In-the-Hoop Small Heart Table Runner: A Skinny Quilt Design

Jan 30, 2025
By Mikael

These small blocks are really useful and can be made on virtually all embroidery machines since they only are 3½x6½” (85x170mm) The blocks from Sewing machine cover, laptop cover, and Christmas quilt are in the same size and can be combined with the heart blocks. This makes the design possibilities endless.

This is a good opportunity to use up all those small pieces of fabric that you have saved from earlier projects.

What you need:

Embroidery files for the blocks:
- Square Block
- Rectangle Block
Embroidery sewing machine
Cut –away stabilizer or waste fabric (will not be visible in the final project, an old bedsheet is ideal for this)
Thin batting
Small pieces of fabric for the blocks.
Sewing thread

Making the quilt blocks

Rectangular blocks, make 20

Load the embroider into your machine, hoop the stabilizer, and stitch out color 1. This will make a placement line for the batting.
Place the batting on top of the stitch line, make sure it extends outside the stitched line on all sides.
Stitch out color 2, this will secure the batting in the hoop and stitch the placement lines for the different patches.
Cut away excess batting around the quilt block.
Place fabric for the heart on the first area, right side up. Make sure it extends outside the placement lines on all sides. Stitch next color (3) this will secure the first patch in place.
Cut away excess fabric, leaving approx. ¼" (6mm) seam allowance on all sides.
Place the background fabric, right side down on the raw edge between area 1 and 2, see image below for clarity. Make sure the fabric piece will cover the next area when folded out after stitching.
Stitch out color 4 this will stitch the fabric piece in place.
Fold out the fabric piece and stitch out the next color (5) this will secure the patch in the right place.
Cut away excess fabric, leaving a ¼" (6mm) seam allowance.
Place the next fabric piece on the raw edges of pieces #1-2. Make sure it will cover the #3 area when folded out.
Stitch out color 6, this will stitch the fabric piece in place.
Fold out the fabric piece and stitch out the next color (7) This will secure the fabric piece in the hoop.
Cut away excess fabric, leaving a ¼" (6mm) seam allowance.
Place the next fabric piece on the raw edge between 3 and 4, make sure it will cover area 4 when folded out. Stitch out the next color (8). This will stitch the fabric piece in place, fold out and stitch the next color (9). This secures the patch in the hoop.
Continue like this to make the whole quilt block. See images below:
When the block is sewn out remove the hoop and cut out with a 3/8” seam allowance. If the seam allowances of the pieces are smaller it does not matter since the background will be left in the block as a guide for the seam allowance.

Square Heart Blocks. Make 2
The square blocks are made in the same way as the rectangular blocks.

Sewing the quilt together
When all blocks are finished lay the out as shown below:
Sew the hearts together in rows
Sew the rows together to make the quilt top

Adding backing fabric
Lay the backing fabric on the table, wrong side up and the quilt top on it right side up. make sure the backing extends outside the quilt top on all sides.
Pin the layers together.
You can quilt between the heart blocks with a straight stitch, but it is optional.
Topstitch around the edges to hold the layers together.
Cut off excess backing fabric close to the edge.