A Year Around The Table
Table Runner Patterns
Designed by Iowa Star Designs

Garden Path Runner
Approx. 44 ¼” x 18 ¾”

Yardages:
Floral: ½ yd.
Accent: ½ yd.
Background: 7/8 yd.
Binding: 1/3 yd.

Floral Fabric
Cut 1 strip at 3 7/8”. From this strip cut 6 3 7/8” squares. Cut these squares in half diagonally so that you have 12 half-square triangles. Cut the remainder of the strip down to 3 ½” and then cut 3 squares at 3 ½”.

Cut 2 strips at 2 ½”. Set aside for your pieced border.
Cut 3 strips at 1 ½”. Set these aside for your pieced border too.

Accent/Path Fabric:
Cut two strips at 3 ½”. From these strips cut 24 rectangles that measure 2” x 3 ½”. You should have MOST of one of these strips remaining. From that leftover strip cut four rectangles that measure 1 ½” x 8 ½”.

Cut 4 strips at 1 ½”. Set aside for the pieced border.

Background
Cut one strip at 3 7/8”. From this strip cut squares at 3 7/8”. Cut these squares in half on the diagonal so that you’ve got 12 half-square triangles.

Cut 2 strips at 2”. Using these two strips PLUS the remainder of the 3 7/8” strip (which you can cut down to 2”) cut 48 squares at 2”.

Cut 4 squares at 7 ½”. Cut these squares in half diagonally so that you’ve got 8 triangles. Label them!

Cut 2 squares at 10”. Cut these squares in half diagonally and label them.

Piecing Instructions

Using the half-square triangles that you cut from the background and floral fabric, piece 12 half-square triangles. They should measure 3 ½” edge to edge when you’re done.


Use the Sew & Flip method to make 12 of each of the segments shown. (This unit is your “path.”) You need to use the 2” x 3 ½” accent rectangles and the 2” background squares to create these segments. You’re going to need 12 “righties” and 12 “lefties.” The instructions for the Sew & Flip method of piecing follow. When you’ve finished piecing this segment it should measure 3 ½” x 3 ½” edge to edge (3” finished).

Sew & Flip Method: Using the 2” x 3 ½” accent rectangles and the 2” background squares, position one of the background squares at the top edge of the rectangle matching the top and sides. Sew diagonally from corner to corner as shown in the diagram. After you’ve done this, flip the light fabric over to make sure that it lines up correctly with the dark fabric. You may choose to cut the bottom layers of fabric away but make sure that you leave a ¼” seam allowance. Now, do the same thing to the other end of the dark fabric using another background square. Again, check to make sure that you’ve sewn your seams at the correct angle before you trim off any of the fabric from the underside! You can create “righties” and “lefties” by sewing the seams in the opposite direction.

Now that you’ve got all of the parts ready it’s time to put your block together. Using the half-square triangles and the lefty/righty segments put together six units that look like this. Make sure that you’ve got your half-square triangles and your “path” unit going in the correct directions! These units should measure 3 ½” x 9 ½” edge to edge.

Use the remaining “path” units and the 3 ½” floral squares to create the center units. They should look like the diagram and should measure 3 ½” x 9 ½” edge to edge.

Now, combine these segments to make your block. When you’re finished your block should measure 9 ½” edge to edge.

Using the 7 ½” half-square background triangles and the 1 ½” x 8” of accent (path) fabric that you cut earlier, piece the setting triangles by adding a triangle to each side of the 1 ½” strip. The “path” fabric should be a little long and hang out over the end. Press the seams toward the dark fabric. Your piece should look like the one shown.



Make sure your triangle is pressed flat and is laying square and then using a ruler, line up the edge of the ruler with the edge of your fabric and trim your “path” fabric so that it forms a point or corner. You need to make 4 of these units.

Now you’re ready to put your blocks together. Using the setting units that you just made and the large triangles that you cut from the 10” squares, Piece your blocks together. The setting triangles and corner squares are going to be larger than you actually need but don’t trim them don’t trim them yet! This inside unit will get trimmed after you’ve pieced and measured your borders. When you’ve got everything put together, it should look like the diagram except that your edges will probably be uneven since you haven’t trimmed them yet.

Pieced Border: Using the 2 ½” strips of floral fabric and the 1 ½” strips of accent fabric, sew two strip sets as shown in the diagram. The strip set should be 3 ½” wide. Press the seam allowance toward the floral fabric. Cut these into 24 segments that are 3 5/8” long.

Now make another strip set using two of the remaining 1 ½” floral strips and a 1 ½” accent strip. This strip set should look like the diagram and should be 3 ½” wide when you’ve sewn it. You should have one more 1 ½” floral strip remaining. Cut it in half, cut the remaining 1 ½” accent strip in half and sew another half-strip set. From these strip sets cut 32 segments that are 1 ½” x 3 ½”. You’re going to use 28 of these units in the border and 4 of them in the corners.

Using a combination of these two strip sets piece two border units that look like the one shown. Be sure that you begin and end with a 1 ½” segment and that the longer segments are all turned in the correct direction.

Now do the same thing with the two end units

You still need four corner units. Using any scrap pieces that you’ve got cut 8 floral pieces that measure 1 ½” x 2 ½” and four accent pieces that measure 1 ½” x 2 ½”. Sew four units that look like the one shown.

Now add the 1 ½” x 2 ½” floral rectangle to the side as shown.

Now, add the last four segments to this unit so that it looks like the one shown. These are your corner units and should measure 3 ½” x 3 ½”. Don’t add these corner units to your border strips yet!

Give all four border units a good pressing. You might even want to give them a squirt or two of sizing or spray starch so that they hold their shape really well. After you’ve pressed the units, measure them carefully. Using these measurements, trim the center block unit to the width and length according to the size of the border units you’ve made. (This is why you didn’t trim up it up earlier!)

Add the long border units to the long edges of the runner. Press the seam allowances. Now you can add the corner units to the shorter border segments. Make sure that the “paths” line up! Add these units to the short edges of the runner and after you’ve pressed it – you’re done! Your finished runner should look like the one below. Don't forget to cut your binding strips, label them and put them away until you need them.

Martha’s Star Runner
Approx. Finished Size: 17 ¼” x 42 ½”

We all know that behind every great man is an even better woman – and in this case it’s Martha Washington! This block is named for her and it seemed an appropriate block to use for the July table runner. If you're interested in a fabric kit for this runner, please go to our On-Line Catelog and look under the "Kits" button.

Yardages:
Background Fabric: 5/8 yd.
Star Points & Border Triangles: ½ yd.
Pinwheel Fabric: 1/8 yd.
Border: ¼ yd.
Binding: ¼ yd.

Background Fabric:
From the background fabric cut one strip at 3 ½”. From this strip cut three squares that measure 3 ½”. Cut these squares TWICE on the diagonal so that you have 12 quarter-square triangle pieces.

Cut the remainder of the 3 ½” strip down so that it’s width measures 3 1/8”. From this strip cut 6 squares at 3 1/8”. Cut these square diagonally ONCE so that you have 12 half-square triangle pieces.

