Hey everyone. Today you will learn how to sew a sunny placemat set that brightens every meal.
Here we go.
The fabric is the Aviva Ceremony Sunkissed Cotton 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard, from Windham Fabrics.
Let us break that name down slow.
First, it is cotton. Quilting cotton. The width of fabric is 44"/45".
Second, it is from the Aviva collection. Made by Windham Fabrics by Whistler Studios.
Third, look at the print name. Ceremony. Sunkissed.
Aviva blooms with life and elegance. This romantic floral collection has airy watercolor textures. Lush bouquets. Delicate sprigs. And graceful foliage.
The palette is soft pinks and lilacs. Sunshine yellows. And rich sangria.
So picture a blooming garden at golden hour. Timeless. Joyful. Full of grace.
That Sunkissed colorway leans into the sunshine. It feels warm and happy. And it still plays soft with those pinks and lilacs.
Why a placemat set suits this fabric
A placemat sits under one place setting. One plate. One glass. One happy little frame for a meal.
Our set makes four placemats. Each one finishes at 12 by 18 inches. That is a good, generous size for a dinner plate and silverware.
Here is why this fabric suits them so well. A placemat is one flat, open piece.
Your bouquets stay whole. The watercolor texture reads across the whole top. Nothing gets chopped into tiny pieces.
Placemats also get daily use. You will see this pretty print every single day. Not just on special occasions.
You have options, too. Make all four tops in Sunkissed for a matching set. Or make two in Sunkissed, and two in a soft coordinating print. I like the matching four. Completely up to you.
Materials list
- 1 yard of this Aviva Ceremony Sunkissed cotton — that covers four fronts cut 13 by 19 inches
- 1 yard of a coordinating cotton for the backs, also cut into four pieces 13 by 19 inches — or a second yard of Sunkissed if you want them reversible
- 1 yard of low-loft cotton batting, cut into four pieces 13 by 19 inches
- Thread to blend with the yellows and pinks, and a fresh 80/12 needle, set to about 2.5 mm stitch length
- Rotary cutter, ruler, pins or clips, chalk or a fabric marker, and a hot iron
- Optional: a walking foot for smooth, even quilting lines
Brief steps
Step 1: Cut with care. Press your fabric well. Cut four fronts, four backs, and four batting pieces, each 13 by 19 inches. Watch where your favorite bouquets land before you cut. Center one pretty cluster on each front if you can.
Step 2: Layer and quilt the fronts. Lay one front right side up on one batting piece. Pin well, about every 4 inches. Quilt simple straight lines about 1 inch apart, across the short side. Or echo a few graceful foliage shapes freehand. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Repeat for all four.
Step 3: Add the back. Lay one quilted front right side up. Lay one back piece on top, right side down. Pin all around the edges. Mark a 4-inch opening along one long edge, and do not sew that part yet.
Step 4: Sew and turn. Sew around all four sides with a 1/2-inch seam, leaving that opening free. Backstitch at the start and end. Clip the corners at an angle, careful not to snip your stitches. Turn the placemat right side out through the opening. Poke the corners out gently with a chopstick. Press flat, and tuck the raw edges of the opening neatly inside.
Step 5: Topstitch and repeat. Topstitch about 1/4 inch from the edge, all the way around. That closes your opening and gives a clean, finished frame. Just like that, one placemat is done. Repeat for the other three.
Practical tips from my table
Test your quilting lines on a small scrap sandwich first. Check your tension. A balanced stitch lies flat and pretty, top and bottom.
Here is my honest mistake to save you one. I once quilted a whole front without enough pins. The layers crept, and one corner went wavy. Now I pin a little extra, and I slow down near the edges. Lesson learned.
Slow down as you sew through the corners, too. Those layers stack up thick there. Ease through them, or the needle can push and skip a stitch.
Want a crisp restaurant look? Press after every step. Want a softer farmhouse feel? Quilt fewer lines, spaced 2 inches apart. Both ways work really really well.
Wash and dry your finished set before the first big dinner, if you like. Cotton softens a touch, and any shrinking happens before your guests arrive, not after.
And please hear me on this one. It does not have to be perfect.
You are your own worst critic. Nobody at your table will measure your quilting lines. They will see a sunny, handmade set, made by you.
Take your time. It is not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty. Thank you so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Aviva Ceremony Sunkissed Cotton 44"/45" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
