Hey everyone. Today you will learn how to sew a farmhouse placemat set that makes an everyday table feel finished.
Here we go. Four placemats. Straight seams. Simple quilting. Just like that, dinner looks a little more special.
The fabric is Bri's Home Collection - Hunter Green Checkered, from Choice Fabrics. It is part of the Bri's Home Collection.
This print is a classic check. The color is hunter green. The pattern is a check, clean and even, all the way across.
It is 100% cotton quilting fabric. It is 45 inches wide. And it is sold by the yard.
The listing says this fabric suits home décor sewing and farmhouse quilts. A placemat set is right in that home décor lane. It will sit on your table every single day.
That hunter green helps here, too. It is deep. It is calm. And it hides a little everyday life between washings. Really really practical, folks.
Why this fabric suits a placemat set
A placemat needs fabric that presses flat. This cotton does. It cuts clean. It holds a crease. And it feeds smooth under the presser foot.
The check pattern helps you quilt, too. Those lines give you a built-in guide. You can stitch in the ditch along the check. No marking needed. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
It also works two ways on the table. Use the check on both sides. Or flip one side plain and simple. Both look right. Completely up to you.
Materials list
You will need:
- 1 1/2 yards of Bri's Home Collection - Hunter Green Checkered for four placemats, fronts and backs
- Low-loft cotton batting, enough for four pieces at 12 by 18 inches
- Matching thread, 50-weight cotton is a good choice
- A size 80/12 universal needle
- Pins or clips, a ruler, a rotary cutter, and a marking pencil
Your finished placemats will measure about 12 by 18 inches. Big enough for a dinner plate. Small enough to store flat in a drawer.
Want six placemats instead of four? Bump the fabric up to 2 yards. The cutting below just repeats.
Brief steps
First, press your fabric well. Press out the center fold. A flat start gives you flat placemats.
Second, cut the fabric. For each placemat, cut two rectangles at 19 by 13 inches. That allows a 1/2-inch seam all around. Four placemats means eight rectangles total.
Third, cut the batting. Cut one piece at 18 by 12 inches for each placemat. Keep it a touch smaller than the fabric. It should stay out of your seams.
Fourth, build a sandwich for each placemat. Lay one rectangle right side down. Center the batting on top. Lay the second rectangle right side up over it. Pin through all three layers.
Fifth, quilt the top. Stitch in the ditch along a few check lines, lengthwise first, then crosswise. Work from the center outward. Go at about 10 stitches per inch. Slow down at the edges, or your layers can shift a hair.
I have had a layer wander before. It puckered at one corner. The fix is simple. Add two more pins, and quilt center out again. No drama.
Sixth, trim and square up. Trim each placemat to a neat 18 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches. Check your corners with a ruler. Square corners look sharp on a table.
Seventh, bind or turn. Easiest route: use the backing as a self-binding. Fold the extra backing edge over the front, fold under 1/4 inch, press, and topstitch close to the fold. Miter the corners with a simple fold. Press flat, and you are done. Just like that.
Practical tips
Follow the check when you quilt. Or ignore it and do a simple meander. My preference is stitch in the ditch. It suits this farmhouse check. But it is completely up to you.
Make a test square first, if you like. One small scrap tells you your tension. Better on a scrap than on placemat number one.
Here is your permission beat. It does not have to be perfect. You are your own worst critic. A quilting line that drifts a little will never show under a plate. Take your time, it's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Wash and press them before the first meal. They will soften up nicely. Then set the table, sit down, and enjoy what you made. Super duper satisfying, y'all.
Thanks so much for spending a little time with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Bri's Home Collection - Hunter Green Checkered at Linda's Electric Quilters.