From the remaining background fabric cut three strips at 2 ¾”. Using these strips cut:
16 squares at 2 ¾”
20 rectangles that measure 2 ¾” x 5”
4 rectangles that measure 2 ¾” x 7 ¼”

Pinwheel Fabric:
Cut 3 squares at 3 ½”. Cut these squares TWICE on the diagonal so that you have 12 quarter-square triangle pieces.
From the remaining fabric cut 4 squares at 2 ¾”. These are for the corners of the border.

Star Points/Edge Triangles:
Cut 2 strips at 2 ¾”. From these strips cut 24 2 ¾” squares.
Cut one strip at 3 1/8”. From this strip cut 12 squares at 3 1/8”. Cut these squares ONCE diagonally so that you have 24 half-square triangles.
From the remaining fabric cut two 5 ½” squares. Cut these in half diagonally so that you have 4 half-square triangles.

Piecing the Blocks:

Using the twelve background and pinwheel quarter-square triangles that you cut from the 3 1/2” squares piece 12 units that looks like the one shown.


Now add a half-square triangle that you cut from the 3 1/8” squares of background fabric. Once again you’ll need 12 of these units and they should look like the one shown.

Sew four of these units together to make your center pinwheel block. Be careful of to get the pinwheel going in the correct direction! When you’re finished your block should look like the one pictured and measure 5” edge to edge (4 ½” finished size). Set this unit aside for now.

Using 12 of the 2 ¾” x 5” background rectangles and 24 of the 2 ¾” star point squares, piece 12 Flying Geese blocks using the sew & flip method. When you’ve finished they should look like the ones pictured.

Set 6 of the “geese” aside and using the remaining 6 units, add a background square to both ends. Your units should look like the one shown.

Using the remaining 6 “geese” units and the center pinwheels, sew 6 of the units pictured.

Add the remaining “geese” units to the top and bottom of the blocks. When you’re finished your blocks should measure 9 ½” edge to edge or 9” finished size.

Piecing the Setting Triangles & Corners

Using 4 of the 2 ¾” by 7 ¼” background rectangles and 4 of the half-square triangles that you cut from the 3 1/8” squares, piece a rectangle that looks like the one below. Make sure that you get the triangle sewn on in the correct direction!


Now do the same thing with four of the background pieces that measure 2 ¾” x 5”.

Using the four remaining 2 ¾” background squares and 8 of the remaining edge triangles, piece four units that look like the one pictured.

Sew these units together into a triangle that looks like the one shown. You’ll need four of them and they’re your setting triangles.

Now all you need are the four corners and they’re easy! Using the last of the 2 ¾” x 5” rectangles, add a triangle to each end. Make sure they’re going in the correct direction!

Now all you have to do is add the half-square triangle that you cut from the 5 ½” square. These triangles will be larger than you need. Just center them on the rectangle. You can trim them up later AFTER you’ve assembled your runner.

You’re ready to assemble your runner! Lay out all the pieces according to the diagram. After you’ve got it pieced together trim and square-up the corners.

Cut 3 strips of border fabric at 2 ¾”. Measure the length of your runner through the middle and cut two pieces of the border fabric to that length. Sew them on to the long sides of the runner, easing them in if necessary. Press the borders. Now measure the width of your runner through the middle. Subtract 5” from that number and cut two strips of fabric to that length. Add the corners that you cut earlier from the pinwheel fabric to both ends of these short border strips and press. Add these strips to the ends of the runner. Your finished runner should look like the one pictured below and should measure approximately 42 ½” x 17 ¼”.

Here it is! Maybe I'll even get it quilted before July!

Steps To The Altar Runner
Approx. Size: 21 ¼” x 46 ¾”

Just a Note: This runner isn’t hard to cut or piece, however, it does call for both half-square and quarter-square triangles that are very close in size when they’re cut so PLEASE be sure to label your triangles so that you don’t get them mixed up! Trust me! It will save you a whole lot of pain and consternation!
Yardages:
Floral Fabric – 1 yd.
Accent Fabric - 3/8 yd.
Background Fabric – 5/8 yd.
Binding – 1/3 yd.

Floral Fabric:
-- Cut 8 squares at 4”. Cut 6 of these squares in half on the diagonal so that you have 16 half-square triangles. Label them.
-- Cut 2 strips at 6”. From these strips cut 9 6” squares. Cut these squares twice on the diagonal so that you’ve got 36 quarter-square triangle pieces. Make sure to label them!
-- Cut 2 strips at 3”. Cut these strips into 4 rectangles that measure 3” x 15”.
-- Cut 2 squares at 10”. Cut these in half diagonally and label them.

Accent Fabric:
-- Cut 4 strips at 2”.
-- Cut 3 squares at 4”. Cut these squares in half once diagonally so that you have 6 half-square triangles. Label them.

Background Fabric:
-- Cut 4 strips at 2”.
-- Cut 1 strip at 4”. Subcut this strip into 9 4” squares. Cut these in half on the diagonal so that you have 18 half-square triangles. Label them!
-- Cut 1 strip at 6”. From this strip cut 6 6” squares. Cut these squares TWICE on the diagonal so that you have 24 quarter-square triangles. Label these too!
-- From the remainder of the 6” strip cut 2 squares at 4”. Cut them in half ONCE on the diagonal so that you have 4 half-square triangles. Label them!


Piecing Instructions:

Sew all four of the 2” accept and background strips together into strip sets. Press the seam allowance towards the darker fabric. From these strip sets cut 74 2” segments. (You should have a partial strip set left over. Save it because we’ll use it next.) Sew these segments together so that you get 37 4-patch units that measure 3 ½” edge to edge (3” finished).



Using what remains of your strip sets cut 4 units at 3 ½”. These are for the corners of your border.


Using the 6 accent triangles and 6 of the background triangles that you cut from the 4” squares, sew 6 half-square triangle units. Sew and press them. They should be a little large so now you can trim them down so that they measure 3 ½” edge to edge (3” finished).


Now, using the remaining 12 background triangles and the 12 floral triangles that you cut from the 4” squares, sew 12 more half-square triangle units. Press them and trim them down to 3 ½” edge to edge (3” finished).


Block Assembly:

Use 6 of the 4-patch units and 3 each of the half-square triangle units to piece 6 block segments that looks like this. These segments should measure 3 ½” x 9 ½”.



Using 3 more of the 4-patch units and the remaining floral half-square triangles, piece 3 segments that look like this. Again, these segments should measure 3 ½” x 9 ½” edge to edge.


Using the segments that you’ve just made you can put your three blocks together so that they look like the one pictured. They should measure 9 ½” square (9” finished).

Setting Triangles:

FYI: The setting triangles that you’re about to make are going to be larger than you actually need so that you’ve got plenty of room to trim and square up the edges of your runner.

Using 4 more of the 4-patches, add a floral quarter-square triangle to two sides. Make sure that you’ve got the 4-patch and triangles positioned correctly before you sew! The finished unit should look like the one pictured. (My computer doesn’t want to do a floral so you’re going to have to settle for a plaid! My apologies!)



Using the 3” x 15” floral rectangles that you cut, center the rectangle on the triangle unit and sew. Press it well. This piece will actually be longer than you need but you’re going to trim off the ends. When you’ve sewn the rectangles to the triangle units, use a large ruler to trim the ends of the rectangle so that the unit looks like the one pictured. You need 4 of these units. Remember – they’re actually somewhat larger than you need!


