How to Make a Quilted Table Runner Fast: the Stripology Method

A quilted table runner is one of the fastest ways to turn a favorite piece of fabric into something you use every day. For most quilters, the cutting is what stretches a quick project into a long one: every strip and every sub-cut measured, lined up, and measured again. The Stripology method, designed by Gudrun Erla, is built to collapse that cutting down to a few passes, and that is what turns a table runner into an afternoon project.

Here is how the whole thing comes together, starting with the cutting, because that is where the time is won.

What you need

A table runner is a small project, so the supply list is short:

• Fabric for the top. A runner uses only a small amount of fabric, which makes it a perfect way to feature a print you love or a few coordinating cuts. Browse our quilting fabric if you are starting from scratch.
• A Stripology ruler and a rotary cutter. The Stripology rulers are what make the cutting fast, and the next section covers exactly why.
• Backing fabric, cut a few inches larger than your finished top on all sides.
• Batting. A cotton or 80/20 blend presses flat and is easy to quilt at home.

That is the whole list. No specialty tools, no long prep, just the fabric you want to show off and a ruler that does the measuring for you.

The fast part: cutting the Stripology way

Most of a table runner is strips and squares, and that is exactly what the Stripology system was designed to cut. Instead of measuring each cut against a printed line, the ruler has laser-cut slits every half inch. You lay the ruler down once, run your rotary cutter through the slits, and every strip comes out the same width without measuring a single one.

The markings do the math for you. Black stars mark the lines for 1.5-inch cuts and black squares mark 2.5-inch cuts, so nothing gets converted in your head while you work. An embedded non-slip grip holds the ruler in place under the pressure of the cutter but still glides when you want to reposition it, so the ruler stays put exactly when you need it to and moves the moment you do not. Gudrun designed the system and it is manufactured by Creative Grids, and it comes in four sizes: XL, Squared, Squared Mini, and Quarters Mini. For a runner, the XL is the workhorse.

Here is what that adds up to. You can cut all the strips for the top in a few passes, then sub-cut those strips into the squares or rectangles your pattern calls for without stopping to re-measure. Quilters cutting this way move up to 75 percent faster than with a standard ruler. The cutting that used to eat the first hour of a project is done in minutes, and every piece is consistent, which pays off the moment you start sewing.

Piecing the runner top

With the pieces cut, lay them out in the arrangement your pattern shows. A runner is usually only a few rows long, so it comes together quickly. Chain piece the units to save thread and time, press your seams as you go so everything lies flat, and join the rows. Press the finished top one more time and square up the edges. Because the Stripology cuts were consistent to begin with, the seams meet where they should and the top stays true instead of fighting you at the corners.

If you are sizing a runner yourself rather than following a pattern, the simplest approach is to measure your table and build the top to a long, narrow rectangle that leaves a little overhang on each end. Most patterns handle this sizing for you, which is one more reason to start from one.

Quick finishing

Layer the backing, batting, and top into a quilt sandwich, then quilt it however you like. Straight lines run down the length of a runner are simple and look clean, and a walking foot keeps every layer moving together.

To skip the sandwich-basting step, quilt-as-you-go is the faster route. Our quilt-as-you-go batting kits use single-sided fusible batting in six sizes, so you press each section to the batting and quilt as you build rather than wrestling a whole runner at the end. If it is your first time with the method, the quilt-as-you-go video classes walk you through it step by step, so you can troubleshoot as you go and finish even faster.

Bind the edges to finish. A runner has a small perimeter, so the binding goes quickly, and then it is done and on the table the same day you started.

Pattern picks to make it even faster

The fastest route to a finished runner is to start from a pattern that is already sized and cut-listed for you. Our collection of 123 quilted table runner patterns runs from simple beginner rows to modern geometric layouts, and many are written with Stripology cutting in mind. Pair one with a Stripology ruler and the cut list becomes a handful of passes rather than a page of measurements.

For the quickest finish of all, the quilt-as-you-go video classes include runners you can piece and quilt in a single sitting, with the video right there to keep you moving.

Pick a pattern, pull the fabric you have been saving, and let the Stripology ruler handle the cutting. A quilted table runner really can start and finish in one afternoon.