Heart Table Runner – Free Pattern
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Make your Valentine’s Day decor (or any time of the year) extra special this year with a handmade quilted Heart Table Runner. This free pdf pattern makes it easy!
Grab your copy today!
Heart Table Runner
A handmade heart table runner is perfect for your home decor!
This sweet table runner adds a charming touch to any table. Such a fun way to make your space feel so much cozier and festive. A Heart Table Runner does not have to be just for Valentines’s Day. Change up the colors, and it could be great for spring, fall, or just about any season.
This simple project is made with various squares, rectangles, and half-square triangles. It’s relatively simple to make and is perfect for a beginning sewist.
Fast and easy sewing project
Fast and simple projects are my favorite type of project. Minimal amount of time per project, but the results are so worth it! (Also why I love making little girl dresses – like this peasant dress or a pillowcase dress.)
This heart table runner is a perfect example of a quick project that really makes an impact. The hearts blocks are very fast to put together, and you only have to make four. (Which is perfect for those of us that don’t particularly enjoy making the same block over and over, lol.)
Table Runner Details
- Finished size: 47.5 x 13 inches
- Heart block finished size: 10 inches (10.5 inches unfinished)
The table runner design is made of almost all squares and half-square triangles. The design makes it easy to chain piece all your squares, and the assembly comes together very fast.
Variations
- Make it shorter or longer by adding or subtracting the number of hearts or by increasing or decreasing the size of the squares. Ex: increasing the patches to 3.5 inches will give you a 12-inch heart block, or decreasing them to 2.5 will give you an 8-inch block.
- Make a full-size quilt by adding more rows.
- Use the block to make a quilt, leave about the sashing and add a solid square or chain block in between each heart block for a different look.
Quilt Assembly/Sewing Tips:
- Press and starch fabric before sewing and cutting. One thing to keep in mind when cutting and sewing half-square triangles, the blocks can potentially stretch out or line up awkwardly when cutting and pressing, causing your squares to become “wonky.” Pre-pressing and starching help with this.
- Don’t forget to check your seam allowance before starting to sew! Every time I start a project, I line my needle up using a seam allowance ruler. I also recommend this quarter-inch foot with the guide. (Just choose one that fits your machine.) You can use the seam allowance ruler with this foot, and once I have made the adjustment to my needle, the guide helps keep all my seams perfectly aligned.
- Scant quarter-inch seam allowance: When sewing your half-square triangles together, I recommend using a scant quarter-inch seam allowance. This will give you a smidge of extra fabric when squaring up the half-square triangles.
- Squaring up your half-square triangle blocks: Do not skip the step of squaring up the half-square triangle blocks! You can use just about any square ruler for this, but there are a couple of specialty rulers I like to use for squaring up my blocks. In the past, I have used this template to square up my blocks, but I also like using this 5.5-inch Bloc loc ruler or perfect 5 ruler.
- Any one of those rulers and a spinning cutting mat will make quick work of trimming up all those blocks. (I love this spinning cutting mat! It also comes with an ironing mat that, along with my portable iron, is perfect for traveling! There are less expensive rotating cutting mats out there, but this one is very high quality, and large.)
Fabric Amounts Needed
- 4 fat quarters
- 1/2 yard for background
- 1/3 yard for binding
Useful tools:
- Basic sewing and quilting supplies
- rotary cutter and mat
- ruler
- Bloc loc or perfect 5 rulers for easy trimming
- iron
Fabric Cutting Guide
Fabric 1:
- 2 – 3 inch squares
- 4 – 3.5 inch squares
- 1 – 5.5 inch square
Fabric 2:
- 2 – 3 inch squares
- 4 – 3.5 inch squares
- 1 – 5.5 inch square
Fabric 3:
- 2 – 3 inch squares
- 4 – 3.5 inch squares
- 1 – 5.5 inch square
Fabric 4:
- 2 – 3 inch squares
- 4 – 3.5 inch squares
- 1 – 5.5 inch square
Background fabric
- 8 – 3 inch squares
- 16 – 3.5 inch squares
- 5 – 2 by 10.5 inches
- 3 – 2 inches by WOF strips
Binding
- 4 – 2.5 inches by WOF strips
How to make a Heart Table Runner
- Skill level: Beginner
- Time needed: 2 to 3 hours
Access the Heart Table Runner Pattern
Here. (Click the link, add the pattern to your cart and check out. (It takes about 15 seconds for the process.) A copy of the pattern will be emailed to you.)