Using the four half-square triangles that you cut from the 10” squares for the four corners, the setting triangles and your blocks you can lay out your runner. When you’ve sewn it all together and trimmed up the edges it should look like the diagram and measure 12 ¾” x 38 ¼”.


Tip About Trimming: Since everyone sews just a little differently, when I trim up the edges of something like this where I’m going to be adding a border, I leave a somewhat generous seam allowance along the edge because it’s a whole lot easier to go back and take a little more off the edges if I need to rather than try to figure out how I can add a little bit on!



Piecing the Border:

Another Quick Note: All of the quarter-square triangles have been cut slightly larger than you need so that you have plenty of room to trim edge and square up corners along the edges of the pieced border.

Using 16 of the remaining 4-patches and 16 each of the floral and background quarter-square triangles that you cut from the 6” squares, piece 16 units that look like the one pictured. Make sure that you’ve got the quarter-square triangles sewn to the correct edge of the 4-patches.



Using three of the remaining 4-patches, two of the background quarter-square triangles and two of the floral quarter-square triangles for each unit, piece two of the units pictured.


Now add a background half-square triangle to each end so that it looks like the one pictured. The half-squares are somewhat larger than you need so that you can trim them down. Go ahead and trim and straighten the edges but make sure to leave enough for your seam allowances! Attach these units to the ends of your runner making sure that the background fabric is next to the runner and the floral (or plaid!) is toward the outside edge. It looks a little funny but your corner units are going to be attached later.


Using 16 of the 4-patch units that you pieced earlier, sew them together into two units of 8 that look like this:


Using the last two 4-patch units and the remaining background quarter-square triangles, piece two units that look like the one at right. Add them to the end of the long side units that you just made. They should look like the one pictured. Sew these units to the long sides of the runner. The runner will look kind of odd because it still needs the corner units.


Corner Units: Using the four corner-pieces that you cut from the strip sets and the 8 remaining floral quarter-square triangles, piece four of the units shown.


You should have 4 floral half-square triangles remaining and they are sewn to the end of the unit to complete the corner. These last pieces will be larger than you need but you can trim everything once it’s all sewn together.


Attach the corner units to the four corners of your runner and you’re done!

Your completed runner should look like the one below and should measure approximately 46 ¾” x 21 ¼”. Don’t forget to cut and label your binding fabric!




Here's my version of Steps To The Altar. It's not quilted yet of course -- but maybe someday...........!

Carpenter’s Wheel Runner
Block Size: 16”
Approximate Size: 24” x 56”

Yardages:
Main Fabric & Binding: 1 1/8 yds.
Red Accent: 3/8 yd.
Green Accent: 3/8 yd.
Background: 7/8 yd.

Cutting Instructions:
Main Fabric:
Cut 3 squares at 4 ½”.
Cut 4 strips at 2 ½”. Subcut these strips 60 2 ½” squares for center star points and pieced border
Cut 10 more strips at 2 ½”. Five of these are for your outer border and the other five are for your binding.

Red Accent:
Cut 4 strips at 2 ½”. Subcut these strips into 12 rectangles that measure 2 ½” x 4 ½”. Cut the remainder of the strips into 48 2 ½” squares.

Green Accent:
Cut 5 strips at 2 ½”. Subcut these strips into 72 2 ½” squares.

Background:
Cut 5 strips at 4 ½”. From these strips cut 12 squares at 4 ½”. From the remaining strips cut 56 rectangles that measure 2 ½” x 4 ½”.
Cut 1 strip at 2 ½”. Subcut this strip into 12 2 ½” squares.

Piecing The Blocks:

Using 12 of the 2 ½” x 4 ½” red rectangles and 24 2 ½” green squares, sew a square to each end of the rectangle using the sew and flip method. When you’re finished you should have 12 pieces that look like this. Make sure that your seams are going in the correct direction before you trim away the excess fabric!


Using the red and green fabrics, make 12 half-square triangles by putting a 2 ½” red square and a 2 ½” green square right sides together and sewing diagonally from corner to corner. Press them and trim away the excess fabric from the back. Make sure that you leave your ¼” seam allowance.

Sew a 2 ½” background square to the red/green half-square triangles that you just made. Make sure that your unit looks like the one in the diagram! Make 12 of these.

Now you can sew these first two units together to get a larger unit. You need 12 of them and they should look like the one in the diagram and should measure 4 ½” x 4 ½” edge to edge (4” finished). We’re going to call this Unit A.

Once again using the sew & flip method, sew corners onto the 4 ½” background squares using the 2 ½” squares of your main fabric, red accent and green accent. Make sure you’ve got the corner placement correct before you trim any excess fabric away,! Your finished square should look like the diagram and should measure 4 ½” x 4 ½” edge to edge (4” finished). Let’s call this one Unit B.

Using 24 of the 2 ½” x 4 ½” background rectangles and 24 each of the red and green 2 ½” squares, you need to make flying geese units. Use the sew & flip method and once again make sure that you’ve got the red and green fabric placement correct before you trim anything away! You should have 24 units that look like the one in the diagram when you’re finished.

Now you’ve got all the units completed so we can start putting the block together! Sew a Unit A to either side of your Unit B’s. Make sure that you’ve got everything turned correctly and that it looks like the diagram. You’re going to need 6 of these units and they should measure 12 ½” x 4 ½” edge to edge (12” x 4” finished).

Now you need to make three of the center units. Using the six remaining Unit B’s, sew a unit to opposite sides of the 4 ½” main fabric squares. This piece should also measure 12 ½” x 4 ½” edge to edge (12” x 4” finished) when you’re done.

Sew all of these units together to that you’ve got an “almost” block. (It’s ALMOST finished!) This large unit should measure 12 ½” x 12 ½” edge to edge (12” finished) and should look like the diagram. This isn’t too bad looking by itself but it needs those flying geese to finish it off!

Using the flying geese units and 12 of the remaining 2 ½” background squares you need to make 6 units that look like the diagram. Sew these units to the top and bottom of your blocks making sure to match up your seams. You might find it helpful to press the center seam of this unit open because it is quite bulky.

Use the remaining 6 red & green flying geese units and 12 of the 2 ½” x 4 ½” background rectangles to piece the last sides of the block. You’ll need 6 of these and they should measure 2 ½” x 16 ½” edge to edge (2” x 16” finished). Sew these units to opposite sides of the three blocks and you’ve completed them!

Your finished block should look like the diagram and measure 16 ½” square (16” finished).

Sew your three blocks together side by side. They should measure 16 ½” x 48 ½” edge to edge (16” x 48” finished.)
All you have left to do now are your borders – and they’re easy! You should have 32 2 ½’ x 4 ½” background rectangles remaining along with 68 2 ½” squares of your main fabric. Using 64 of those squares and the background rectangles, make 32 flying geese units using the sew & flip method. They should look like the diagram and should measure 2 ½” x 4 ½” edge to edge (2” x 4” finished).

Sew 12 of these units together end-to-end in a row that looks like the diagram. This row should measure 48 ½” edge to edge (48” finished). You’ll need two of these units.

Sew these units to the long sides of your runner making sure that you have the geese “flying” in the correct direction!

Use the rest of your geese and the four remaining 2 ½” main fabric squares to make the two end units. Each end unit will need four geese and two main fabric squares. Sew these units to each end of the runner.

