Hey everyone! Today we're making a warm bed runner, and you're going to learn how one brown wideback can be the top, the back, and the binding.
Here we go. The fabric we're spotlighting is the Brown Wishwell Cedar Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard, from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. This is a cotton wideback, and it measures 108 inches wide. That width is the whole secret here, folks.
The color story is warm brown, with lighter brown tones in the mix. The product notes list it as a patterned print, and the tags name Vanessa Lillrose and Linda Fitch with the Wishwell design. Cozy. Calm. Really, really good across the foot of a bed.
Because it's 108 inches wide, one cut runs the full length of our runner. No piecing. No seam down the middle. Just one smooth panel, end to end. Just like that.
Why a Bed Runner Suits This Fabric
A bed runner is a long, narrow quilted strip. It lays across the foot of the bed. It adds color, warmth, and a little protection for your main quilt or comforter.
We're making ours about 24 by 88 inches finished. That fits a queen bed nicely. A 60-inch mattress, plus about 14 inches of drop on each side. Want it for a twin or a king? Just change the length. Completely up to you.
This wideback suits it perfectly. Turn the fabric sideways, and the 108-inch width becomes your length. The warm brown print does all the decorating work. No blocks to piece. No pattern to match across seams. The fabric is the design.
Materials
- Brown Wishwell Cedar Cotton Wideback Fabric — 2 yards (one yard for the top panel, one for the back panel, with binding strips from the leftovers)
- Batting — one piece at least 28 x 92 inches, low-loft cotton or a cotton blend
- Thread — 50-weight cotton thread in a warm brown for quilting and binding, plus a matching bobbin thread
- Size 90/14 quilting needle, walking foot, rotary cutter, long ruler, pins, and safety pins for basting
Brief Steps
1. Cut your panels. From each yard, cut one panel at 28 by 92 inches. Use the 108-inch width as the long direction. Measure twice, folks. A long cut can drift off grain, so line that ruler up carefully.
2. Save the leftovers. Each yard leaves you a strip about 8 inches wide. Cut your binding strips at 2 1/2 inches from those strips. Join them into one long binding, about 240 inches total. Press it in half lengthwise.
3. Layer it up. Lay the back panel wrong side up. Batting goes in the middle. Top panel goes right side up. Smooth from the center outward, then pin or safety-pin every 4 to 6 inches. A runner is long, so take your time here.
4. Quilt it simply. Long, gentle lines work beautifully. Stitch in straight rows about 2 inches apart, running the length of the runner. Or try a soft echo wave, freehand, down the middle. I like straight lines on this one — clean, calm, and done. Use a stitch length around 3.0 millimeters, and let the walking foot feed those layers evenly.
5. Trim and bind. Trim the extra batting and backing even with the top. Your runner should be near 24 by 88 inches. Sew the binding around the edge with a 1/4-inch seam, miter the corners, then fold it to the back and finish by machine or by hand.
Practical Tips
Press the wideback well before you cut. Cotton can hold a strong bolt fold, and that fold will fool your measurements on a 92-inch cut. A good press first saves a headache later.
Slow down at the binding corners. That's four thick layers turning a tight corner. Ease into it, pivot with the needle down, and don't force the fabric through. Forcing it is how needles bend and snap.
I'll be honest with y'all. I have cut a long panel a half inch short before. It happens to everybody. The fix was simple — I trimmed the runner a touch narrower and nobody ever knew. It's fabric, not concrete.
And here's your permission beat. Your quilting lines do not have to be perfectly straight. Your miters do not have to be show-ready. You are your own worst critic, and nobody lying on that bed is inspecting your corners. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it. We're not reinventing the wheel here — just adding something warm and handmade to the bed.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Brown Wishwell Cedar Cotton Wideback Fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
