Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to make a sharp set of four quilted placemats, each finished at about 12 by 18 inches.
The fabric is the Black Foulard Tiles print. It's from the Scarlet's Treasure collection. It's by Henry Glass. The collection is by Color Principle. It's 100% cotton. It runs 43 to 44 inches wide.
Scarlet's Treasure works in a timeless palette. Red, black, and white. The collection brings a garden indoors. Peonies, poppies, and daisies bloom across its prints. And they never need watering. This print goes a different way. The foulard tiles give you a neat, repeating tile pattern. That gives it a modern touch. It suits a minimalist space really well. It also freshens up older décor in a hurry.
Black sounds bold under a dinner plate. Stay with me here. A dark ground hides everyday spots nicely. It also makes white dishes look crisp and clean. The tile repeat keeps things orderly. Every place setting gets the same tidy frame. Completely up to you how formal it feels.
The project: a set of four placemats
A placemat is a small quilt that works for a living. It protects your table. It catches the crumbs. It washes up and goes right back to work. Placemats are also honest teachers. You practice quilting and binding on a small piece. Then you finish it the same day. Super duper satisfying, y'all.
Why does this fabric suit it so well? A tile pattern does not mind being cut. Turn a rectangle sideways and the repeat still reads right. That makes cutting really efficient. Quilting cotton presses sharp, too. Your edges stay clean through quilting and binding. And a structured print hides light quilting stitches. Beginners, that is good news.
What you'll need
- 1 yard of this Black Foulard Tiles fabric for four placemat tops
- 1 yard of a coordinating cotton for the backs
- Low-loft cotton batting, four pieces cut 13 by 19 inches
- 1/2 yard of cotton for binding, cut into 2 1/2-inch strips
- Matching thread, black or a soft gray
- A size 80/12 needle, set to about 10 to 12 stitches per inch
- Rotary cutter, ruler, pins or clips, and a warm iron
- A walking foot if you have one, for the quilting
How it comes together
Cut four top rectangles at 13 by 19 inches. Here's the trick. Run the 19-inch side across the width of the fabric. You get two across, and two rows down the yard. Four tidy tops from one yard. Just like that. Cut your backs the same size. Cut your batting the same size, too.
Layer each placemat like a tiny quilt sandwich. Backing right side down. Batting in the middle. Top right side up. Pin or baste the layers well. Smooth from the center out. Wrinkles love to hide in the middle layer.
Quilt it simply. Straight lines work beautifully on tiles. Follow a tile row, or stitch in the ditch along the repeat. Keep your lines about 1 to 2 inches apart. Slow down near the edges, where layers like to shift. A walking foot really helps here. We're not reinventing the wheel here, folks.
Trim each quilted piece to 12 1/2 by 18 1/2 inches. Square your corners with the ruler. Then join your binding strips end to end. Press them in half, wrong sides together. Bind each placemat just like a little quilt. Sew the binding to the front with a 1/4-inch seam. Fold it to the back. Stitch it down by hand or machine.
I rushed my binding corners once. One corner came out round as a biscuit. Slow down, fold a neat miter, and stitch again. Alrighty. Fixed, and nobody knew but me.
Practical tips
Prewash if these will see heavy use. Placemats get washed a lot. A wash up front settles any shrinkage early. Press well before you cut, too. Accurate cutting makes the whole set match.
Match your set on purpose. Lay the fabric out flat before cutting. Place your four rectangles so each top shows a similar tile layout. A matched set looks store-bought. A mixed set looks handmade and fun. Completely up to you.
And here's your permission beat. It does not have to be perfect. One quilting line may wander a little. That just says a real person made this. You're your own worst critic. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Thank y'all so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Black Foulard Tiles Scarlet's Treasure 44"/45" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