You should have 10 2 ½” strips of main fabric remaining. Label 5 of those for your binding and put them safely away. Using the last 5 strips, measure your runner through the center width and cut two strips to that length. Sew them to either end. Do the same thing for the side pieces. When you’re finished, your runner should look like the one in the diagram and should measure 24 ½” x 56 ½” edge to edge (24” x 56” finished).

Here's my version of the runner. Of course, it's not quilted yet -- but maybe someday......!

We do have kits available for the runner in the on-line store under the "Kits" button.

Gather ‘Round Runner
Approximate Size: 21 ¼” x 46 ¾”

Yardages:
Main Fabric: 2/3 yd. for blocks and border
Accent Fabric: 3/8 yd.
Background: 5/8 yd.
Binding: 1/3 yd.

Cutting Instructions:

Main Fabric:
6 squares cut at 4 5/8” Cut these in half diagonally so that you have 12 half-squares triangle pieces.
Cut 8 squares at 3 ½”.
Cut 4 strips at 3” for the outside border

Accent Fabric:
Cut 3 squares at 5”. Cut these squares TWICE diagonally so that you get 12 quarter-square triangle pieces.
Cut 2 strips at 2”. You’ll use these strips, along with background strips, to make your four-patches.

Background Fabric:
Cut 6 squares at 5 ¾”. Cut these squares twice diagonally so that you get 24 quarter-square triangles. Label them and set aside. Cut 3 squares at 5” from the remainder of this strip. Cut these squares TWICE diagonally so that you get 12 quarter-square triangle pieces. Label them!
Cut 4 strips at 2”. Cut 12 pieces that are 2” x 4 ½” and 3 squares that measure 2”. You’ll use the remaining strips (along with the accent fabric) to make the four-patches.
Cut one strip at 3 ½”. Cut this strip into 12 squares that measure 3 ½”.
Cut 2 squares at 4”. Cut in half diagonally and label these triangles too.

Piecing The Blocks:

You need to piece three blocks for this runner. Using a scant ¼” seam allowance and the quarter-square triangles that you cut from the background and the accent fabric, piece 12 half-square triangles that look like the one below. Make sure that you place your colors correctly because it’s really easy to get them reversed!


Using the triangles that you cut from 4 5/8” squares of your main fabric and the half-square triangles that you’ve just completed, sew a square. You will need 12 of these

Now you’re ready to sew a background rectangle (2 ½” x 4 ¼”) to the right side of the square. Make sure that it looks like the one in the diagram. This unit should measure 3 ¾” x 5 ¾” edge to edge and you’ll need 12 of them for your runner.

Sewing a Partial Seam:

Using the three 2” background squares for the centers of your blocks and the unit you’ve just made, start to sew the two pieces together along one edge of the 2” square. When you’ve sewn it approximately half way down the length of the 2” square, stop, remove it from your machine and finger press the seam away from the center block.

Turn your partial block one quarter turn to the right. Line up another of your quarter-square units with the top of the center square and sew down the complete length of the seam. Press the seam away from the center of the block.

Continue doing this until you’ve attached all four sides of the block. Once you’ve done that, carefully go back and complete your very first seam! See? Nothing to it! Give it a good pressing and your finished block should measure 9 ½” edge to edge (9” finished size).

Now it’s time to start piecing your chain. Sew the remaining 2” strips of background fabric and accent fabric together. Press the seam allowance toward the darker fabric. Cut this strip set into 40 2” segments. Sew the segments together so that you end up with 20 four-patches.

Using the 12 of the four-patches, the 3 ½” main fabric squares and the quarter-square triangles that you cut from the 5 ¾” background squares, make 4 partial blocks that look like this. The triangles are meant to be a little large so that you can straighten, trim and square everything up when you’ve got it all together.

Using the remaining four-patches, main fabric squares and background triangles, make four corners that look like this. Make sure to put the four background half-square triangles (the ones you cut from the 4” squares) on the outside corners.

Lay out all your blocks so that you can see where everything goes. You’ll need to use the rest of your quarter-square triangles (that you cut from the 5 ¾” squares) around the edges to fill in. Sew everything together and give it a good pressing. Now you’re ready to straighten your edges and square everything up. Your runner should look like this.

Add your borders by measuring the length of your runner through the middle. Cut two of the 3” border strips to your measurement and sew them to either side. Press. Measure, cut and attach the end pieces the same way. Press everything well and you’re done! Your runner should look like the one below. Don’t forget to cut, label and set aside your binding fabric!

Here's my actual pieced runner. Of course, it isn't quilted yet but.........!

Burst of Autumn Table Runner
Approximate Size: 20” x 44”

This runner looks a whole lot more complicated than it actually is! There IS a lot of sewing – but it’s all very easy sewing. Just make sure that your 1/4" seam is accurate and you won’t have any trouble! All strips are cut across the width of the fabric

Fabric Yardages & Cutting:

Inner Star & Outer Pieced Border: ½ yd.
- Cut 3 strips at 4 ½”. From those strips you’ll need to cut 3 squares 4 ½” for star center and 48 rectangles that measure 2 ½” x 4 ½”.
- Cut 28 squares at 2 ½” for star points and border corners

Outer Star Points: ½ yd.
- Cut 3 strips at 4 ½”. From these three strips you’ll need to cut 36 rectangles that measure 2 ½” x 4 ½”.
- From what’s left of the last 4 ½” strip cut 12 squares at 2 ½”.

Background: 3/4 yd.
- Cut 4 squares at 4 ½”. (It will save you some fabric if you just cut the 4 ½” squares out of your big hunk of fabric rather than cutting a 4 ½” strip.)
- Cut 10 strips at 2 ½”. Cut these strips into 156 2 ½” squares.

Binding: 1/3 yd.

Piecing Instructions:

Using 12 of the background squares that you cut at 2 ½” and 12 of the Out Star fabric, make 12 half-square triangles by laying the squares right sides together and sewing from corner to corner on the diagonal. Open it up, press your seam towards the dark fabric and trim away the excess fabric. These should measure 2 ½” square when you’re done.


Add another 2 ½” background square to each of the half-square triangles. However, you need to make sure that you add the square to the correct edge! Make sure that your pieces look like the ones shown below! You’ll need 6 of each. They should measure 2 ½” x 4 ½” when you’re done.

Now you need 12 of the 2 ½” x 4 ½” Outer Star pieces and 12 more 2 ½” background squares. Add a background square to just one end of the Outer Star fabric by using the Sew & Flip method. Here’s what you do. Lay a background square right sides together with the OS (Outer Star) fabric rectangle. Line up the edges and then sew diagonally from one corner of the background fabric to the opposite corner. You’ll need to do six of them that go from upper left to lower right and then six that go from upper right to lower left. (That’s so that you get mirror images.) When you’ve finished sewing these, they should look like the ones at left. Once you’ve made sure that you’ve sewn your angles in the correct direction, trim away the excess fabric so that you leave a ¼” seam allowance. Press the seam allowance towards the dark fabric. You need six of each of these and they should measure 2 ½” x 4 ½” when you’re done.


