I designed this bed runner as a Christmas gift using the Wrendale fabric collection but when I saw this Hummingbird collection from Lewis and Irene, I knew the fabrics would be perfect for this design too. I love the vibrant colours and pretty details that are picked up perfectly in the fussy cut pieces.
Disappointingly this bed runner was made to go into Quilt Now magazine but they got in touch to say that sadly they will no longer be continuing the magazine. Since it has been a while since I made the quilt, a lot of these fabrics are now out of stock, but I thought it was still worth sharing this pattern with you. There are lots of different collections that this would look fab in. It is amazing how different a pattern can look in different fabrics. If you scroll to the bottom you will see the version I made in Wrendale fabrics.
MATERIALS
Hummingbirds on Duck Egg – Fat Quarter
Hummingbirds on Dark Blue – Fat Quarter
Summer Floral on Duck Egg – Fat Quarter
Summer Floral on Dark Blue – Fat Quarter
Turquoise Dotty – Fat Quarter
Tropical Pink Bumbleberry – Fat Quarter
Tropical Sea Bumbleberry – ½ Metres
Cream Hummingbird Silhouette – 1.5 Metres
Bosal Wadding 20” x 92”
Binding 6.2 Metres
Sewing Machine
Rotary Cutter, Mat and Ruler
Finished Size 18.5” x 90”
CUTTING
From Hummingbirds on Duck Egg cut:
3 6” squares
From Hummingbirds on Dark Blue cut:
2 6 ½” squares
From Summer Floral on Duck Egg cut:
12 4½” squares
From Summer Floral on Dark Blue cut:
8 3½” squares
From Turquoise Dotty cut:
6 1½” x 16”
6 1½” x 18½”
From Cream Hummingbird Silhouette cut:
(The cream fabric is directional so if you would like the fabric to face the same direction, keep this in mind when it comes to sewing.)
36 4½” squares
8 3½” squares
16 3½” x 6½”
From Tropical Sea Bumbleberry cut:
12 4½” x 8½”
Binding 2” x 6 WOF
From Tropical Pink Bumbleberry cut:
16 3½” squares
8 3½” x 6½”
NOTES
Use a ¼” seam allowance throughout. Press seams open at the end of each point
WOF = Width of fabric
ASSEMBLY
1. Take your hummingbirds on duck egg and 12 cream 4.5” squares. With right sides together, add the squares to opposite corners, trim. Repeat on the other two corners.
2. Take your tropical sea fabric and remaining 4.5” cream squares. Make 12 flying geese by placing a square onto the edge of the rectangle, lining up the edges with right sides together. Sew from corner to corner, you can draw your line on before if you prefer. Trim and repeat on the other side.
3. Assemble your blue blocks as shown below.
4. Add the tropical blue borders to the sides first and then the top and bottom.
5. Take your tropical pink squares and 8 cream rectangles. Make 8 flying geese.
6. Take 8 3.5” cream squares and the dark blue summer floral squares. Pair them up. Now take the remaining cream rectangles and pair them up with the rectangles you just made.
7. Now it is time to assemble your pink blocks as per the image.
8. You should now have 5 blocks measuring 18.5”. Lay them out alternating, blue and pink. Sew them together in a row.
FINISHING
Back, quilt and bind your quilt as per your preferred method.
I have used Bosal cotton wadding. The back is longer than the standard fabric width, so I have used two bolt width pieces plus a little extra to piece the backing in the white silhouette design. I decided to keep the quilting reasonably simple so as not to distract from the fabrics. I have sewn in the ditch of the centre squares and used a vine stitch on the turquoise borders. Allow the backing and wadding to be slightly bigger than your quilt top and trim it down when you have finished quilting it.
I have used 2” wide binding made from the tropical sea bumbleberry.
Here is the finished bed runner. I used one of the blocks in a different combination of the fabrics to make a coordinating cushion with a simple envelope back.
Isn't it interesting how different a pattern can look in completely different fabrics. This is the original Wrendale one I made which is actually being used as a table runner rather than a bed runner.