Placemats oh sew easy!

I designed and made a set of four placements using the Moda Fig and Plum fabric line. It is for a class I am teaching at my local quilt shop later in November.

Here is how to make it:

Buy 3/8 of a yard of 4 coordinating fabrics and 1/4 yard of one or two contrasting solids for trim. Cut a 12 1/2” strip from each fabric.

Still folded, cut off the selvage. Then cut two 12.5” squares of each fabric. One square will form the center of the placemat and the other will be a napkin. Then cut two 3.5” x 12.5” chunks off of this same strip for the placemat sides. Open out the remaining strip and cut an 8” square. Mix and match all of these so each placemat is different but has parts of all four fabrics. How cool is this? :-)

1. Stitch a contrasting strip on two sides of the center square.
2. Layer and quilt the placemat. I crosshatched this one, but did some free motion quilting on some of the others. Use a very thin batting. I like Thermore.
3. Trim the placemat so remove excess batting and backing.
4. Cut a 12.5” square from another coordinating fabric and narrow hem the edges to make the napkin.
5. Cut an 8” square from another coordination fabric. Cut it on the diagonal. Cut a 1” strip of contrasting solid fabric (I used green from the same fabric line) and sew it to one long edge of the triangle you just cut. Stitch the other triangle to the other edge of the 1” strip. Fold down the center of the strip and press the triangles wrong sides together. Trim the 2 raw edges with a square.
6. Align the raw edges of the folded triangles with the lower left corner of the placemat. Baste with a long stitch 1/8th inch from the edge. Be sure it is flat and tight – no ripples.
7. Bind the placemat with 2 strips of 2.25” x WOF, the same color as the 1” strip in the napkin pocket. Stitch on the front, fold to the back. Stitch down by hand in the back, or stitch in the ditch from the front to secure the binding on the back.
8. Press and you are done!

I like to accordion-fold the napkin and tuck it in the pocket. Add your silverware and it makes a great holiday place setting.

I had to take them to the quilt shop as samples before I remembered to get pictures of the other three placemats. DUH! I’ll post more pictures later this week. Enjoy this free pattern with my compliments. Copyright 2009 by Morning Glory Designs. You may use it and share it. But just don’t sell it. Thanks!