Now you need to do the same thing again only this time you’re going to put corners on both ends of the OS (Outer Star) rectangle. For this segment you’ll need 24 of the 2 ½” x 4 ½” OS rectangles, 24 of the 2 ½” background squares and also 24 of the 2 ½” IS (Inner Star) squares. Once again you need to make mirror images so you’ll need 12 “Righties” and 12 “Lefties.” Using the Sew & Flip method again, sew 12 background squares and 12 Inner Star squares to each end of the rectangles. They should look like that ones at right. Make sure that you’ve got your angles sewn correctly BEFORE you trim away the excess fabric from the back. PRESSING TIP: It will make sewing the pieces together a whole lot easier if you press all the Righties in the same direction and all the Lefties in the opposite direction. You need 12 of each of these and they should measure 2 ½” x 4 ½” when you’re done

Now you’ve got all the pieces and you can start putting your blocks together. Using the half-square triangle pieces and the rectangles that have the background square on one end, sew six of each unit shown below. The finished units should measure 4 ½” square.
Next, using the Righties and Lefties, make 12 units that look like the one below. When you press these, it might be helpful to open up the center seam rather than pressing it to one side simply because it’s such a bulky seam. Use your own judgment! Once again this unit should measure 4 ½” square.

You’re ready to assemble the block now! Using the units that you’ve just constructed plus the three 4 ½” center squares, put the block together in three rows. You need three of these blocks for your runner and they should measure 12 ½” edge to edge (finished size 12”).

Now for your border! Using the 48 IS (Inner Star) rectangles and the Sew & Flip method, sew a background square to both ends of the rectangles. Once again you’re going to need Righties and Lefties – 24 of each. Again, make sure you check your angles before you trim any excess fabric away and don’t forget to press your Righties in one direction and your Lefties in the opposite direction! When you’ve got them done – sew them together into units that look like the one at right. You may want to press these seams open. You need 24 of these units and they should measure 4 ½” square.

Only one more little unit to go! Using the 4 ½” background squares that you cut so long ago, add the last four 2 ½” IS squares to one corner of the square using the Sew & Flip method. Your square should look like this and measure 4 ½”.


Now that you’ve got all your pieces and parts you’re ready to assemble your runner! Sew the three 12” blocks side by side and give the seams a good pressing. Your blocks should look like this.

Start piecing the border segments together so that you have two rows that contain 9 segments sewn together. Make sure that you’ve got the segments going in the correct direction!

Add these segments to the long sides of your block unit. Make sure to match up the seams as you add the border unit. When you do, it should look like this:

For the two end units, sew the remaining border segments into two sets of three. Add a corner unit at each end, but make sure that you’ve got the corner units turned correctly! Your end units should look like the one below. Sew them on and your runner is ready to quilt!

The finished runner should look like this and measure approximately 20” x 44”.


Here's my version of the pattern. It's not quilted yet, of course, but at least it's pieced! There is a kit available, if you're interested, and it's listed in our catalog under "Kits,"

School Girl’s Puzzle Runner
Approx. Finished Size: 18 1/2” x 48”

The September runner, School Girl's Puzzle, is really an easy block to piece. The border is just a slightly smaller version of one of the block segments and it's not hard to do either! If you're interested in a kit for this runner, you can find it listed under the "Kits" button.
Fabric Requirements:

Main Fabric: ½ yd.
Accent Fabric: ¼ yd.
Background Fabric: 7/8 yd.
Binding: 1/3 yd.

Cutting Instructions:

Main Fabric for Blocks: Cut 3 squares at 5 3/8”. Cut each of these in half diagonally so that you have 6 half-square triangles.
Cut 3 squares at 3 1/8”. Cut each of these in half diagonally.

Main Fabric for Border Blocks: Cut 18 squares at 3 7/8”. Cut these in half diagonally so that you have 36 triangles. Label and set aside.
Cut 3 squares at 3 ½”. Set aside.

Accent Fabric: Cut 6 squares at 3 1/8”. Cut each of these in half diagonally.

Accent Fabric for Border Blocks: Cut 18 squares at 2 3/8”. Cut in half diagonally so that you have 36 triangles. Label and set aside.

Background for Blocks: Cut 12 squares at 2 ¾”. Set aside.
Cut 15 squares at 3 1/8”. Cut these squares in half diagonally so that you have 30 triangles,
Cut one square at 14 ½”. Cut this square twice on the diagonal so that you’ve got 4 quarter-square triangles. These are your setting triangles. Label them.
Cut 2 squares at 10”. Cut these in half diagonally so that you have 4 triangles. These are your corners. Label these too, so that you don’t get them mixed up with the setting triangles.

Background for Border Blocks: Cut 54 squares at 2 3/8”. Cut these in half diagonally so that you have 108 triangles. Label and set aside.


Piecing The Blocks:

Using the main fabric and background triangles that you cut from the 3 1/8” squares, piece 6 half-square triangles. Press the seam allowance toward the dark fabric. They should look like this:


Now you need to add “wings” to your half-square triangles. Once again, using more of the background triangles that you cut from the 3 1/8” squares, add a “wing to two sides of the half-square triangle. Make sure that you’re adding them to the correct edges! You need six of these and the finished piece should look like this:

Now you need to add the larger main fabric triangles that you cut from the 5 3/8” squares to your “wing” units. Once again you’ll need six of these and when you’re finished they should look like this and measure 5” from edge to edge (4 ½” finished).

Using the remaining background triangles and the accent fabric triangles (cut from the 3 1/8” squares), you need to make 12 more half-square triangles. They should look this:

Add a background square (cut at 2 ¾”) to the half square triangle so that you have a unit that looks like this one. You need 12 of these.

Sew these units together to make a 4-patch unit that looks like this. You need 6 of these units and they should measure 5” edge to edge (4 ½” finished size).

Now you’re ready to put the blocks together. Just sew the units together so that they look like illustration. Just make sure that you’re got everything going in the correct direction! You should have three blocks that measure 9 1/2” edge to edge (9” finished).


Using the setting triangles and corner triangles, go ahead and put your blocks together. Both the setting and corner triangles are larger than you need so that you can easily straighten your edges and get everything squared up. When you’ve done that, it should measure approximately 12 ¾” x 38 ½” Your block unit isn’t going to be quite big enough for the pieced border that you’re going to construct next – but you’re going to add spacer strips.


Pieced Border Units:

Using the background and accent triangles that you cut from the
2 3/8” squares, piece 36 “wing” units just like the ones that you did earlier for the blocks. These are smaller but they’re pieced the same way.


Add the remaining 36 triangles that you cut at 3 7/8” from the main fabric. Your unit should look like the one at right and should measure 3 ½” edge to edge (3” finished).

Sew these together into strips for your borders. You need 2 strips that have 14 units sewn together. Your strips should look like this:

Measure your 3-block center unit and then measure the border unit. Find the difference, divide by 2 and add ½” for seam allowance. That’s the width of the strip you need to add to each end of the center unit. For example, my center unit measured 38 ½” and my border strip measured 42 ½”. That’s a 4” difference in size. Divide that by 2 (which would be 2”) and add ½” for seam allowance and the strip that I needed to add to each end of the center unit was 2 ½” wide. Because of differences in how people sew, your strips may be somewhat larger or smaller but they should be in the neighborhood of 2 ½” edge to edge (2” finished). Add the spacer strips to each end of the center unit. Once you’ve done that, go ahead and add the long pieced side strips to each side.

You should have 8 border units remaining. Sew them together into 2 sets of 4 border units and then add a 3 ½” square of the main fabric to each end. These should fit on either end of the runner.


