Fall Burlap Table Runner

Although it is still really warm outside, I know Fall is on the way!  I love this season for so many reasons…  Soup, cool breezes, beautiful colors, and the list goes on and on.  I was inspired by the leaves on the mountain just outside our door and the changing colors.  I wanted to do something to bring that feeling inside.


As always… Start with gathering supplies.  For this project, you’ll need:
2 yards of burlap (or whatever length you want to fit your table.  I did mine 2 yards long)
5 fat quarters in various fall colors/patterns
3 yards Heat n’ Bond
Sewing Machine, thread, iron, good scissors, cutting mat and rotary cutter or ruler, marking pencil, and a lint roller :)
The five colors I chose all felt very Fall”ish” to me.

(The wrapper from the Heat n’ Bond, so you’ll have an idea of what to look for.  If you don’t want to sew each leaf on, you can buy the heat n bond that is just for iron on application.) Cut a piece of heat n bond to fit each fat quarter (I also ironed the fat quarters to get them nice and straight), then iron the heat n bond on the wrong side of each fat quarter.
After prepping each fat quarter, I went online and googled leaf silhouette to get a few different leaves to appliqué on my table runner.  I then cut them out, and traced them onto the heat n’ bond.
Now is for the boring part…  find a good movie, after the kids are all in bed, and cut out each leaf one at a time.
When all of the leaves are cut out, it’s time to move on to the burlap.  I Started by folding it in 4ths and cutting off the selvage.  I wanted the raw edges to create the frayed look.
I then cut it 16 inches wide.  If you don’t have a rotary cutter and cutting mat, you can make it work with a ruler and marking pencil/pen.

Sew a zig zag stitch one inch in along each side of the burlap.  This will keep the fraying to just where you want it.
Then it’s time to fray the edges.  This can be a bit tedious, but it looks great when you are done. 
Once your burlap is ready to go, run the iron over it just to get the winkles out.  Then lay it flat and decide where you want your leaves. 
Peel the backing off of the heat n’ bond.  If it hasn’t adhered all the way, run the iron over it again, then let it cool before peeling the backing off.
When you’ve got it laid out just how you want it, then iron them on.  Make sure they get good and stuck.
Now it is time to stitch around each leaf.  Straight stitch about a quarter inch in around each leaf.  Making sure to only stitch on the leaf that is on the top. 
When you are all done, place it on your table, step back, admire your work, then take the lint roller and clean yourself off.  Burlap can make a big mess, but it sure looks cute on the table!