Multi-Panel Table Runner

This tutorial shows how to make a table runner using any size of the design. This tutorial will cover how to make all of our table runners no matter what shape the end pieces are.

Cut a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer and a piece of the main fabric that are both bigger than the embroidery hoop. Spray the cutaway stabilizer with temporary spray adhesive and smooth it on to the wrong side of the fabric piece.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together. Make sure everything is hooped tightly and there are no wrinkles or puckers in the fabric.

Load the first embroidery file on the machine and attach the hoop onto the machine. Embroider the entire first design.

Once the embroidery is finished, unhoop the embroidered fabric, and set it aside. Do not trim the fabric or stabilizer yet.

Our multi-panel table runners can be easily customized to be any length you'd like. To adjust the length, simply embroider and attach more center pieces (file "a") to make a longer table runner or less center pieces to make a shorter one. For example, these two table runners are different lengths because one uses one center piece, and the other uses two center pieces.

To prepare the first design panel, iron the embroidered panels with a pressing cloth on top. Try and remove any wrinkles and make the sides as straight and flat as possible.

After pressing, measure your chosen seam allowance away from all the edges of the design and cut away the excess material. This will leave an even border of fabric around the edges of the embroidered design that will be the seam allowance. Feel free to use whatever seam allowance measurement works best for you. We used a 1/2in seam allowance for our garden flag.

The easiest way to measure and cut the seam allowance around the design is by using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter. If preferred, you can also measure and draw the seam allowance around the outside of the panel and simply cut on that line with scissors instead.

For curved sides, using a marking tool and scissors is easiest. Use a marking tool and ruler to measure and mark your seam allowance away from the curved edges. Then cut along the marks with your scissors.

Repeat the steps to press all of the embroidered pieces. Then cut them all out, leaving the seam allowance (1/2in for our example) border of fabric around all edges of every piece.

After all the pieces are pressed and cut out, carefully arrange them on the work area to show what pieces go next to each other when the garden flag is all lined up. Keeping them arranged like this while you work will help prevent them from being mixed up or sewn to the wrong pieces.

To begin assembly, take the top two pieces, and lay them on top of each other with right sides together. Match up the edges of the fabric.

The trick to perfectly lining up your pieces and seams with the edge of the embroidery is to pay close attention to the embroidered outer box of the designs. When pinning any pieces together take extra care when matching up the outer borders and corners of the two pieces as best you can on top of each other. The closer they are lined up, the better the panels will be aligned once sewn.

When sewing, you want to always sew with the backside of the embroidery facing up so you can see that outer box while you sew. Then, simply sew right along the inside edge of the embroidered border. Sewing there will look best and leave no gaps. Since we measured the seam allowance from this line as well, sewing here also acts as a guide to sewing the correct seam allowance.

Place the pieces on the machine with the wrong side of the embroidery facing up. Sew the two pieces together following the outer box of the embroidered design and the edges of the applique.

After sewing the seam, press the seam so it lays nice and flat using a pressing cloth.

After the left two panels are sewn together, repeat to sew the rest of the panels together in a row. Press each seam after sewing with a pressing cloth on top.

To make the back piece, lay the assembled front piece on the back fabric and trace its shape onto the back fabric using a fabric marking tool. Then cut on the drawn line to create a back piece that is the same shape and size as the assembled front piece.

Repeat to trace the front piece onto cotton batting with a fabric marking tool. Then cut on the drawn line to create a batting piece that is the same size as the front piece.

If you use bias tape, layer your three fabric pieces with the back piece on the bottom, the cotton batting in the middle, and the front piece on top. Make sure the wrong sides of both the front piece & back piece are against the batting. Match up the edges, and pin or clip them all together.

If you are not using bias tape skip this step and the next two steps, and continue onto the step below about alternate ways to finish the edges of the table runner.

If using bias tape, baste the three layers of the table runner together along all the edges. You can baste right on top of the embroidered rectangle border or just outside of it in the seam allowance.

If you want to quilt the table runner layers together to add an extra personal touch, do that instead of basting the edges before continuing.

If using bias tape, line up, pin, and sew the bias tape around all four edges of the design.

If you do not want to use bias tape, you can instead finish the table runner edges however you would like.

For example, you can finish the table runner using the stitch and turn technique and then top stitch along all four sides to close the opening and help all edges lay flat.

This completes the multi-panel table runner. Create runners of different lengths to decorate your entry ways, dining rooms, or even coffee and end tables.