Your finished runner should look like the one below. Don’t forget to cut and label your binding fabric so that you have it when you’re ready for it!

Here's my version of the September runner. It's not quilted yet -- but maybe soon........!!

Pot of Posies Table Runner
Approx. 22” x 50 1/2”

Make sure to read through all the directions before you start cutting. There are some unusual cutting directions for the flowerpots. They’re not at all difficult – just a little different. All seams should be sewn using a scant ¼” seam allowance and all fabrics are cut across the width of the fabric from selvage to selvage.

You can check in our on-line store for a kit for this runner.

Yardage & Cutting:

Background Fabric: 1 ½ yds. This amount includes the 2nd border.
First Border: ¼ yd.
Outer Border: 3/8 yd.
Binding: 3/8 yd.

Other than the background and borders, most of this runner can be cut from 1/6 yds. or scraps.

Flower Pot Fabric: Cut 3 rectangles that measure 5” x 5 ½”

Flower Pot Accent Fabric: Cut 3 rectangles that measure 1 ¼” x 5 ½”

Large Flower Triangles: Cut 7 squares at 4 7/8”. Cut these squares once on the diagonal so that you’ve got 14 half-square triangles. You’re going to use 13 of them.

Small Flower Points (Triangles): Cut 7 assorted 3 ¼” squares. Cut these squares TWICE on the diagonal so that you’ve got 28 quarter-square triangles. You’re going to use 26 of these.

Background:

Cut 13 squares at 2 ½”.
Cut 7 squares at 3 ¼”. Cut these squares twice on the diagonal so that you’ve got 28 quarter-square triangles. You’re going to use 26 of them.
Cut 6 rectangles that measure 2 ½” by 4 ½”
Cut 3 squares at 3”. Cut these in half once diagonally so that you have 6 half-square triangles.

SPECIAL CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS: Make sure your background fabric is folded so that the wrong sides are together (right sides showing on both top and bottom). From the folded fabric, cut 2 sets of rectangles that measure 4” x 5 1/4” so that you have a total of 4 rectangles. DON’T TAKE THESE SETS APART. We’re going to cut them so that you have MIRROR IMAGES to use on the sides of your flowerpots.

Now, simply cut these rectangle sets from corner to corner as shown in the diagram. We need to do this because we need “left” and “right” sides for the flowerpots. (You will have two triangles left over, one “lefty” and one “righty,” and trust me, they won’t match up!)


Setting Triangles & Corners: Cut one background square at 15 ½”. Cut it twice diagonally so that you have 4 triangles. Label them and set them aside.

Cut two squares at 11”. Cut each of these squares in half on the diagonal so that you have four corner triangles. Label them and set them aside until later.

Borders: 1st Border: Cut 3 or 4 strips at 1 ½”
2nd Border: Cut 3 or 4 strips at 1”.
3rd Border: Cut 3 or 4 strips at 3”
Binding: Cut 4 strips at 2 ¼”
Piecing the Flowerpots:

Using the three pieces you’ve already cut for your flowerpots, measure from both sides at the bottom of the pot towards the center 7/8” and make a mark. You should have two marks at the bottom of the pot that are 7/8” from the outside edges. Lay your ruler on the pot at an angle, lining up the upper corner(s) and your 7/8” mark. Cut away the wedge of fabric from either edge so that your pot has slanted sides.

Now that you’ve completed cutting, you’re ready to piece your flowerpots. FYI: All of the background pieces that are sewn to your flowerpots are somewhat oversized so that you can trim up the flowerpot portion of the block and get it nicely squared up after you’ve finished piecing it.

Using the background pieces that you cut as mirror images, you can put the sides on your flowerpot. What worked the best for me was to lay out the flowerpot and place the side pieces where they needed to go so that I didn’t get them mixed up. Here’s what I mean.


Once you’ve got the pieces laid out, just flip one side over so that right sides of the fabric are together. Because this is a “funny” angle, you’re going to need to make sure that you allow for the ¼” seam allowance. You can do that by making sure that the background piece has at least ¼” (and maybe just a little more) hanging over the top edge.

Do the same thing to the other side of your flowerpot. When you’re finished your flowerpot should look like this.
Now add the rim to the pot. This is the accent fabric that you cut into a 1 ¼” x 5 ½” rectangle. I simply fingered pressed the middle of the strip, finger pressed the top center of the flowerpot and lined the two pieces up. Once you’ve added this piece, give it a good pressing. Remember, this another piece that’s larger than it needs to be because we’re going to trim it later.

Now you need to sew half-square triangles to the top and bottom of your pot. Use the ones that you cut from the 3” squares. In order to get these triangles centered on the pot, I folded the flowerpot in half and simply finger-pressed the top and bottom in the middle. I did the same thing to the triangles and then just matched up the fold lines. Since everything has been cut just a little too large it doesn’t matter if your triangles are slightly off-center. Once you’ve attached your triangles, give the block a good pressing so that it lies flat. Now you can trim your block and square it up so that it measures 6 ½” from edge to edge (6” finished size).

Piecing the Posies:

Using the background and flower point triangles that you cut from the 3 ¼” squares, you’ll need to piece two different sets of quarter-square triangle segments. You’re going to need 13 of each set. (This number includes the 4 flowers for the border.) They should be mirror images of each other and look like the two sets below.


Once you’ve completed these little flower points you need to sew them to opposite sides of the 2 ½” background square. When they’re complete, the flower points should look like this:
Add your large flower triangles to the bottom and you’ve completed your flowers! (These are the triangles that you cut from the 4 7/8” squares.) Your flowers should now look like this and measure 4 ½” from edge to edge (4” finished).

Now you’re ready to put your blocks together! Using the background rectangles (2 ½” x 4 ½”) that you cut put two of the flowers together. Be careful to get them going in the correct direction! You’re going to need three of these sets for the center blocks.

Using three of the remaining flowers and the three remaining background rectangles, sew a rectangle to each flower so that they look like the one below.

Now you’ve completed all the pieces and you can put the blocks together. Using the flower point and rectangle that you just finished, add it to the flowerpot portion of the block. It should look like this:

Now, add the double flower segment that you completed earlier. Your block should look like the one below and measure 10 ½” edge to edge (10” finished). You’ll need three of these for your runner. You should still have four flowers remaining and we’ll use them in the border.

Putting Everything Together:

I’ve figured the setting and corner triangles to be just a little bit larger than you need so that you’ve got some room to straighten and square up the runner. Using the setting triangles, corner triangles and blocks, lay out your runner. Make sure that you don’t get your setting triangles and corner triangles mixed up. Once you’ve got everything in the correct spot – go ahead and put it all together.


Borders: Measure the length of your runner and the length of your border pieces. The runner should measure approximately 42 ½” long and it’s possible that your border fabrics aren’t quite that long. If so, piece them to get the length that you need and then sew them together into strip sets that look like this:

Cut two pieces from the strip sets that are the length of your runner. Do the same thing for the width of the runner. Sew the two long border pieces to the sides of the runner. Press them.

Sew the four flowers to either end of the border pieces that you cut to the width of the runner. Make sure that you get your flowers going in the correct direction! Sew these pieces to either end of the runner. Your completed runner should look like the one below. Don’t forget to label your binding fabric so you don’t use it for another project!

