Squares make a great looking table runner: Make your own design

Yesterday I showed you how to use plastic PVC pipe and wooden skewers to create more designs on fabric using the Rit Indigo Shibori Tie Dye Kit.

Now let’s cut some of this beautiful fabric dyed with the Rit Indigo Shibori Tie Dye Kit, and make a quick table runner that’s 18½” x 39½” when finished.

  • From fabrics of your choice cut the following:
    • 3 – 9½” squares,
    • 9 – 6½” squares, and
    • 15 – 3½” squares.
  • Using this diagram as a guide, arrange the fabrics as desired. Itʼs helpful to use a design wall or a similar flat surface for this step.

Design for a table runner

  • When you’re satisfied with your fabric and color placement, take a picture to use as a guide when sewing the squares together. Itʼs easy to get the pieces mixed up in a design like this, so the photo is very useful for keeping everything in order.
  • Sew 1 – 6½” and 5 – 3½” squares together as shown to make 1– 9½” block. Make 2 more blocks like this.You can see my photo of the quilt beside the block I’m working on.

Squares for the pieced block are ready to sew together.

  • Sew 3 – 6½” squares together to make a row that measures 6½” x 18½”.
  • Make another row like this.

Putting it all together

  • Following the diagram, sew a plain 9½” block and a pieced 9½” block together to make a row measuring 9½” x 18½”.
  • Make 2 more rows like this.
  • Follow the diagram to sew the 3 – 9½” rows and the 2 – 6½” rows together, pressing seams as desired.

Rows are ready to sew together

Finishing the table runner

Layer backing, batting and quilt top. I used Odif 505 Temporary Adhesive for fabric to help the layers stick together and avoid having to baste the layers before quilting. Odif 505 is a temporary, repositionable fabric adhesive used to temporarily bond fabric. Itʼs odorless and colorless and does not gum-up sewing needles. Itʼs also acid free and has no CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons). Be sure to read the instructions on the can before using.

Use 505 spray to bond fabric and batting together.

For the quilting, I used my walking foot to stitch straight lines ⅜” apart, but you can use any quilting design you like.

Use a walking foot to stitch straight lines.

And here’s my table runner all finished! I love the way the fabrics dyed with the Rit Indigo Shibori Tie Dye Kit work so well together.

Finished table runner

I hope you join me again tomorrow as I show you how to sew on the binding to finish this table runner.

This is part 4 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 3: 3 tying and binding techniques for tie dyeing

Related posts

No-sew embellishments – Easy with ribbons, buttons, and a little glue

2 essential products for making 3D flowers out of fabric

2 ways to showcase thread in your quilting project | 8 steps to WOW!