Using felt to appliqué on this DIY Halloween Table Runner was a game-changer. Learn how I made it using my Silhouette Cameo 4.
Thank you Silhouette America for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Last week I showed you how to easily make this spooky eyeball pillow using my Silhouette Cameo 4, so this week I'm going to show you how I used the same appliqué technique to make this stunning DIY Halloween Table Runner.
This table runner pattern is so easy for beginners. Just even if you don't add all appliqué pieces, the basic sewing skill are all you need. You could easily just skip the blanket stitches but they add a depth of beauty for this table piece.
Supplies for your DIY Halloween Table Runner
To make your own table runner you're going to need a few items.
- Coordinating Felt Squares (I used 12 different colors)
- 1/3 yd Black Felt
- 2.5 yds Black Polka Dot Fabric
- 2.5 yds Orange Backing Fabric
- 1 yd Green Binding Fabric
- Queen Size Quilters 80/20
- Coordinating Threads
- Black HTV Flocking
- Sewable Heat n' Bond
- Heat Press or Iron
- Halloween Silhouette Design #216061
- Spider and Web Silhouette Design #303119
- Pumpkin Silhouette Design #227840
- Ghost Silhouette Design #227850
How to create APPLIQUÉ in Silhouette Studio
I've created a video below – bare with me. It'll show you how I sized my pieces, how I grouped the colors together for easy cutting and less mess, and it will show how I created the offset of the black appliqué.
How do you make a Halloween table runner
Begin by cutting your backing, front piece, and batting to 14″ wide. You'll have a lot of leftover of the quilting fabric but this is to give you one continuous piece. If you don't want that, by all means go ahead and piece together the backing and front. You will just have a seam in the middle of your runner so keep that in mind.
I left the length alone at this point and just set aside all my pieces.
Iron the interfacing on to your felt pieces. I used wool felt from my local quilt shop but you can easily make the letters all one color and save some money. The wool felt has little designs that make it unique and that's what I love. Each square was 12″x12″ so that they would fit on my Cameo mat.
How to Cut Felt using the Silhouette Cameo 4
How to cut felt with the Silhouette Cameo
- Prepare your Felt
Prepare by cutting your felt into 12″x12″ squares to fit onto your Cameo mat. If you're using interfacing, apply that now before you cut your shape. Do not peel the backing paper off just yet.
If you're not, be prepared to have a lot of fuzz on your mat. Using Wool Felt is a good way to avoid this. - Place Felt on the Mat
Place your mat on to a standard grip mat and use a brayer to press down. If you're using interfacing, place that side down on your mat.
- Insert your Rotary Blade
Insert the Silhouette Rotary Blade into carriage 2 and lock.
- Edit in Silhouette Studio
Select your shape in the Send Window and on Tool 1, select No Cut. Scroll down to Tool 2 and select the Felt, Acrylic setting and select cut. Your shape will now be outlined in blue rather than red and it will show you all the turns you rotary blade will make.
- Load your Felt
Load your mat with the felt into your Silhouette Cameo 4 and then press send in Silhouette Studio. Wait until your cut is complete and then unload.
- Remove Felt from your Mat
Once your felt is cut, remove your shape from the mat. Some small fragments of felt can still be attached in small corners and cut so just use some handheld scissors to cut those carefully and by not pulling.
If you've used interfacing, go ahead and remove the backing at this point.
How to APPLIQUÉ Felt
Now that your pieces are cut, it's time to appliqué it onto the front of your Halloween table runner. You're going to want to use a basting stitch to attach the batting to the front piece. Place the batting against the wrong side of the fabric and do the basting stitch around the entire circumference of the front.
Place that aside and then you're going to leave the interfacing protection on your black pieces and then iron your colored letters over the top of the black. Let it cool and then you're going to take your letters and use the coordinating thread and use the blanket stitch on your sewing machine to outline the letters.
How to apply appliqué to quilts
Determine the middle of the piece and place your appliqué O there. Place the other letters in order going outwards until your pieces are where you want them to be and then iron it onto your front fabric to tack it in place. I finished off the ends with the ghost and pumpkin pieces.
After I have used my interfacing to attach the appliqué to the top piece, I used black thread and the blanket stitch to attach it to the top of the table runner.
how to assemble a table runner
Now that we have the top all done, we can now add the base and the binding tape to the edges. Use your acrylic ruler and rotary cutter to square off the table runner. We want clean edges so we can have a perfect finished project.
Since we didn't worry about the length earlier, here is your chance to make it as long or short as you want it. My table is 72″ long and my pieces were cut to 76″ long so that I'd have a bit of hang off the edges.
Use the basting stitch again just close to the edge but where it will be hidden from the bias tape.
Cut your green fabric into 2″ strips and attach them together to make one long strip. Run that strip through a 1″ bias tape maker. This is the first time I've ever used one and it's well worth it. Bias tape has always been such a headache.
Now stitch your bias tape to the edge using the 1/4″ seam guide. When you start, you're going to want to fold over an inch of your bias tape just to give you a clean edge that'll show. After that is sewn on, fold it over, and use an invisible stitch to finish it off.
How to apply Flocked HTV
The last detail on this Halloween table runner is these cute flocked spiders and their webs. I used the flocked HTV setting that was already set on my Silhouette Studio software and reversed the image before I cut.
Use a heat press or an iron with no steam and press for 15-20 seconds. Allow it to cool for about a minute and lift the carrier sheet. If you pull it up and it's lifting, just press it down and again and wait a little longer for it to release.
Oh my gosh, I feel like this post would never end! I hope you make your very own table runner. When you think about it, it's just two rectangles put together but these felt appliqué pieces cut with the Silhouette Cameo 4 make it pop.
Again, thank you to Silhouette for sponsoring this post. I have really enjoyed cutting felt pieces with the new rotary blade tool. I'm looking forward to making many more projects to come.
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