Here's my version of this runner. Now that it's pieced I can get it off to my wonderful machine quilter and get it quilted!

Storm Signal Runner
Approximately 18” x 54”

The block in this runner is called Storm Signal (April showers……….?) and you only need two fabrics! If you're interested in purchasing a kit for this runner, it's listed under "Kits" in our on-line store.

Yardages:

5/8 yd. Dark Fabric
5/8 yd. Medium Fabric
½ yd. for Binding

Cutting:

Medium & Dark Fabrics:

The cutting is exactly the same for both fabrics so FROM EACH FABRIC cut:

Cut 2 strips at 3 ½”. Subcut into 16 3 ½” squares.
Cut 2 strips at 3 7/8”. Subcut into 13 3 7/8” squares and then cut those in half diagonally so that you have 26 half-square triangles.
Cut one 5 1/2” strip. From this strip cut 3 5 1/2" squares. Cut these squares twice on the diagonal so that you have 12 quarter-square triangles. Label them! Cut the remainder of this strip into 3 squares at 4 ¼”. Cut these squares twice on the diagonal so that you have 12 quarter-square triangles. Label these also!

Piecing The Blocks:

Using 20 of both the medium and dark half-square triangles that you cut from the 3 7/8” squares, piece 20 half-square triangles. Press the seam allowance toward the dark fabric. These should look like this and measure 3 ½” edge to edge.


Next, using 10 of the quarter-square triangles that you cut from the 4 1/4" squares of both the dark and medium fabrics, piece 5 blocks that look like this. They should measure 3 ½” edge to edge.

Using 6 of the dark 3 ½” squares, twelve of the quarter-square triangles from the 5 1/2" squares and 6 of the remaining half-square triangles that you cut from the 3 7/8” squares, piece the partial block shown here. Put the quarter-square triangles (from the 5 1/2" square) on the sides and center the half-square triangle (from the 3 7/8" square) on the end. These triangles are going to be too large so once you’ve pieced this unit, square it up and trim the corner triangle. You’re going to need 6 of these.

Now, do the same thing and reverse the colors! You’re going to need 6 of these also.

With the remaining 3 ½” squares and the half- and quarter-square triangle units, piece 5 of the blocks pictured. They’re just fancy 9-patch blocks so you should be able to get them done quickly and they should measure 9 ½” edge to edge when you’re finished. BE CAREFUL how you turn those half-square triangles! Make sure that you’ve got them going in the correct direction!

Putting It All Together

This is really easy, but you’re going to have to keep your pieces straight! Using the partial block units and three of the full blocks, piece three units that look like this. Make sure that you’ve got the dark squares in the partial blocks again the medium squares of the full block!


Now, do the same thing in reverse! Sew the medium squares in the partial blocks to the dark squares of the full blocks. You’re only going to need two of these units.

Sew the five units together alternating them. When you’ve done that, sew the last two partial block units to either end. Your runner should look like this:


Here's my unquilted version of Storm Signal. It's kind of fun to do a different shape for a change!

2006 Iowa Star Designs
All Rights Reserved

Good Luck Token Runner
Approx. Size: 18 ½” x 49 ½”

We do have a fabric kit for this runner in the "Kits" section of our on-line store.

All seams are sewn using a scant ¼” seam allowance.

Fabric Yardage:

Darkest (Main) Fabric: ½ yd. plus ¼ yd. for binding
Pink Accent: ¼ yd.
Green Accent: 1/8 yd.
Background: 3/8 yd.

Cutting Instructions:

Dark (Main) Fabric:
Cut 4 strips 2 3/8” wide across the width of the fabric.
Cut 2 strips 3 ½” wide. From these strips cut 4 squares at 3 ½”, 6 rectangles at 3 ½” x 6 ½” and 2 rectangles that measure 3 1/2" x 9 1/2". These will all be used in the border.
Cut 3 strips for your binding at the width you prefer.

Pink: Cut 1 strip at 3 ½”.
Cut 3 strips at 1”. These are for your inner border.

Green: Cut 1 strip at 3 ½”

Background:
Cut 2 strips at 3 ½”
Cut 3 strips at 1 ½” for the second border.

Piecing Instructions:

Sew one of the 2 3/8” strips of black fabric to each of the 3 ½” strips of pink, green and background fabrics. Press your seams towards the dark fabric. When these strip sets are sewn you should have a total of four strip sets (one pink, one green and two background) and they should measure 5 3/8” from top to bottom edge. Cut eight 5 3/8” squares from each strip set. When you’ve finished, the squares should look like the one below and you should have 8 pink/black, 8 green/black and 16 background/black squares.


With the black fabric at the top, cut each of the squares in half diagonally from the upper left-hand corner down to the lower right-hand corner as shown in the diagram below. Make sure that you do ALL of the squares this way! (It’s really easy to forget and just whack them in the other direction before you realize what you’re doing!)

We’re going to use the upper right-hand sections to make the blocks. Be sure to save the lower left-hand sections and we’ll use those pieces later in the border.

Using only the upper left-hand sections of the pink/black, green/black and background/black sections, piece the block that’s pictured below. All you have to do is put a pink or green triangle section with a white triangle section and sew it together on the diagonal. Your finished block should measure 5” edge to edge (4 ½” finished). Do this with all of the segments. You should end up with 8 pink segments and 8 green segments.



Join the pink and green segments together so that you get a section that looks like the one below. Be very careful that you get the pink and green pinwheels going in the correct direction. Make 8 sections.

Join the sections together so that you have four blocks. Make sure that you match up the center pinwheels as you sew. The blocks should look like the one below and should measure 9 ½” edge to edge (9” finished).

Sew all four blocks together in a long row –- no sashing this time! Your strip of blocks should measure 36 ½” long and 9 ½” wide.

Using the 1” pink strips, add a 9 ½” inner border strip to each end of your blocks. Do the same with the long edges (which should measure 37 ½”). Add a 1 ½” background strip to either short end and then add a 39 ½” long strip to the long sides. Your piece should now measure 39 ½” x 12 ½”.

Remember those odd leftover bottom left-hand pieces that you saved? Get ‘em out and we’re going to turn them into blocks too! One-at-a-time, lay them out on your cutting area and measure from the tip of the black triangle to 3 7/8” along the top edge of the block. Be very careful to keep everything straight. You can do that by lining up a line on your ruler with the seam in your block. Once you’ve got everything lined up – check it again and then whack off the extra fabric from the right side of your block. You should be removing 1 3/8” from the edge.


When you’ve done this to all of your “leftovers” – then just sew each of the pinks and greens with one of the whites so that you have 16 blocks that look like the one below. These blocks should measure 3 ½” from edge to edge (3” finished size).

These are kind of odd looking little blocks but they’ll work just fine and add some interest to the border of the runner. (Besides, I just couldn’t bear to throw those pieces away!)

Using your leftover blocks and the 3 ½” squares and 3 ½” x 6 ½” rectangles of dark fabric, add the final borders to your runner. Be careful how you place the “odd” blocks. On the other hand – maybe you’ll come up with something new!


Here's my version of the pattern. It was kind of fun to use up those extra pieces in the border!
Iowa Star Designs
2006 All Rights Reserved

Love Is All Around
Finished Size: Approx. 18” x 48”

We do have a kit available for this runner. Just go to our store and click on the "Kits" button to view it.

