Join me as I learn to quilt by attempting to make table runner. Quilting is a fun way to use up fabric scraps while making a beautiful piece of art.
I have always admired those who quilt. It is a craft that seems very labor intensive and difficult to do. There is a lot of fabric to manage, especially when doing something large like a blanket. And I wouldn’t even know how to approach patterns! Something simple feels like my speed but I have seen some truly gorgeous pieces, and those artists have my full admiration.
After years of looking and admiring, I finally decided to try my hand at a quilting project. A good small project that I wanted to do was a quilted table runner for my kitchen table. It’s not exactly short in length (my counter is about 90 inches long) but it is not too wide which allows me to have better control of the fabric edges.
I wanted to start with something simple (like squares) but then my brain thought about the board gamer in me and started a riot. “Why are you not using hexagons?!” it screamed. And I gave in quickly. That was probably a mistake, but I am nothing if not determined.
Check out the Craft section of MCG for more fun patterns in strings and things or more unlimited ideas.
Supplies
One of the most important steps of making a quilted runner is putting together the top piece. And that means gathering lots of fabric that works well with each other. I wanted to something that would fit well with the house, so I went with cooler colors and leaned black and gray patterns.
Besides fabric for the front, I needed a solid piece of fabric for the back as well as cotton batting to place between the layers. From what I can tell, the cotton batting is a crucial piece for quilting. I also had to choose a thread that went well with the project. I decided to go gray to tie in all the piece together. Black was the easy option, so I wanted something different. I can imagine how using different threads can really make a piece pop.
Process
Prepping for the Top
The first step in my process is making the top of the quilted runner. This is going to really dictate the size of the piece as multiple pieces need to be stitched together to make this. As I said before, I chose to do hexagons. This is not a great idea for a first quilt. Would not recommend. Squares are much better for starting out.
I did think that I would need a little help for hexagons, so I used the Cricut for some cuts and a template made of cardstock for others. This was to help cut each piece into the same shape which resulted in an easier time sewing. With everything being the same, the pieces fit together nicely and made my life a little easier. Some extra front work can really help in the long run.
The hexagon shape ended up being a little quirky because I cut out the corners where the ¼ inch border overlapped. This was to help prevent clumping where the joins met. It did solve that issue while making another one, but more on that in the sewing section.
Once I had all my piece cut out, the next step to make the quilted runner is staging all the pieces. I did this on the floor since it is the easiest place for me to visualize that I want to do. This is really a time to play and see how patterns fit in with each other.
My main goal was to make sure that two hexagons of the same pattern were never touching each other. Honestly, doing this exercise made me feel like playing Calico. And my cat did visit me a couple times during the whole process. This process was the most thought intensive part of the project.
Sewing the Top
Then it is time to sew! I use a 1/4th inch sewing foot to give myself consistent edges around the entire piece. Sewing together each hexagon was a little tedious but I didn’t mind the repetitive work. It felt like a really calming process.
Well, once I got really into it. Starting proved to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. But once I found a flow, the whole process went relatively smoothly. I would match up the edges with the right sides of the fabric facing each other and would sew along that edge.
The joining corners would like to give me a challenge. But I found that if I overlapped with another stitch line, I avoided making holes. I also found an interesting way to flatten out the back. Well, for one, I did trim up the excess thread because it was quickly become a mess.
Then I used a knitting needle to push down the two pieces, so they folded back in on themselves. This separated the fabric on the back and spread out some of the bulk. I thought I would need an iron to get these pieces in place, but the needle really folded the fabric well and stiffened them out.
Connecting the Top, Middle, and Bottom
After I finished the top, I connected the top, middle, and bottom piece (i.e., the cotton batting, and solid black piece). To do this, I used a spray that effectively glues the pieces together but will come out when washed. This will hold all the fabric in place while sewing.
And then it is one to the “quilting” part of the process. Or at least what I consider quilting. This is adding the stitching detail on the piece. This became a point of contention because I really like the way the piece looked without the extra stitching, so I wasn’t sold on adding more in.
To find out if I wanted to do the stitch, I made a mockup to see how I would feel. I had some left-over hexagons, so I stitched up a square and mimicked the table runner. Then I stitched line in line with the diagonal lines of the hexagons. Basically, making a diamond pattern on top where the line intersect in the middle of every hexagon.
While I did like how the mock-up turned out, I still decided not to go with the extra stitching for the finalized piece. Something about the length of the pieces made me feel like the stitching would be excessive.
Shaping and Edging
Once I finished quilting the piece, I shaped the piece. I wanted the quilted table runner to be straight for the most of it while have points on each edge. To create the points, I measured the width of the piece and figured the point should be right in the center. This helped dictate the angle of the edge going from the long side to the middle of the width. The process is surprisingly difficult for me to explain but I hope the picture help to get my point across.
With the piece shaped, I then went to do the edging. I cut out six different 2-inch stripe. I folded each strip along the long edge. The two, non-folded edges, were placed against the edge of the quilted piece. Then I folded the strip over the edge to creating the edging for the piece. Again, surprisingly difficult to type out.
Reflections
This was more of a beast to tackle than I anticipated. I have gained so much respect for those people who quilt because it is a form of art. One I think takes a lot of time to master. Picking the patterns and laying the design is mental gymnastics.
Hexagons were also the wrong choice for my first project, but I love the way they look. I feel like they are more dynamic than square would have been. And hexagons fit my aesthetic a little bit more than squares do (don’t tell my 13 Kallax shelves I said that). I don’t know if I would do it differently if I was to go back in time and do this project again.
Lessons
Leave a Little Around the Edges
One of my biggest mistakes was making the top piece too tight. I did not have too much extra fabric to trim away. While this is great on a material reduction level, it was not to great when I felt I needed to patch areas because I was missing fabric. At times like this, a little excess is better than not having enough.
Quick Recipe
Quilted Table Runner
Ingredients
- Cotton Patterned Fabric 6-8 different designs
- 1 Piece Cotton Batting 12 inches by 84 inches
- 1 Piece Black Cotton Fabric 12 inches by 84 inches
- 2 Strips Black Cotton Fabric 84 inches x 3inches
- 4 Strips Black Cotton Fabric 8 inches x 3 inches
- 2 spools Thread Black and Color Matching Patterns on Fabric
Instructions
- Cut out the fabric into one shape (hexagons or square) and have enough piece to cover a surface 12 inches by 84 inches. Lay out and organize the pattern.
- Connect each swatch around the respective conjoining edges to create a solid x by x inch piece of fabric.
- Using basting spray, attach the patchwork fabric to a layer of cotton batting and a solid piece of fabric onto the other side of the cotton batting. Trim as needed.
- Add top stitching as desired. For squares, going from corner to corner is standard. For hexagons, going along 2 sets of parallel edges works well.
- Cut the black fabric into 2 (x by 3 inch) strips and 4 (x by 3 inch) strips. Fold over ends into the inside. Fold each strip in half so that the strips keep the same length and now have (1/2) width of the original strip (i.e., x by x).
- One strip at a time, place the open end of the strip along the back of the corresponding surface. Sew into place. The strip will become a tube at this point. Fold over the strip so the folded edge is now in the front and the strip covers the edge showing the front fabric, cotton batting, and back fabric layers. Sew closed. Repeat for the other strips.
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