Patriotic Fabric Strip Table Runner


I love the combination of red, white and blue!
Today we're putting together a simple fabric strip table runner
with these patriotic colors. 

It will take some time to create, but it's a good beginner quilting project.

Your finished runner will be 85"x16".
(I've got a long table that it's for,
but you can adjust the number of fabric strips to make it shorter)


First step is to choose 9-11 different fabrics.
Go with anything red, white or blue.
It doesn't have to be a patriotic print.
I purposely just went with non-patriotic (except for a star print), 
just the 3 colors, and various shades. 
Even pulling in a little pink and light/more turquoise blue.

You'll need:
Cut 2 pieces out of 8 different fabrics: 4"x16"
Cut 1 piece of a different 9th fabric: 4"x16"
(These are the 9 different fabrics for the front=17 pieces)
In a new fabric color or one you have already used, cut an 18"x 87" piece for the back
(this will be a little larger than the finished pieced front, just to give you some "wiggle room"
You'll also need an 18"x87" piece of Warm and Natural batting
And finally, some binding bias tape, this can be an extra wide double fold bias tape or 
you can make your own.
(just google make your own binding bias tape for tutorials)


Decide on the order of your fabrics, pieces 1-8.
Your single cut fabric strip will be the middle.
Start sewing your 8 strips together
Then sew another 8 strips in the same order.
Connect the two sewn pieces with your center strip. 
Having the same pattern radiate out from the center. 


In the picture above, you can see the dark navy strip in the middle,
on either side is a white with red star, then the red with white flower, and so on.
The pattern repeats as it radiates out from the center. 


Iron all your seams down going the same direction. 
It helps the seam to hold together longer if the selvages are not ironed open 
but ironed down together going the same direction.


Here's a trick I learned from a long-time quilter,
if you don't have enough batting, you can connect pieces and use that.
This is a great project for any scrap batting you have. 
I just sew them together with a loose zig-zag stitch.
(I always use Warm and Natural for quilt and embroidery projects.) 


Lay down your back fabric with the good side facing the table.
Lay the batting on top
and the sewn quit strips on top of that with the right side up.
Now pin it like crazy.
This will help all the fabrics stay together when you quilt it.
If you look close you can see a couple pins on each strip to hold it down.
Trim off the batting and back piece to match your top piece.

Now, time to quilt it.


We're using a method called "stitch in the ditch".
Where you are going to sew through all the layers,
 right down each seam on the quilt front. 
You're trying to sew right down the middle 
of  the seam where the 2 fabrics meet, "in the ditch".


This one turned out really good,
look how that stitching is right in the "ditch" where the 2 fabrics meet up.
So close that you almost can't see the seam!


Next, open up your bias tape binding
and sew it around the edge of your runner, 
with right sides together, along that first fold in the bias tape.
(you can see the iron mark about 1/2" in from the edge, 
you want to sew along that iron mark)


After sewn around, fold the bias tape over.
Pin down so the folded edge of bias tape comes up to the stich you just made.
(That bias tape is folded around the edge of the runner, meeting up with that red thread seam on the back.)


Now put on a good movie and
start to slip stich by hand the back of bias tape to the back of the runner.



It looks amazing!


Ready for the 4th!
And keeping this runner up for the rest of the summer.

For more patriotic sewing,
check out our easy red, white and blue apron.
Just sprucing up a store bought apron with some ruffles!


Ready for 4th of July prep when wearing this!








Comments

  1. love it was just telling my granddaughter how years ago they used up all the scraps they had to make clothes and anything needed this reminds me of that very thing I love it
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  2. Such a cute table runner. Great idea.

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  3. I love the Patriotic inspiration I would like to invite you to stop by and share on #omhgww it would be fun to have you share. #OMHGWW Linky Party

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