Not enough time to make a quilt? A table runner just may be the project for you. “My Runners Keep Going” is a wonderful book by Disa Designs. This book is available through your local Moore’s Sewing Center.

The book features 12 fun table runners that are fast and easy to make. With Halloween coming, I chose to make the Peeking Jack O’Lantern pattern.

Supplies:
5” x 12” rectangle for center background
8 different 2 1/2” x 42” strips
¼ yard for border
¼ yard for binding
18” x 42” for backing
18” x 42” batting
1 fat quarter black fabric for applique
9” x 21” orange fabric for pumpkins and windows
scraps of green fabric for stalks
2/3 yard fusible web

Cutting:
Center strips: from each of the 2 1/2” x 42” strips cut two pieces 2 1/2” x 12”
Border: Cut three 2 1/2” x 42” strips from border fabric
Binding: Cut three 2 1/2” x 42” strips from binding fabric

A quilt-as-you-go method is used for this project. With this method, you stitch through the batting/backing sandwich as you sew each strip.

Assembly:
1. Place batting on wrong side of backing fabric. Quilt basting spray works best to keep them together.

2. Adding some marking lines makes it easier to line up the fabric strips. On the backing/batting sandwich, use a felt marker pen to make the following guide lines on the exposed side of the batting:
– Mark the short center line parallel to the short edges.
– Mark a continuous line, short edge to short edge, 3” in from one long edge.
– Mark 2 lines, each 2 1/2” from the short center line, to aid in placement of the center rectangle.

3. Place the 5” x 12” rectangle exactly in the center of the backing/batting, right side up.
4. Place two matching 2 1/2” x 12” strips, one on each long edge of the rectangle, right-sides together with rectangle, aligning raw edges. Make sure one short end of each strip lines up with the 3” reference line. Sew through all layers with 1/4” seam allowance.
5. Press out. The short end near the reference line should closely match the reference line if your seam allowance stitch is uniform width along the entire length.
6. Continue adding matching strips to the strips on each side of the base rectangle until you have eight strips on each side of the center rectangle.

To be continued next week.