Sewing Black & White Toile Table Runner

To sew a simple table runner is a fun and quick project. Generally I think table runners are more practical than tablecloths, especially for a dining table you use often since it won't get dirty as quickly and you can wipe off the areas on the table where you have your plates anyway.

The other day it was my mother-in-law's birthday, and since she likes table runners and had talked about wanting one in black and white, I figured I would get to work creating something for her. At the fabric store my eye caught this lovely black and white toile. It's so sweet and full of charm, I immediately decided to go for it.

In my opinion, the issue with typical table runners is how flimsy and weak they are, which results in a wrinkly surface which never really lays flat unless you're on top of it with the iron. So, to avoid that and create a thicker surface I like to buy some fusible fabric to strengthen it.

To sew a table runner for a regular farmhouse table, you need about 2 ¼ yards. Purchase the same amount of iron fusible fabric (that fuses to one side, not both!) I like to end up with a width of 14 inches so I cut my fabric lengthwise to 15.5 inches. The fusible fabric I cut to about 14 inches since I want the other fabric to "wrap around it."

Once everything is cut, I iron the fusible fabric onto the other one and make sure I have about ½ - 1 inch border left around it. It takes a little while to iron on, I use my highest heat setting and lots of steam and go over each area several time to ensure it binds together well.

Once they are fused together I start ironing the edges of the outer fabric, folding twice to create a nice seam all around the edges. Pin down, then sew straight lines.

And that's all. This kind of sewing project is fun because there really isn't much to it, and you will be done in an hour or two.

Didn't it come out nicely! I love this fabric, it's so sweet and charming I could imagine using it for all kinds of projects.

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