How to make a table runner

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one runner for a table seating 6)

• Outer fabric (linen, cotton-linen or a cotton print) — about 110 cm wide × 60 cm
• Lining fabric — the same amount
• Optional: lightweight fusible interfacing, if you want it to lie crisply

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Home” → “Table runner” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the finished length, the finished width and the depth of the point at each end. Presets cover tables seating 4 or 6, plus a version with square ends.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Measure the table
   Measure the length of the table. A runner normally hangs 15–20 cm over each end, though you can also keep it entirely on the tabletop.
2. Trace the pattern
   Trace the body, including the points at both ends. It is long, so spread the fabric on the floor.
3. Cut the pieces
   Cut 1 outer and 1 lining. Watch the direction of a one-way print.
4. Finish the edges
   Not needed — it is turned right side out.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew outer and lining together

1. Place outer and lining right sides together and sew all the way round, leaving a 15 cm opening. Put the opening in the middle of a long side.
2. Trim the seam allowance at the points aggressively, on the diagonal. Leave it in and the point turns out rounded and lumpy instead of sharp.
3. Trim the corner allowances at the sides too.

4-2. Turn and shape

1. Turn right side out through the opening. It is long, so work it through from one end a little at a time.
2. Push the points out with an awl. Do not jab — you will go through the fabric. Coax them from the outside.
3. Press flat. Rolling the lining 0.5 mm to the inside keeps the seam from showing on the front.

4-3. Topstitch to finish

1. Fold the opening edges in.
2. Topstitch 3–5 mm from the edge all the way round. That closes the opening too.
3. It is a long straight run, so clip the layers together at intervals to stop them shifting.

✏️ Be bold about trimming the seam allowance at the points. The sharper the angle, the more the leftover allowance bunches up inside. Cutting to within 1–2 mm of the stitching is fine. Skimp here and the point you went to the trouble of drafting comes out round.

5. Tips & variations

• Length guide: the table length plus 15–20 cm at each end. If you are not letting it hang, make it 10 cm shorter than the table.
• Interfacing for body: a soft fabric ripples. Lightweight fusible interfacing on the outer lets it lie flat.
• Make the set: placemats in the same fabric pull the table together.