How to Make Quilted Placemats

Making quilted place mats is a fun and simple project that can add color and character to any dining table. If you have general sewing abilities, you can tackle a project like this and create beautiful quilted place mats to adorn your dining table.
These place mats should wash up well because you will wash and dry the fabric before you construct the place mats. Go ahead and make a few sets of these place mats and rotate them for interesting decorating options.
The fabric requirements will make four place mats.

Things You'll Need

• 3/4 yard fabric (place mat front) 3/4 yard fabric (place mat back) 3/4 yard batting Sewing machine Sewing notions (thread, pins, scissors) Rotary cutter Disappearing fabric pen Quilting ruler Cutting mat Safety pins

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the fabric. Fold the fabric right side out with selvages matched up.

2. Cut 13-by-19-inch rectangles from the place mat fabric, the backing fabric and the batting for each place mat.

3. Draw quilting lines with the fabric pen onto the place mat fabric.
   Use the quilting ruler and place points 2 1/2 inches from the upper left side of the rectangle. Make more points at 2-inch spaces across the top of the rectangle. The final point will be 2 1/2 inches from the opposite side of the rectangle.
   Make similar points across the bottom edge of the rectangle. Connect the points with vertical lines.

4. Place the backing fabric on a work surface with wrong side facing up. Place points 1/2 inch from the edges in all four corners.

5. Lay out the batting pieces and place a place mat piece on each piece of batting (right side facing up). Place the backing on top of the place mat front with the wrong side facing up. Line up all edges and corners.

6. Pin the layers together. Designate a 5-inch opening to be left in the middle of one side.

7. Position the first place mat in the sewing machine to sew it. Begin sewing at the opening for turning. Stitch with a 1/2-inch seam allowance to the first point in the corner. Turn the corner and stitch in the same fashion to the next corner. Continue stitching in the same fashion until you reach the other side of the opening on the first side.

8. Remove the place mat and press the place mat well. Repeat with the other place mats.

9. Trim the threads and the seam allowances close to the seams.

10. Turn the place mat right side out by pulling it through the opening left in the side. Make sure all corners are pulled out and pointy and all seams are pulled out. Press the place mats well.

11. Pin closed the opening left for turning with the raw edges tucked into the place mat. Stitch around the entire edge of the place mat, starting at the opening to make sure that it is securely closed.

12. Place safety pins through all layers of the place mats to secure the layers before quilting. Place a pin at least every 4 inches along the place mat from top to bottom.

13. Begin to quilt a place mat. Start in the center of a place mat and work your way out to the edges. Carefully stitch along all of the lines you made with the fabric pen until the entire place mat is quilted.

14. Remove the safety pins and finish quilting the other place mats.