Hey everyone. Today we're making a cheerful set of placemats, and we're letting a fun ric-rac print bring a little sewing-room joy right to the table.
The fabric is Bits And Bobs Rickrack Taupe from FIGO Fabrics. It is 100% premium cotton. It measures 44"/45" wide.
It comes from the Bits And Bobs Collection by Sarah Hearts for FIGO Fabrics. It celebrates the joy of making, with buttons, vintage spools, pins, measuring tape, scissors, zippers, notions, and classic ric-rac.
This print puts the ric-rac front and center, on a taupe ground. The collection palette is black, cream, pink, teal, orange, and taupe. So the taupe stays warm and calm, and those bright colors dance right across it. Fresh, modern, and cheerful.
Why this fabric suits a placemat set
A placemat has a simple job. It has to protect your table, frame each plate, and make an everyday meal feel a little more cared for.
This cotton does that beautifully. Premium quilting cotton is smooth and sturdy. It presses clean, cuts clean, and sews clean. It lies flat under a plate, and it washes well when spaghetti night gets a little enthusiastic.
The taupe ground helps too. White plates pop on it, and that ric-rac gives folks something happy to look at. Super duper cute.
Materials list
- 1 yard of Bits And Bobs Rickrack Taupe for the four placemat fronts
- 1 yard of a coordinating cotton for the backs
- Cotton batting, cut into four pieces 13" x 19"
- 1/2 yard of cotton for binding, or a leftover strip bundle from your stash
- Coordinating thread for piecing, quilting, and topstitching
- Rotary cutter, mat, and a long ruler
- Pins or clips, iron, and your sewing machine
We are finishing at about 12" x 18" each, and we are making four. That is a standard size, with room for a plate and silverware.
Here we go — the brief steps
First, press your fabric well. For each placemat, cut one front at 13" x 19". Cut one back at 13" x 19" too. A straight first cut makes everything else easier.
Next, layer each set. Put the backing wrong side up, the batting in the middle, then the front right side up. Smooth it flat from the center out. Pin or baste every 3" to 4". Small pieces like to shift just when you trust them.
Now quilt it simply to start. Stitch in the ditch if you add a border, or just quilt straight lines about 2" apart across the whole mat. Straight lines are just fine. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Use a walking foot if you have one.
Trim each quilted mat down to exactly 12 1/2" x 18 1/2". That gives you a clean edge for binding.
Cut your binding strips 2 1/2" wide and join them into one long strip. Press it in half lengthwise. Sew it to the front, miter the corners, then fold it to the back and stitch it down. Slow down at those corners, y'all. Needle down, pivot slow. Rush it and the corner bunches. Ask me how I know. The fix was just slowing down. Just like that.
Repeat for the other three, press them all flat, and stack them up. You are done.
Practical tips before you start
Start with a fresh needle. I use an 80/12 for quilting cotton like this. Test your stitch on a scrap first. Aim for about 10 to 12 stitches per inch, and check your tension before you quilt the real mats.
Press as you go, not at the end. Placemats live or die on how flat they lie.
Watch your print direction when you cut. Make sure all four fronts sit the same way up. Lay everything out before the first cut. A matched set looks really really good here.
And please hear me on this one. It does not have to be perfect. You are your own worst critic. If one line wobbles a tiny bit, leave it. Folks will see a pretty table, not your wobble. Take your time. It is not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Alrighty, go pull that fabric and dress up your table.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Bits And Bobs Rickrack Taupe 44"/45" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
