Customize your table and save money! Step by step tutorial for making your own placemats :)

in #needleworkmonday6 years ago (edited)

Good #needleworkmonday morning everyone! I know I'm crazy for giving away trade secrets, but today I'm doing a tutorial for making your own quilted placemats!

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If you can sew a straight seam on a machine, you CAN make these! There are far more fabric options out there than there are placemat options out there, so why not get what you REALLY want to dress up your table?

For 6 placemats, you will need:

  • 2.5 yards of woven fabric (I prefer 100% cotton). If using 2 different fabrics, then you need 1.25 yards of each one.
  • 1.25 yards low loft batting or thin fleece
  • Matching thread
  • Sewing needle, washable marker or chalk pencil, pins, ruler, scissors.
  • Sewing machine--unless you're super squirrelly and want to hand sew, in which case, go for it ;)

Measure and mark 12 rectangles on your fabric (6 on each piece if using 2 different fabrics), with the dimensions 17.5 inches long and 12.5 inches tall. Obviously, you can adjust those measurements to your own preferences. It is easiest to use a large clear ruler. Cut out the rectangles.

Measure 6 very slightly larger rectangles on the batting or fleece, and cut them out. (I like to just lay the fabric rectangles on top and cut around them, with about 1/8 inch of extra fleece peeking around the edges.)

Lay out the fleece rectangles with whatever fabric you want to be sewed with quilting lines, and determine what type of quilting lines you'll do. I normally prefer straight crisscrossing lines, but this time I got ambitious and tried free drawing some loops.

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I prefer using a Crayola Ultra Washable marker for marking lines. Just have Shout or an equivalent stain remover on hand for helping wash the lines out when you're all done.

Draw the lines you want to stitch with your marker or chalk pencil, and then securely pin the fabric to the fleece. Use lots of pins! Careful not to place any where you'll be sewing.

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Quilt the fabric and fleece together, taking your time and "easing" any excess fabric under the presser foot, so as not to create any puckers.

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No big deal on a freestyle design if you don't follow your marked lines exactly.

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View on the fleece side.

Now take your other piece of fabric, that will be the reverse side of your placemat, and place it right side down on top of the fabric you just quilted. So you should have 3 layers: fabric right side down, fabric right side up, and fleece. Pin all along the edges.

Sew edges together, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance; but do not finish sewing in the same spot that you started. Stop sewing about 3 inches from where you started, and backstitch (as always!)

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Note that I also used a marker to draw a line 1/4 inch in from the outside edge, and purposely left long tails on the threads from sewing the seam. This will be useful later.

Trim off any excess fleece along the edges, so that all the fabric and fleece edges are even. Clip the corners off, cutting right outside your stitching line and making sure you don't cut the threads. (This will keep your corners from being all bunchy once you turn the placemat right side out.)

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On the bottom right you'll see where I left the opening in the seam.

Stick your fingers through the opening, grab the opposite corner from the inside, and pull it through the hole so that the placemat turns right side out. Wiggle the fabric through gently, a little here and a little there if it's a tight squeeze, because you don't want to rip your fabric or hear threads popping!

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Flatten the placemat and smooth the seams. You may have to roll the seams between your fingers to ensure you've gotten them as flat as possible. You also may need to use a pin or needle to pull the extra fabric out of the corners.

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Sew the opening along the side closed. I use a ladder stitch since the stitches will be completely invisible from the outside. Remember the extra long tail of the two threads from sewing the seam on the sewing machine? Just pick those up, thread your needle with them, and start sewing, since they're already attached to the placemat on one side!

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Having the 1/4 inch line marked makes it easier to keep the handstitched seam nicely in line with the machine-sewed seam.

Stick a few pins along the edges and topstitch 1/4 inch all the way around the placemat's edge. This will help ensure the seam allowance on the inside stays in place, and keep the edges neat.

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Ta Daaaaaaa!!!! You're done! Easy, wasn't it?! Now just do it 5 (or however many) more times!

Why shop around when you can customize something for yourself? Or, if you don't feel like sewing, you can just buy this set my Etsy shop :)

Now I just need to make a set for my OWN table!! Happy #Needleworkmonday everyone!


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Yep, I downloaded this. This is just so beautiful , the step by step procedure is just easy to follow and I totally adore these placement mats. I just need to get the fleece. thank you for sharing! How your thumb by the way, That picture where I saw your thumb brought back that memory.

If you get the fleece and make some, I hope you show us! :) Thanks for asking about my thumb too--it's all nicely healed up. No more dry cold air to crack my skin now!

Yeah I will make a post on it.
I'm glad about your thumb, you'll be feeling so relieved

I wanna try this @mtnmeadowmomma! Thank you for sharing the tutorial! The placemats look so happpy!!

You're welcome! And thank you too--happy is what I want to convey with the bright designs! :)

Such fun and vibrant place mats! Great tutorial!

Have you tried using a chop stick, put in through the hole, to poke the corners?

Thank you! No, I never thought of using a chopstick to push the corners out--that's a great tip :)

So pretty your placemats! Yes indeed, if you can make something that you really like to match your stuff it's so much better than buying outside. A little more effort though! I can't sew to save my life! Hahaha #steemitmamas

Thank you! Yes, it's fun to pick just what you want even though it is indeed more effort 😉 With something like this I think it's worth it!

That is so pretty mommy @mtnmeadowmomma. Falling in love with this placemat. Makes me want to buy a fabric and a sewing machine to give it a try. Nice nice. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you @sherylneil! I appreciate that! :)

I had already been here but I stopped by to look again and congratulate you for being curated by @steemitmamas

That's a very clear tutorial @mtnmeadowmomma...

Too late for the surface of my table ... but you make the process look straightforward and I haven't attempted any quilting for a while 😊

Doing these is like making tiny quilts...so it's an easy way to get back into it! :)

First: your placemats are still lovely
Second: I probably would sew my fingers into them
Third: I have no idea what to do with a placemat which contains bits of fingers.... sell them to zombies?
Being serious again: You explained everything so well , but I am amazed how much work goes into this placemats. I again I notice how inexperienced I am at sewing (but I will learn!!)
Thank you for sharing this lovely tutorial <3

Thank you! Haha, zombie placemats complete with finger tidbits to snack on :))) You sewed a skirt, so I'm sure you could do these too!

HAHAHA. Zombie placemats with bits of finger.

Lool!!! This is some roll over in laughter piece 😂😂

Very nicely done!

wow !!!!!! after your post I think: but I can make a line on the sewing machine? 😁 stunningly beautiful !!!!!

I bet you could! :) Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!!!