How to Sew a Hanukkah Table Runner

Cut out fabrics from your chosen fat quarters:

· Front pieces:

· 1 piece - 10inch square

· 20 pieces - 2 ½ x 10 inch strips (4x each fabric)

· 10 pieces – 2 ½ inch squares (all the same fabric)

· Back Pieces:

· 1 piece – 10 x 16 inch rectangle

· 2 pieces – 11 x 16 rectangle

· 2 pieces – 9 x 16 rectangle

· Using 3 strands of the “dawn” metallic thread, stitch blanket stitch around the base of menorah.

· Using the same thread, make a fly-stitch pattern inside the menorah. And blanket stich on the horizontals.

· Using 3 strands of colour 51, stem-stitch the other lines of the menorah.

· Using 6 strands of colour 4124, stitch diagonally across the candles in a straight stitch (to make them look rounded)

· Using 3 strands of E677 thread, stem-stitch around the flames and with 6 strands, straight-stitch wicks.

· Embellishing with coin-shaped beads is also an option

· For the driedels and letters, blanket stitch around the edge with 3 strands of thread of your choice.

Alternatively, use machine embroidery as your embellishment, around the outlines of the shapes.

· We will use quarter inch seams throughout

· Start piecing together the runner, by machine-sewing one strip onto the central menorah square.

· Then sew a small dreidel square onto the end of another strip.

· Sew that piece (strip plus little square combo) to the other side of the big menorah square.

· Continue in this manner on each side of the menorah square, pressing seams open as you go with an iron, until all pieces are attached.

· You can choose whether to alternate fabrics symmetrically or randomly

Using a ruler, trim the edges so that you have a straight edges horizontally, and diagonal edges at the ends

Cut 2 ½ x 18 inch strips in a contrasting fabric for the border

Sew a border strip onto one edge. Trim the ends to shape. Sew another strip on, trim the ends to shape. And so on until you have a complete border.

Sew back pieces together. Trim to size.

Cut a piece of wadding using the edge of the whole front as your shape guide.

With wadding on the table, place the back piece and the front piece right sides together, on top. Pin them all together, and sew at 1.5 cm around the edge, leaving a gap for turning right-side-out. Trim the corners. Now turn right-side out and hand sew the gap.

Pin the edges together so it's flat, and quilt around the edge. Then quilt the inside lines as desired.

1. Cut 1 piece – 8 x 10 inch rectangle of chosen fabric

2. Cut 2 pieces – 2 ½ x 10 inch strips

3. Cut 2 pieces – 2 ½ x 8 inch strips

4. Cut 4 pieces – 2 ½ inch squares (contrasting colour)

5. Cut 1 piece – 14 x 11 inch rectangle

6. Cut 1 piece of wadding – 14 x 11 inch

7. Using the template provided, transfer the menorah onto the fabric (8 x 10 inch rectangle) as shown above, but bond it straight in the center of rectangle, not diagonal like in the runner.

8. Using a sewing machine, zig-zag (or embroidery stitch of your choice) around the edges of menorah.

9. Sew a square on either end of both 8 inch strips. Then sew the 10 inch strips onto long edges of the rectangle. Then sew the strips with square attached onto the other sides to make a rectangle.

10. Place the back and the front, right-sides together ontop of the wadding. Pin in place, and sew around edges, leaving a gap for turning right-sides out.

11. Trim the corners

12. Turn right side out

13. Hand sew gap

14. Quilt around the edges and inside as desired