1/2 inches long from the Character Red fabric. Try to center a row of characters along the length. Take your time lining that up. It's not a race.
Step 2: Add the inner border. Cut two long strips 1 1/2 inches wide from your teal tonal and sew them to the long sides. Then cut two short strips for the ends. Press away from the center.
Step 3: Add the outer border. Cut border strips 2 inches wide from your charcoal or gray tonal. Sew long sides first, then ends, just like before. That dark edge frames the red really nicely.
Step 4: Layer and quilt. Layer backing, batting, and top. Pin or baste well. I like to stitch in the ditch around the center panel first. Then echo that line out into the border. Simple lines. No stress.
Step 5: Bind it. Join your 2 1/2-inch binding strips. Sew them around the edge with a quarter-inch seam. Fold to the back and finish by hand or machine. Just like that, you're done.
Practical Tips From My Table to Yours
Watch your cutting direction. These characters have a right side up. If you turn the panel sideways, your lords will be leaping the wrong way. Ask me how I know. Line everything up on the cutting table before that first cut.
Press, don't push. When you press those long borders, lift and set the iron down. Sliding it can stretch a long edge just a little. Slow down here and your runner will lay flat.
Keep the quilting simple. This print is busy in the best way. Heavy quilting will just fight it. A few straight lines at about 8 to 10 stitches per inch is plenty. Let the fabric shine.
And here's the permission part, folks. It does not have to be perfect. A border a hair wider on one end? Nobody at Christmas dinner is measuring. You're your own worst critic. Set the table, light the candles, and enjoy what you made.
If I can do this, y'all can do this. We're not reinventing the wheel here. We're just giving a pretty fabric a job it was made for.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 12 Days of Christmas Character Red Cotton Fabric 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