Cutting Instructions:

From assorted red fabrics for the hearts cut:

36 2 1/8” squares
8 rectangles cut at 2 ¾” x 5”
4 5 5/8” squares cut in half on the diagonal so that you have 8 triangles.

For the Border: Cut 40 squares of assorted reds at 3 7/8” and then cut them in half diagonally to get 80 red triangles.

From assorted background fabrics cut:

Cut 4 squares at 5 3/8” and then cut them in half diagonally so that you have 8 triangles.
Cut 32 squares at 2 ¾”.

The following background strips can be pieced together from odds and ends of background fabrics. You’ll need:

80 squares cut at 2” for the pieced border
3 strips that measure 9 ½” x 1 ½” for sashing between the blocks.
2 strips that measure 9 ½” x 2” for the short sides of the inner border
2 strips that measure 42 ½” for the long sides of the inner border

Binding: You’ll need about 140” of binding or 4 strips of fabric for your binding cut at whatever width you normally use. Don’t forget – you can also piece together odds and ends of your red fabrics to use as binding!

Piecing Instructions:

Using the red 2 1/8” squares, piece four 9-patches. When you’ve finished, they should measure 5 3/8” edge to edge (4 7/8” finished size). (I know this is a weird size but it’s what works for a 9” finished block!)

Now, using the triangles that you cut from the 5 5/8” squares, you need to attach them to either side of your 9-patches. These triangles are going to be larger than you need but we’re going to trim them down. Your piece should look like the one below. You’ll have some “wings” that stick out – but we’ll take care of them shortly.







Now, add your large background triangles to the bottom edges of the heart so that they look like the graphic below. Be very careful that you don’t stretch the edges of the red triangles as you add the background triangles. Make sure that everything stays nice and square at the bottom of the heart. Give it a good pressing when you’re done so that it lays nice and flat.




Now comes the tricky part! Lay your wide ruler so that the 4 ¾” mark lines up with the top and bottom points of the 9-patch. Also line up the bottom and right side edge of the background piece so that everything is nice and square. Once you’ve got everything lined up – whack off the right “wing” of the heart. Reverse this and do the same thing to the left-hand side of the heart. When you’ve done this your heart should measure 9 ½” across and 7 1/4” high (edge to edge). (There are certainly more elegant and more precise ways to achieve this unusual shape, however I’m trying to create this shape without having to use a template. If I were making an entire quilt -- I'd probably use the template.)




The bottom of your heart block should now look like this:




Using the 2 ¾” x 5” red rectangles and the 2 ¾” background squares, piece 16 flying geese units using the sew and flip method. You’ll need 16 flying geese units. If you’re unfamiliar the sew & flip method, please contact me and I’ll be happy to give you a mini-lesson. Your flying geese units should look like the one below and should measure 2 ¾” x 5” edge to edge.




You’ll need to sew two of these geese together to create the top of your heart. They should look like the one below and you’ll need four of them.




Sew them to your 9-patch units being careful to match up the top corner of the 9-patch unit with the center seam of the geese unit. Your finished block should look like the one below and should measure 9 ½” edge to edge.




Using the three 1 ½” x 9 ½” strips of background fabric, sew the four blocks together. Make sure that you’ve got the blocks going in the correct direction! Add a 2” x 9 ½” background piece to either end. Press. Add the 2” x 42 ½” pieces to each long side of the runner.

The Pieced Border:

Using the red triangles that you cut from the 40 3 7/8” squares, randomly piece 40 half-square triangles. These triangles should measure 3 ½” edge to edge. Now, using the flip and sew method, add a background triangle to opposite corners of your half-square triangles so that you’ve got a small block that looks like the one below and measures 3 ½” edge to edge. You’re going to need 40 of these blocks.





Piece the blocks together into sections so that you’ve got a zigzag pattern. You’ll need two sets of four blocks for each end and two sets of 16 blocks for the long sides. Make sure that you lay the sections out along edges of the hearts so that you get everything going in the right direction before you sew the sections on. When you’re finished, your runner should look like this:




Here's how my runner turned out.

Iowa Star Designs
2006 All Rights Reserved

January Flurries Tablerunner
Approx. Size: 54 ½” x 16 ¾”

We have sold out of the fabric kit for this runner.

All strips are cut across the width of the fabric and all seams are sewn using a scant ¼” seam unless otherwise noted.

Fabric Requirements:

Dark (Blue) Fabric: 1 1/2 yds.
Light (White) Fabric: ½ yd.

Cutting Instructions:

Background (Blue) Fabric: Cut 2 strips at 3 7/8” and then subcut into 16 3 7/8” squares. Cut these squares once on the diagonal so that you have 32 triangles. Label them and set them aside.

Cut one strip of dark fabric at 4 ¼”. Subcut this strip into 8 4 ¼” squares. Cut these squares twice on the diagonal so that you have 32 triangles. Label these and set aside.

Cut 2 strips at 8”. From these two strips cut 8 8” squares. Cut these squares in half diagonally so that you have 16 triangles.

Cut 7 strips at 2 ½” for your border and binding. Set aside until later.

Light (White) Fabric: Cut 1 strip of fabric at 4 ¼” and subcut it into 8 4 ¼” squares. Cut these squares twice on the diagonal so that you get 32 triangles. Label and set aside.

Cut 1 strip at 3 ½”. Subcut into 4 squares at 3 ½”.

Cut 7 strips at 1”. Subcut 2 of these strips into 16 pieces that measure approximately 1” x 5”. From two more strips cut 6 pieces that measure approximately 1” x 8”. Save the last three strips for your inner border.
Piecing Instructions:

Using the triangles you cut from the 3 7/8” blue squares and the 16 of the 1” x 5” rectangles, piece the corner block shown below. Try to line up the tips of the triangles when you sew them to the light fabric but don’t worry if they’re not absolutely perfect. Once you’ve pressed the square, pressing the seams toward the dark fabric, you can trim it down to a 3 1/2” square. I used the 45 degree line on my ruler to help me make sure that the white was centered. You should have 16 of these.
Now, using the smaller triangles that you cut from the 1 ¼” squares of blue and white, piece 16 of the blocks shown below. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to assemble your blocks. Your blocks are assembled in rows. Just follow the diagram below but make sure that you’ve got your corner blocks pointing in the correct direction. Your blocks should measure 9 ½” edge to edge (9” finished). Setting Blocks: Using 12 of the blue triangles that you cut from the 8” squares and 6 of the 1” x 8” white rectangles, sew 6 triangles that look like the one below. Once again, these are going to be larger than you need so that you can center the white strips and trim the point. Don’t trim the outside edge until you’ve assembled the runner. Assemble your blocks and setting triangles. The setting triangles will be larger than you need. Once you’ve assembled the body of the runner, trim and straighten the edges and ends being careful to keep everything even. Borders: Measure the runner through the center of the width. Cut two pieces of white fabric to that measurement and sew them to either end. Press and then measure the length through the center and sew the strips to the sides. Repeat the process for your final border.
2006 Iowa Star Designs
All Right Reserved Here's a not-so-great photo of my "real life" version of the runner.

Here's a tip for those of you who would like to print off the patterns in separate sections. Highlight whatever portion you want to print off and then select "File". From the "file" menu select "Print." You should see a box that says "Print Range", choose "Selection" and it will print whatever you've highlighted.



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