Let’s finish our runner project, so it’ll be ready in time for the nice spring weather! In yesterday’s post I used the heart ruler to add quilting to the Spring Table Runner. Today, we’ll try out a new presser foot to finish the quilting. The PFAFF performance icon has been wonderful to work with on this project – from the piecing all the way to the quilting. And today I’ll show you how great it is for adding the binding too!
Quilted Spring Table Runner in the garden
Free-Motion Echo quilting foot
While the hearts look great, there’s still a lot of background fabric left to quilt. Since this is a table runner and not a quilt, a lot of quilting is okay. In fact, having an equal amount of quilting across the entire runner will help it lay flat.
I took this opportunity to try out another quilting foot available for the PFAFF performance icon – the Free-Motion Echo Quilting Foot. It attaches directly to the machine in the same way the Free-Motion Ruler Foot did. I put the parts from the machine into the echo quilting foot’s packaging so I wouldn’t lose them while I used the echo quilting foot, and they’re ready to re-attach to the machine when I’m finished with the echo quilting foot.
Free-Motion Echo Quilting Foot
I used the Free-Motion Echo Quilting Foot to echo around the four hearts in each of the blocks. The extra row of stitching helped to give the hearts more definition. Next, I used the foot to echo around the outside edge of the hearts in the corner and side triangles.
The guide marks on the echo quilting foot helped keep an even space between the quilting lines, even going around curves. In fact, I went around the runner three times with this foot and only realized as I was making my last round that I could turn the runner more and not always have to have it feeding straight under the needle. This foot uses a free motion setting with the feed dogs lowered, so the fabric can move any way I want under the needle. I started to go a little faster, and really enjoyed it! I know it shouldn’t sound so strange, but I had fun quilting this table runner. Using the right tools certainly do make a job more enjoyable.
Guide marks on Free-Motion Echo Quilting Foot
With all the quilting done, I trimmed away the excess batting and backing fabric to prepare for binding. I used the markings on one of my quilt rulers to make sure the distance from the border seam to the edge of the runner is the same on each side.
I’ll sew the binding to the reverse side of the runner first. I iron a ¼” of binding to the wrong side on one edge and sew it to the front edge of the runner to complete the binding. I like to use the ¼ Inch Right Guide Foot for IDT System to sew on the binding; the markings on the foot help me keep the seam allowance consistent, even at the corners. I use the Needle Up/Down button to hold the runner in place under the foot while I remove pins. Then I sew one side of the binding on at a time. The front guide mark on the ¼ Inch Right Guide Foot for IDT System shows me where to stop so I can turn the corner and maintain the correct seam allowance. I cut the threads and fold the binding over 90º, then fold it across itself to line it up along the next edge.
Front guide mark on ¼ Inch Right Guide Foot for IDT System
I sew the binding onto all four sides, and carefully sew the end of my binding strip onto the beginning of the strip for a bit of overlap. This is an old-fashioned way to finish (instead of joining the ends of the binding strips), but it works for me on small projects – and by small projects I mean all the quilts I do myself. 😉
Now it’s time to fold the binding over to the front and sew it down by machine. I pin along the first edge, stopping as I get close to a corner. I turn it under and start pinning the next edge. This method works because I can use the Needle Up/Down to help keep the runner in place, and the bright LED lights make it easy for me to see to pin right at the machine.
I fold the binding over to the front and line it up so it just covers the stitches from sewing the binding to the back. I use the inner edge of the ¼ Inch Quilting foot for IDT System to sew close to the left edge of the binding when attaching it to the front. I’m getting better at this and my stitching line is now almost always tucked right against the binding on the back.
Use the inside edge of ¼ Inch Quilting foot for IDT System as a stitching guide.
I can’t believe how much I enjoyed finishing the Spring Table Runner! The PFAFF performance icon made quick work of the quitting and the binding. And the second scrappy runner – it’s next in line for quilting.
The Spring Table Runner is finished, but what am I going to do with yet another table runner?! I love the modern look of the heart quilting, so I think this one will make a great gift.
Quilted Spring Table Runner
This is part 5 of 5 in this series
Go back to part 4: Beautiful ruler work made easy