Be My Valentine Table Runner

Hi, I’m Cherry Guidry of Cherry Blossoms. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner and all the pink, red, and sweets, I was inspired to create this easy table runner that would look great on a table, make a fantastic bed runner, or perhaps, use the appliquéd blocks individually to make a few quick pillows!

This runner is made with fusible appliqué, but the templates will work with your favorite appliqué technique.

Materials to Make a Valentine Table Runner

• Download the Be My Valentine Table Runner Template
• White fabric for backgrounds and appliqués: 1 yd (I used Color Weave White from Color Weave by Benartex)
• Dark pink fabric for appliqués and border: ½ yd (I used Beaded Circles Dark Pink from Sunday Ride by Benartex)
• Light pink fabric for appliqués: 1 fat quarter (I used Beaded Circles Light Pink from Sunday Ride by Benartex)
• Red fabric for appliqués and binding: ½ yd (I used Color Weave Rouge from Color Weave by Benartex)
• Backing fabric: 1½ yd for pieced or 2 yds for a one-piece backing
• Batting: 20″ x 70″
• Paper-backed fusible: 2 yds of 17″ wide
• Thread: white, light pink, dark pink
• Sewing machine (I use a B 880)
• Open embroidery foot #20/#20C/#20D
• BERNINA Stitch Regulator (BSR)
• BERNINA Adjustable Ruler foot #72

How to Make the Be My Valentine Table Runner

Step 1 – Cut the fabric

White:

• (3) 2 ½” x WOF (width of fabric) strip subcut into (19) 2 ½” x 4 ½” – pieced border rectangles
• (2) 12 ½” x WOF (width of fabric) strips subcut into (5) 12 ½” x 12 ½” – background squares

Dark pink:

• (3) 2 ½” x WOF strip subcut into (19) 2 ½” x 4 ½” – pieced border rectangles

Red:

• (5) 2 ¼” x WOF binding strips

Step 2 – Prepare the appliqué shapes

Using the Be My Valentine templates, trace the appliqué shapes onto the paper side of the fusible; I like to use a fine tip marker and allow approximately ½” between the traced shapes. Label each traced shape with its number and fabric color.

Cut the templates apart about ¼” away from the traced line and with fusible side down, fuse onto the wrong side of its corresponding fabric:

Heart #1: (2) dark pink, (2) light pink, (1) red

Heart #2: (2) dark pink, (3) white

Heart #3: (1) dark pink, (2) light pink

Cut the fused pieces on the traced line.

Fuse the shapes onto the center of the (5) 12 ½” x 12 ½” white background squares following the diagram below:

Step 3 – Stitch around each of the fused shapes

I sewed this project on a BERNINA 880 using the blanket stitch #1320 with a thread that matched each of the shapes and my favorite BERNINA Open embroidery foot #20D.

Step 4 – Sew the pieced-border

Make (2) side border units by alternating (2) dark pink and (2) white 2 ½” x 4 ½” pieced border rectangles. With the remaining dark pink and white 2 ½” x 4 ½” pieced border rectangles, sew (5) white/pink/white units and (5) pink/white/pink units.

Sew the units onto top and bottom edges of the appliqued blocks as follows:

Step 5 – Assemble the runner

Sew the blocks and side borders into a row:

Step 6 – Finishing

One of my favorite things in any project is the quilting phase and absolute love the new BERNINA Adjustable Ruler foot #72 that allows the use of longarm rulers on the BERNINA domestic machines; I also used the BERNINA Stitch Regulator (BSR) for a bit of evenly spaced free-motion quilting.

Layer the backing, batting, and quilt top, and quilt as desired. Bind with the (5) 2 ¼” red binding strips. Here is a helpful tutorial on how to bind a quilt using double fold binding.

Laying the blocks vertically would also make a great wall hanging!

I hope you have a sweet Valentine’s Day!