Tablerunner

I love always having something fun and pretty and colorful on my table.

Obviously tablecloths are wonderful . . . but of course they do get spilled on at every single meal. And if there aren't spills, there are always crumbs. Tablecloths are also less convenient when you want to use the table as a work surface of any kind - meanning that in a busy household the tablecloth is always getting pushed back, folded over,  and generally rumpled.

A pretty tablerunner is a perfect solution to these problems. Homework or bill paying can be done at the table without disturbing the runner at all. Most of the dinner spills happen where they can be wiped up with a rag while the centerpiece can stay put, and you can go longer between washes.

So in my mind, the tablerunner is the perfect solution for busy, everyday life - you get a lovely, splashy, fun print on your table but with less fiddle.

However - wash it you must, even if it's not after every meal. And many decorative table runners are beautifully constructed with a thick fused lining which makes them impossible to wash at all without ruining them (not a viable option in my house). Others aren't fused, but they still have a lining which ALWAYS twists up in the wash so that the edges are a mess after the first trip through the laundry. I can't tell you how many cute runners I have purchased that had to be retired after washing because they never looked the same again.

So for years I have been making my own runners - only one layer thick just like a tablecloth. With a nice big hem and mitered corners they look crisp and tailored and you don't have to worry about the drama of the laundering. On the other hand, with an unlined runner you definitely need it to be out of a thick enough fabric that it has some heft on the table and doesn't just look like a sad, thin little wisp.

So when I decided to have runners manufactured, I went with the same birdseye weave cotton that I use on my dishtowels - but we made it with a slightly heavier weight cotton and we went with nice fat hems and mitered corners. The result is a fun, vivid, easy care runner that is absolutely perfect for every day use.

I designed this "Coat Room" pattern years ago for custom tablerunners for a fundraising dinner - but I was also planning to make it dual purpose and turn it into wallpaper for my coat room. I love it in both formats! The deep indigo color is completely fantastic because it goes with nearly everything (just think how blue jeans match everything else in your wardrobe.) And like blue jeans, this indigo ages very elegantly.

The minute you open this package, grab a hold of the tags on the hem and give them a quick yank to detach. They are only there for an initial burst of information and definitely not there for longevity. I would hate to think of you with curled up little crinkly paper tags inside this beautiful runner - so do me a favor and chuck them out.