Hey everyone! Today we're making a bright placemat set, and I'll show you how a lemon lime batik can wake up your whole table in one afternoon.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the Banyan 80596-70 COLORING BOOK II LEMON LIME 45" wide fabric per yard from Fabric Fanatics.
It's a batik. It's 45" wide. It's made by Banyan. And it's sold by the yard here at Linda's.
The name tells you the story. Coloring Book II is the design name. Lemon Lime is the color. So you get a playful design in a fresh mix of lemon yellow and lime green.
That color is why I reach for it. Lemon lime feels sunny without feeling loud. It looks happy under white plates. And it hides a little everyday table wear well.
Batiks press crisp and hold an edge well. That helps on placemats. Your cuts stay clean. Your layers stay flat. Just like that, a simple rectangle looks neat and finished.
The project: a set of four placemats
We're making four placemats. Each one finishes about 12" wide by 18" long. That's a good, honest size, folks. Big enough for a plate, a fork, and a glass. Small enough to make four without losing steam.
The plan is simple on purpose. One big rectangle of this batik for each front. Batting in the middle. A plain backing behind it. Then binding all around, just like a tiny quilt.
Why does this fabric suit it? A design like this needs room to show. On a 12" by 18" front, it reads clear. Cut it into tiny pieces and you lose it.
And here's the permission beat. It does not have to be perfect. A corner that is a hair soft still holds a plate just fine. You're your own worst critic, I promise. Take your time. It's not a race.
Materials
- 1 1/4 yards of Banyan 80596-70 COLORING BOOK II LEMON LIME for the fronts and binding
- 1 yard of a coordinating 45" wide fabric for the backing
- 1 yard of low-loft batting, at least 36" wide, for the middle layer
- Thread to blend with the lemon lime
- Rotary cutter, long ruler, and mat
- Pins or clips, plus an iron
- An 80/12 needle and a walking foot if you have one
One and a quarter yards at 45" wide covers the four fronts and the binding here. Save the scraps, too. They make really really cute coasters later.
Brief steps
One. Press your fabric first. From the lemon lime batik, cut four rectangles, each 13" wide by 19" long. From the backing and the batting, cut four rectangles the same size.
Two. Layer each placemat. Backing wrong side up. Batting in the middle. Batik front right side up. Smooth from the middle out. Pin about every 4" so nothing shifts.
Three. Quilt each one simply. Start with stitch in the ditch if you add any seams, or keep it easy here. Add straight echo lines about 2" apart across the front, at 8 to 10 stitches per inch and a stitch length of about 2.5. Use that walking foot to keep the layers feeding even.
Four. Trim each quilted placemat to 12 1/2" wide by 18 1/2" long. Square the corners as you go. Check your ruler twice before that last cut.
Five. Cut your binding from the leftover batik. Cut six strips, each 2 1/2" wide by 45" long. Join them into one long strip and press it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
Six. Sew the binding to the front with a 1/4" seam. Miter the corners as best you can. Fold it to the back and stitch it down. Do that four times. Done. Super duper easy.
Practical tips
Press before you layer. I know it is tempting to skip it. But a flat front quilts flatter, and a placemat needs to lie flat on the table.
I have quilted a placemat with the backing folded under itself before. The fix was simple. I ripped a few inches, smoothed that corner flat, and sewed it again. Learn from my mistake, y'all. Feel the back with your hand before you start quilting.
Go slow around the binding corners. Slow down or the needle can skip where the miter gets thick. That steady pace helps the corner turn clean.
Want options? You have them. Try a gentle meander freehand for a softer feel. Or try ruler work for crisp straight lines. Or skip the quilting lines wide and let the color do the work. Completely up to you. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. One bright batik, four simple rectangles, and your table looks ready for company. Oh my goodness, that lemon lime just makes folks smile.
Thanks for sewing along with me, folks. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Banyan 80596-70 COLORING BOOK II LEMON LIME 45" wide fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
