Making a Placemat

I've written up the worksheet for making placemats. 

This placemat can be made up in numerous ways because the design has a plain centre which can be interpreted in any way you want.  It could have a patchwork or embroidered centre, fancy or formal quilting, applique, a painted surface, a photo on fabric or a block printed centre section. 

It occurs to me that this placemat design could be useful many times over so if we're stuck for a gift any time (or for exhibition items!!) we'll know what we can make.

However the purpose for it at the moment is as a vehicle for some block printing fun.  The sample I have made is block printed.  Not only does it provide an opportunity to practice some block printing but it's also a good way to try out some quilting or free machine embroidery techniques.  As well as that the mitred corners and the flat piping edging are useful techniques to practice too.


Here you see the flat piping machine-tacked in place before the borders are added.

Borders are sewn on right sides together, first at both sides, then top and bottom but starting the second lot of seams exactly at the corner so the mitred corners can be folded over as shown below.


So when the borders have been added the corners are mitred in a different way than we have previously done. 

The method is straightforward enough - just fold the top border under itself to form a 45 degree angle, make a crease and then with right sides together just sew along this crease from the corner to the edge.
This is all in the worksheet in detail.

Then the insulated wadding goes on the back with the metallised side up.

Any kind of decoration can be added at this point so long as it attaches the top to the wadding.  I have used free machine embroidery in metallic gold thread on the yellow lacy block print and green embroidery thread on the swirly flower block print.

 After this the lining is added, give it a good press and your placemat is finished.