What you will need to make a set of 10 placemats:
- Fabric for front (I chose 4 different colors) 3/4 yard of each color
- Backing - 2 Yards
- Batting - 2 Yards
- Tread
- Sewing machine
If you want to just make a set of two, you will need 20" of a yard of fabric for the front, 17" of a yard for the backing and 2-16.5" square pieces of batting.
It is always a good idea to wash, dry and iron your fabric before using it.
Take the material you have chosen for the front and square it so the ends are even. Cut each piece into 4.5" wide strips. Sew 1 strip of each color together using a 1/4" seam allowance.
Once sewn together, lay out and cut into 4.5" strips.
Now it's time to sew each row together.
The trick to get your squares to line up, is to iron the seams on each strip a different way, so they kind of butt up against each other. *Notice the top seam is ironed up and the bottom seam is ironed down. I also sewed the strips together with a 1/4" seam allowance. Once all the strips are sewn together, iron flat.
Now we are going to cut out the backing and batting. Cut a 16.5"x16.5" square out of both the backing and batting.
Layer everything like the picture above. Sew around the outside with a 1/4" seam, remember to leave a gap wide enough so you will still be able to turn it. Miter or trim the corners so they aren't bulky.
Once they are all sewn and trimmed, turn each one inside out so the front and back are showing and the batting is now in the middle.
After you have turned them, iron them flat and push the corners out. Turn in the gap and iron, then pin to keep it together.
Now it is time to quilt!
First I stitched all the way around my placemat really close to the edge to close the gap. Next I did a second row of stitches just inside my first ones. Next, I quilted an "X" through the middle of my placemat. I finished my quilting by sewing just inside the middle 4 squares.
Sit back and admire your fine work (before you need to buckle down and finish the other nine you cut out). Congratulations, now you have a set of awesome homemade placemats!
I definitely want to make more, it would be fun to search through your scraps and see what you can come up with! If you don't use the strips method you would just need to cut each square 4.5" and go from there. Easy Peasy!!
We would LOVE to see your projects. Send us your pictures so we can show you off on Mondays, also if you have any questions please email us at thepolkadotumbrella@gmx.com and we will help you in any way we can.
