Keep reading to see Brittany’s full tutorial and don’t miss Brittany’s beginner placemat tutorial— just incase quilting isn’t your thing!
Materials for two placemats
- Fabric – I’m using Organic Cotton Sateen Ultra but Kona Cotton® Ultra, Cotton Poplin Ultra or Basic Cotton Ultra could work too!
- 24- 3.5” white cotton squares
- 6- 6.5” cotton squares – I’m using Falling Leaves by blairwhite712
- 2- 3 ¼” x 18.5” pieces- I’m using grid lines navy blue grid fabric coordinate by charlottewinter for the top and navy linen solid by littlearrowdesign
- 2- 20” x 14” pieces of backing fabric -I’m using Falling Leaves by blairwhite712
- For the bias tape: 2 ¼” wide strips of fabric to equal 72” long
- 2- 19” x 13” pieces of cotton batting
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Iron and ironing board
- Ruler
- Rotary cutter & self-healing mat
- Temporary marker
- Safety pins or basting spray
*To make a complete set of 4 placemats, double your materials.
Pro tip: The Fill-a-Project™ 1 yard Cheater Quilt template is a great way to order all of your designs on one yard!
Sewing the Placemat Top
On the back of a white 3.5” square, draw a diagonal line connecting two corners. Repeat for all white squares. Place a white 3.5” square with a larger 6.5” square. Align edges and pin if needed.
Stitch across the drawn line. Trim excess fabric ¼” from seam. Press seam open with iron.
Repeat for the opposite corner.
Pro tip: Make sure you do the opposite corner before moving on to the other corners. This will ensure the seams overlap nicely!
Repeat this process on the remaining two corners.
Create two more quilt blocks following the above steps. Sew together the three blocks with ¼” seam. Press seams open.
Place one of the 3 ¼” x 18.5” strips of fabric right sides together with row of three blocks from above. Sew together with ¼” seam. Press seam toward the solid strip.
Repeat step 4 for the opposite side of the placemat with final the remaining 3 ¼” x 18.5” strip of fabric. Trim any excess fabric to ensure your edges align.
Quilting the Placemat
Lay the backing of the placemat on a flat surface, printed side down. Lay batting on top of backing piece. Make sure pieces are flat and smooth. Place the placemat top over the bottom two pieces. Baste as desired with safety pins or basting spray.
Pro tip: Make sure the bottom piece is slightly larger than the the batting layer and the batting layer is slightly larger than the top layer.
Quilt as desired. For best results, I recommend using a walking foot to keep all of the fabric together. Trim the quilt sandwich to align with the top layer.
Trim your quilt sandwich to align with the top layer.
Create the Binding
Piece the 2 ¼” strips of fabric together to create a continuous 2.25” x 72” strip of fabric.
Pro Tip! Use 45 degree piecing method in order to lessen seam bulk when folded. Find even more tips on creating your own bias tape here.
Fold the fabric strip in half and press with an iron.
Binding the Placemat
Align raw edge of binding strip with the top edge of the placemat, leaving about a 6″ tail. Backstitch and start sewing a ¼” seam around the perimeter of the placemat.
When you get to a corner, stop sewing ¼” from the edge and sew off the corner at a 45° angle.
Remove the placemat from your sewing machine. Fold the binding strip straight upward forming a 45° fold.
Holding the fold with your thumb, fold the strip back down, aligning the binding’s raw edges with the edge of the placemat.
Start sewing at the top of the fold, ¼” from the edge.
Stop sewing about 3 inches from the start, backstitch and cut the thread.
Pull the beginning of binding strip taut towards the end of the binding strip. Sew the strips together and cut the excess fabric ¼” from the seam. Press the seam open and fold to align the raw edge of the binding strip with the edge of the placemat. Continue to sew the remaining binding on placemat.
Fold the binding over to the back of the placemat and sew in place. Now you’re ready to set your table with beautiful quilted placemats!
Now that you’ve created the perfect placemats for your next big event, see how to create a coordinating table runner!
About the Guest Blogger
Brittany Lloyd is the quilter behind Lo & Behold Stitchery. She is a North Carolina native who specializes in creating heirloom quilts that will be loved for generations to come. Inspired by the beautiful quilting of her late grandmother, Brittany pays close attention to detail while adding a fun and modern spin to her work. See more of Brittany’s creations over on her Instagram feed!