Step 1: Cut Fabrics
Cut fabrics according to the chart above. (Fabrics 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the 4 different hearts.)
Step 2: Assemble Half Square Triangles
For faster assembly, we will be making these half-square triangle blocks using the two-at-a-time method.
- Line up a 3.5-inch background fabric with a 3.5-inch print fabric, right sides together. Use a pencil to draw a line diagonally across the back of one of the squares.
- Sew a scant 1/4 inch on each side of the line you drew. (It is essential to sew using a scant inch, this gives you extra room when trimming.)
- Use a rotary cutter or scissors to split the square down the line you drew.
- Open the squares, press, and trim the block to 3 inches square.
Keep repeating until you have used all 16 of the 3.5-inch printed fabric squares. (4 print fabric squares and 4 background fabric squares result in 8 half-square triangle blocks. You will need 8 per heart.)
Step 3: Assemble Heart Blocks
Next, assemble the heart blocks. The diagram below shows the order of sewing the squares together.
Step 4: Assemble Table Runner and add Borders
Sew the 2 by 10.5-inch sashing pieces to the hearts, as shown below.
Then add the borders. You will sew two of the 2 by WOF strips together and trim to the width of your table runner. Sew the leftover amount to the 3rd WOF strip and trim to the width of your table runner.
Then sew the strips to the top and bottom.
Step 5: Baste, Quilt, and Bind
Make your quilt sandwich, baste everything together, and quilt with desired quilting pattern. (I am using a simple straight line quilting, 1/4 inch from seamlines.)
Bind, and you are done! For binding tips, check out my pumpkin placemat tutorial.
Share Your Finished Project!
Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmompatterns! You can also share an image to my private Facebook sewing group!
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Feedly, Bloglovin', your favorite feed reader, or signing up via email and have new posts delivered to your email box each week!Heart Table Runner Instructions
Materials
- Pattern
- Fabric
- Basic sewing/quilting supplies
Instructions
Step 1: Cut Fabrics
- Cut fabrics according to the fabric-cutting guide. (Fabrics 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the 4 different hearts.)
Step 2: Assemble Half Square Triangles
- For faster assembly, we will be making these half-square triangle blocks using the two-at-a-time method.
- Line up a 3.5-inch background fabric with a 3.5-inch print fabric, right sides together. Use a pencil to draw a line diagonally across the back of one of the squares.
- Sew a scant 1/4 inch on each side of the line you drew. (It is essential to sew using a scant inch, this gives you extra room when trimming.)
- Use a rotary cutter or scissors to split the square down the line you drew.
- Open the squares, press, and trim the block to 3 inches square.
- Keep repeating until you have used all 16 of the 3.5-inch printed fabric squares. (4 print fabric squares and 4 background fabric squares result in 8 half-square triangle blocks. You will need 8 per heart.)
Step 3: Assemble Heart Blocks
- Next, assemble the heart blocks. The diagram in the post shows the order of sewing the squares together.
Step 4: Assemble Table Runner and add Borders
- Sew the 2 by 10.5-inch sashing pieces to the hearts, as shown below.
- Then add the borders. You will sew two of the 2 by WOF strips together and trim to the width of your table runner. Sew the excess amount to the 3rd WOF strip and trim to the width of your table runner.
- Then sew the strips to the top and bottom.
Step 5: Baste, Quilt, and Bind
- Make your quilt sandwich, baste everything together, and quilt with desired quilting pattern. (I am using a simple straight line quilting, 1/4 inch from seamlines.)
- Bind, and you are done!
