How To Make A Cute Rag Quilt Valentine Table Runner

A cute rag quilt Valentine table runner I spotted on Pinterest is the inspiration for this sewing project!  Have you ever made a rag quilt?  Well, I haven’t although I’ve seen a lot of them through the years.  Someone was really clever in thinking up this idea for a table runner.

Fabric for the Valentine Table Runner

For this project, you will need Valentine fabrics that contrast or complement each other.  Choose a couple that you like or several different patterns.  You’ll also need to make a heart template.  I created a heart template that is 13 inches high and 13 inches wide.  Just fold a large piece of poster board in half and draw out half of a heart shape that you like.  Cut and open your heart.

I bought 2/3 yards of each cotton fabric and a yard of the flannel.  2/3 is cutting it close.  If you are cutting 4 out of one fabric, you might want to go with 3/4 or a whole yard just to be safe.

This table runner ended up measuring 50 inches after assembly, perfect for a kitchen or dining room table.  Add hearts if you want a longer one.

Before you make the hearts, wash and dry all the fabrics in case the fabrics shrink.  Then, you’ll want to iron the fabrics.  I didn’t iron the flannel.   It’s going to be on the inside and didn’t seem to need it.

A while back, I saw a Wool Pressing Mat.  How handy is this for small projects?  My intention has been to buy one of those small ironing boards, but when I saw this, I couldn’t resist.  It’s 17” x 13.5” x .5″ and works perfectly!  You just need to be sure to use the WOOL SETTING, not high!  It is wool after all.  Lay it right on the table or countertop!  I love this mat!

Valentine Table Runner Supplies:

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• Heart pattern  (I made this from poster board.)
• Sewing machine with a Heavy-duty sewing machine needle (90/14)
• Dritz Air and Water Soluble Ink Marker
• Walking foot for your sewing machine (I have a Singer slant.  Be sure to choose the correct attachment for your machine.) 

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  A walking foot will make this project much easier for you.  If you don’t have one, you can lift your presser foot every 3 or 4 inches and reposition the fabric with the needle down.  The walking foot is definitely preferable for a project this size!
• Spring action rag quilt snips – The spring-action design gently opens the blades after each cut to reduce hand strain.  These are also designed to help keep the fabric flat when you are cutting on a table.  If you can imagine cutting every 1/4-inch around the perimeter of each heart, you can see how these will be a Godsend!
• You will need at least 3 layers of fabric for each heart.  The middle layer can be flannel, but you want fabrics that will fray when washed so you get the ‘rag quilt look’.  Flannel does fray, will help hold the layers in place while sewing, and makes a nice inner layer.  

Cut Out the Hearts

First, trace around the hearts with the invisible pen.  You will need to cut a heart for the front and the back out of the cotton fabrics.  Then, you’ll need a heart cut from the flannel.  So, you’ll have 3 layers, 2 cotton pieces, and 1 flannel for each of the hearts. 

You can mix up the fabrics or keep the same pattern on the front and back.  The flannel should always be sandwiched in the middle acting like batting.

Assembling the Hearts

First, lay one heart right side down.  Then, lay the second layer, (flannel layer in this case) on top of the first layer.  Next, lay the third layer on top of the middle layer, right side up.

It’s a good idea to pin around the edges to hold the layers in place.  Just be sure to remove the pins about an inch before your presser foot reaches the pin.  That allows the bottom fabric to relax and lay down flat.

I found that the best place to start stitching is at the top of the heart on one side of the indentation.  It is much easier to stitch here if you mark the stitching line with a water-soluble marker or pencil. 

Then, begin stitching the left side following the line you drew to the angle, lift the presser foot, and swing the fabric around to follow the line on the right side. Continue stitching with the seams exposed.  Stitch all the way around the heart, backstitch, and trim the threads.

Next, use your rag quilt snips to snip 1/4-inch all around the outside of the heart being sure not to clip the seam.

 

You’ll need to repeat these steps 4 more times to have a total of 5 finished hearts.

Decide Placement

The pin on Pinterest that is the inspiration for this has all the heart points facing one direction. Before stitching, I laid these out, doesn’t it seem right to have the hearts facing both ways?  Play around with placement and decide for yourself.

Then, lay the hearts out overlapping the sides slightly.  You can see that I’ve overlapped them so that the two hearts on the end and the one in the center are completely visible on top.

Pin The Hearts In Place

Initially, the plan was to measure, mark, and pin the hearts together.  I laid the sewn fabric hearts out on a large cardboard cutting board that has measured marks in both directions.  It dawned on me that the easiest way to make the sides match is to pin a heart to the first heart.  

Then, fold the center heart in half.  Next, lay another heart right on top of the second heart.  Pin it to the middle heart where the two overlap.  How easy is that?

Continue to fold a heart and line up the hearts in the same way until you have them all pinned.

Next, stitch along the stitched seam only where the hearts overlap.  Backstitch when you start and end the stitching at the seam.

Before stitching these together, I decided to flip the black and red hearts on one end.

Then, all three whole hearts on the right side are each in a different pattern.  Doesn’t it look better than the two black hearts on the outside?

Wash and Dry The Completed Valentine’s Day Table Runner

To help fray the fabric on the outer edges, machine-wash the runner in cold water and tumble dry on low.  The more you wash it, the more the cut edges will fray. Steam iron if needed.  I love this heart table runner!

Click here for a beautiful Valentine’s mantel idea!

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