I have never really been a person that decorates inside my house for every holiday. I will decorate for Christmas (probably over decorate). For Thanksgiving and Easter I will set a beautiful table. But, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines etc. I really don’t decorate. I am not sure why. Maybe, its because I put so much energy into the other holiday’s.
What I do try to do is change my décor for the different seasons. I will make changes through color and texture. For Fall and Winter I will pull out my chunky blankets, velvet pillows, and other accessories all in deep rich tones. Making it feel cozy, inviting and ready for the cold months ahead.
To scratch my Fall decorating itch without having to pull out all my Fall décor. I decided to make a runner for my dining room table.

I pulled out the drop cloth and got to work!

I always try to use a pattern or a template (in this case another runner) to make my cuts. If I did not, I would waste the entire piece of drop cloth trying to make a straight line.

Next iron out wrinkles.

To prevent fraying, I turned up the edge a quarter of an inch and pressed it.

Then I did a half inch seam all the way around and pinned it ready for sewing.

The runner fit the length of the table and was straight. Yeah!

I had been wanting to try stamping on cloth for a while. This was a perfect opportunity. I used just the branches and leaves stamps from the Iron Orchid Design, “Birds, Branches and Blossoms” stamps. It seemed a fitting choice for Fall.

I used green and navy blue inks to fit in with my décor(it was also all I had).

Iron Orchid Design instructions on stamping on cloth. First pre-wash fabric. After twenty-four hours heat set it with an iron. They also said it can be washed. Just to make sure, I washed a test piece of stamped drop cloth and it did not fade.

It was fun creating an original pattern.

I love the way it came out! I will most definitely be using stamps with cloth in the future.

I like the way it says Fall, in a subtle way.


Happy almost Fall!