After years of half-heartedly searching for decent placemats, I finally gave in and made them. It was a Goldilocks and three bears-type adventure in shopping. One would be too tall, another too short, others too thin or too thick. Or I'd find a great pattern, but it wouldn't be large enough, etc. So I marched to Joann’s with my newly discovered iPhone app that is a constant source of 40% off coupons. I immediately fell in love with a modern floral for the top and a coordinating stripe for the back. Yes, double-sided! I liked the print so much I bought enough to make eight placemats.
After washing and ironing the fabric I wanted to make a template that would make cutting out the 16 pieces go faster. I realized I had a large (14 x 19”), cheap plastic outdoor placemat from Target. For some reason, placemats for outside use are larger than ones made for inside. Perhaps because manufacturers assume you have more space because you’re eating under they open sky?
After eyeing me skeptically, Annabel gave me the okay to use ‘her’ placemat. I thanked her and with a thin permanent, marker traced 16 rectangles fairly quickly. I always use a permanent marker because I usually need to stop and start projects and that way I can avoid the time pressure that goes with using disappearing ink. If you don’t have a plastic placemat to use as a template, it’s easy to cut one out of cardboard or paperboard. Just make sure it’s a rectangle and not a trapezoid. :)
Cut the rectangles 3/4” outside the lines that you traced. This will be your seam allowance (sounds like a lot, but it will make sense later!). I used my Gingher sewing scissors, but a rotary cutter would have worked as well.
With right sides facing, stitch around the placemats on the line that you traced. Leave an opening of at least three inches to be able to turn them right side out.
Turn, press, and topstitch with 1/2” from the edge so that the turned-in 3/4” seam allowance is caught in the stitching. That way you don’t have to blind stitch them closed by hand. It's super easy!
Now my mother wants a custom set for her too-narrow dining room table. I get to head back to the fabric store!
