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Courthouse Steps Christmas Tree Table Runner
Spread a little Christmas joy by sewing a courthouse steps table runner. Clever color placement of the step pieces will help you build your Christmas trees easily.
The quarter inch piecing foot and the Horizon Memory Craft 9400QCP make this cheery Christmas table runner a breeze to piece with precision.
RST-Right sides together, RSD-Right Side Down, RSU-Right Side Up, WOF-Width of fabric, FQ-fat quarter, all seam allowances are 1/4” unless otherwise specified.
Skill Level: Beginner
Sewing Time: 5 hours
Finished size: approximately 13” x 49”
Janome Supplies Required:
HMC9400QCP
1/4″ Foot O
Standard Foot A
Red Tip Needle
Pre-wound bobbin
Empty Bobbin
Fabrics/Notions Required:
Refer to the Fabric Key
1 FQ yellow tone-on-tone patterned fabric (fabric A) sub cut into:
(5) 1.5” x 1.5” (center piece/”star” on the Christmas tree)
1 FQ yellow green tone-on-tone fabric (fabric B) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 3.5” (first tier of Christmas tree)
1 FQ light green tone-on-tone fabric (fabric C) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 5.5” (second tier of Christmas tree)
1 FQ medium green tone-on-tone (fabric D) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 7.5” (third tier of Christmas tree)
1 FQ dark green tone-on-tone (fabric E) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 9.5”
1 FQ white-cream tone-on-tone fabric (fabric F) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 1.5” (first tier of cream background)
1 FQ light cream tone-on-tone fabric (fabric G) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 3.5” (second tier of cream background)
1 FQ medium cream tone-on-tone fabric (fabric H) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 5.5” (first tier of cream background)
1 FQ dark cream tone-on-tone fabric (fabric I) sub cut into:
(10) 1.5” x 7.5” (first tier of cream background)
1 ½ yds red Christmas themed fabric (fabric J) sub cut into:
(2) 2.5” x 45.5” (border)
(2) 2.5” x 13.5” (border)
(1) 13.5” x 49.5” (back of table runner)
3 yds Pellon SF101 sub cut into:
(2) 13.5” x 49.5” (fuse to wrong sides of table runner front and back)
Coordinating all-purpose sewing thread for piecing
Contrasting all-purpose sewing thread for topstitching
Supplies Required:
Sewing pins
Thread snips
Marking pen/tailors chalk
Rotary cutter/ruler/mat
Iron and pressing board
Piece the Courthouse Steps blocks
- Attach the 1/4″ Foot O to the presser foot of the MC9400. Select stitch #2 from the “Quilt” menu and lengthen the stitch length to 2.20. To use the 1/4″ foot O, simply butt the edge of the fabric against the black fabric guide attached to the foot for perfect quarter-inch seams.
- Take one 1.5” square of yellow (fabric A) and two 1.5” squares of white-cream (fabric F) and arrange them as shown below. Place one white-cream RST with the yellow square, matching edges, and pin on one side. Sew together along the pinned edge with a 1/4” seam allowance, using the 1/4″ foot for precision piecing. Press seams. Take the remaining 1.5” square of white-cream and place it RST on the opposite edge of the yellow square. Pin the edge to secure and sew together along the pinned edge. Press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #2 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 3.5” pieces of yellow green (fabric B) and place one on each side, matching the longer edges. Take one of the yellow green pieces and place it RSD on top of the fabric A-fabric F pieced unit, pinning along the edge to secure. Sew together along the pinned edge. Press seams. Take the remaining yellow green piece of fabric B and place it RST on the opposite edge, pinning to secure. Sew together along the pinned edge. Press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #3 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 3.5” pieces of light cream (fabric G) and place one on each side (sides opposite the yellow-green fabric B). Flip the pieces of fabric G RSD on the outer edges and pin in place to secure. Sew together on each pinned edge with a 1/4” seam allowance. Press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #4 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 5.5” pieces of light green (fabric C) and place one on each side, matching the longer edges. Take the light green pieces and flip them RSD on the edges and pin in place to secure. Sew together along each pinned edge. Press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #5 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 5.5” pieces of medium cream (fabric H) and place one on each side (sides opposite the light green fabric C. Flip the pieces of fabric H RSD on the outer edges and pin in place to secure. Sew together on each pinned edge and press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #6 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 7.5” pieces of medium green (fabric D) and place one on each side, matching the longer edges. Take the medium green pieces and flip them RSD on the edges and pin in place to secure. Sew together along each pinned edge and press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #7 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 7.5” pieces of dark cream (fabric I) and place one on each side (sides opposite the medium green fabric D). Flip the pieces of fabric I RSD on the outer edges and pin in place to secure. Sew together on each pinned edge and press seams.
- Place the unit created in step #8 on a flat surface and take two of the 1.5” x 9.5” pieces of dark green (fabric E) and place one on each side, matching the longer edges. Take the dark green pieces and flip them RSD on the edges and pin in place to secure. Sew together along each pinned edge and press seams.
- Repeat steps #2-9 four more times with the remaining fabric cuts to finish assembling all five blocks.
Assemble and finish the table runner
- Take two of the blocks and place them side by side, matching one green edge with one cream edge. Flip the top block down, so it is RST with the bottom block and pin along the top edge. Sew along the pinned edge with a 1/4” seam allowance and press seams.
- Continue adding the remaining blocks by repeating step #11, matching the cream sides with the green sides (alternating the blocks) and press seams.
- Take one of the 2.5” x 45.5” red (fabric J) border pieces and place it RST with one long edge of the pieced blocks. Pin along the edge and sew together. Press seam. Repeat with the remaining 2.5” x 45.5” border piece.
- Take one of the 2.5” x 13.5” red (fabric J) border pieces and place it RST with one short edge of the table runner. Pin along the edge and sew together. Press seam. Repeat with the remaining 2.5” x 13.5” border piece. Press seams.
- Take the completed front of the table runner and one 13.5” x 49.5” piece of Pellon SF101 and fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the table runner front, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Take the 13.5” x 49.5” piece of Fabric J (the back of the table runner) and the remaining 13.5” x 49.5” piece of Pellon SF101 and fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the back of the table runner, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Place the back up the table runner RSU on a flat surface and place the front of the table runner RSD on top. Line up all edges and pin to secure the two pieces. Sew the two pieces together with a 1/4” seam allowance, leaving approximately 5” open for turning, and backstitching at the start and stop. Trim the points.
- Turn the table runner RSO through the 5” opening. Fold the opening inward to match the 1/4″ seam allowance and press. Use spray starch if needed, and pin the opening closed.
- Change the thread in the top and bobbin to a contrasting thread. Remove the 1/4″ foot O and replace it with the standard foot A. Select stitch #1 from the “Utility” menu figure.
- Topstitch all the way around the perimeter of the table runner, 1/8” from the edge. Backstitch at the start and stop to secure the stitches. Be sure to sew the folded opening closed during topstitching figure 33.
- Display the table runner with your favorite holiday décor.
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Thank you for the lovely pattern!