“The facts, Ma’am, just the facts.”

Editorializing is fun.

But too much of it in a tutorial can cause confusion.   So to focus solely on providing the instructions for the Destashification Table Runner – this engineering-only version was created…..

• Cutting Fabrics:
  

  Destashification Table Runner

1. From 10 different fabrics, cut two 2.5″ squares and four 2.5″ * 8″ strips.
2. For Edging/Sashing 1 (narrow), cut 1.5″ strips that total approximately 140″ in length
3. For Edging/Sashing 2 (wider), cut four 5″ * 10″ strips and two 5″ * 60″ strips
4. For Center Square, cut one 7.5″ square.
5. For two end squares, cut two 5″ squares
6. Backing Fabric should be approximately 80″ * 24″
7. Foundation Fabric (will not be visible) should be approximately 80″ * 24″
8. Linen or Flannel for batting also approximately 80″ * 24″

• Also required:  Quilt Binding or extra wide bias binding.

• Sewing Squares to Strips:
  

Sew strips to squares

1. Sew one of the 2.5″ squares of darkest fabric to one of the 2.5″ ends of lightest color fabric strips – right sides together.  Use the edge of your pressure foot to determine seam allowance (1/4″ – 3/8″). Repeat for other darkest square and one of the other lightest strips.
2. Sew the 2.5″ squares of lightest fabric to the strips of next darkest fabric in the same manner.
3. Sew squares of each design fabric to the next darker fabric strips.  Each of these are referred to as “strip/square units”
4. Press all seams open.
5. There should now be 10 sets of:  2 strips and 2 strips/square units.

• Prepare Foundation Fabric:  Press centerlines (both horizontal and vertical) of foundation fabric – these will be guidelines for keeping design straight.
• 

  Sew Fabric A strips to Center Square through all layers using pressure foot to determine seam allowance (Pink Lines).  Green Dashed lines represent Foundation Fabric Centerlines.

  Sew Design:

  1. Place 7.5″ square on top of foundation fabric. Match square points to the centerlines that were just pressed into the foundation fabric.  Pin.
  2. Line up the lightest color fabric strips (those without squares) with two edges of Center Square – right sides together as shown in Photo. Pin.  Sew through all layers (strip, center square and foundation fabric) using  pressure foot to determine seam allowance. Remove pins.  “Flip” strip over so right side is up.  Press flat.
  3. Take one of the first two strip/square units created (lightest color strips sewn to the darkest fabric square) and align it with one of the remaining edges of the center square – right sides together.
     

     Place Strip A/ Square J as shown, aligning at arrows. Sew through all layers using pressure foot as seam allowance

     Match the seams as shown in the photo.  Pin.  Sew through all layers using pressure foot to determine seam allowance.

  4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the remaining side of the Center Square.  Points of the dark fabric squares should align with the foundation fabric centerline.
  5. Repeat Steps 2 – 4 for all design fabric sets.  First sew the strips, flip and press, and then sew the strip/square units.   Strips are sewn in order from lightest color to darkest color.
• Sew Edgings/Sashing
  1. Sew pieces of Edging/Sashing 1 to last strips and strip/square units as if the Edging 1 pieces were another set of strips and squares.  Trim length. Flip and Press.
  2. Place entire piece on large flat surface.
     

     Draw line 6″ from centerline (yellow) the lower blue dashed line represents location of the Seam line – and why the pencil line (yellow) will not show.

  3. Draw lines 6″ from the centerline along both long edges of design using a pencil.  These lines will not show when runner is completed – however, it will provide a straight seam guide for attaching the edging/sashing pieces.
  4. Place outer long edge of Edging/Sashing 1 along one of these lines (right sides together) and sew through all layers using pressure foot as seam allowance guide. Repeat for other edge.
     

     Align Edging 1 along pencil line (blue line) and sew using pressure foot to determine seam allowance.

  5. Flip Edging/Sashing 1 and Press.
  6. Sew the two 5″ endpoint squares to ends of two of the 5″ *10″ Edging/Sashing 2 pieces as if they were another square/strip unit.  Then sew the Edging 2 strips and squares sets to the short Edging 1 pieces as if they were another set of design strips and squares.
  7. Align two longer Edging 2 pieces with outside of Edging 1 – right sides together.  Sew through all layers using pressure foot to determine seam allowance.
     

     Sew Edging/Sashing 2 as if it were another strip and strip/square unit.

  8. Flip Edging 2 and Press.  The piecing of the table runner top is now complete!

Too much?

Too little?

Too confusing?

Please, leave a comment and let me know….(not making editorial comments is a great deal harder than I thought it would be!!!)

• 

  Piecing Complete!