Making a reversible table runner using Banyan Batiks Rock City

I have enjoyed creating designs with Rock City fabrics by Banyan Batiks this week that are coming to quilt stores this month. In yesterday’s post, I used some sterling colorway fat quarters to create checkerboard star quilt blocks. Today I’ll make the blocks into a reversible quilted table runner.

To make my runner I joined the blocks side by side and then decided to add a border.
You could also choose to make one more block and set them in pairs to make a 16″ square table topper or a cushion front.

To make the runner you’ll need to make additional units from the remaining amounts of the Rock City batik fat quarters:

From Fabrics A and B
cut three 1½″ x length of remaining fabric
sew into strips then cut into two 1½″ x 21 strips

• Sew one Fabric A 1½″ x 21 strip to a Fabric B 1½″ x 21 strip. Press the seam to the darker fabric.
• Repeat with the second set of strips.

Sew the remaining Fabric A and B 1½″ x 21 strips to each other, pressing the seam to the darker fabric.
Subcut strip units into eight 1½″ x 2½″ units

• Sew units together to make 4 four patches
• Sew one four patch to each short end of both 21 inch long strip units with the opposite fabrics beside each other. Press the seam to the strip units.

Sew the 21″ long side borders to the top and bottom edges of the three-star unit. Press the seams to the borders.

The runner should measure 12½″ tall x 24½″ long.

Piece a backing for the runner

Cut from the fat quarters pieces:

two Fabric A 3½″ x 12½″ strips
one Fabric B 3½″ x 12½″ strip
two  3½″ x 8½″ strips of fat quarter 80184-91

Sew together pressing seams open. I sewed them with the Fabric B strip in the center then put one strip of Fabric A on each side with the new fat quarter 80184-91 strips on each end.

Now it’s time to quilt the runner! I used the “envelope method” to quilt my runner; it doesn’t require adding a binding so it’s a very quick finishing method.

• Cut a piece of batting the same size as the runner top and backing. Lay the batting on your pinning surface followed by the backing placed right side down on top. Place the star top right side down, on top. Pin around all the sides leaving a turning gap of at least 2″ on one of the long sides.

Quilt a ¼″ seam around the edge of the runner, backstitching at each side of the turning gap. Check to make sure all three layers are caught in this seam, then clip each corner before turning the runner right side out.

• Push out the corners of the runner so that it lies flat – you may need to use a gadget to push the corners out completely (I use a plastic envelop opener or a pencil.) Use your fingers to press under and smooth the turning gap closed; pin it in position.

Then topstitch ⅛″ away from the edge all the way around the runner’s edge.

I put safety pins throughout the runner to hold the layers together while quilting. I quilted around the checkerboard centers, around the stars and in the ditch of the border seam between the runner center. Then I also quilted ¼″ around each star and on the outside edge of the Fabric A border strip. I quilted a square on point through each checkerboard star as well.

The quilted runner is now complete! You can enjoy the Rock City batiks pieced into checkerboard stars or let the batiks shine on their own on the reverse side.