Quilted Easter placemats
Whip up some fun placemats for Easter – with this easy quilt-as-you-go technique it will take no time at all.
We used Easter themed fabrics to give it a seasonal feel, but you can re-interpret them to any theme or season.
Finished size: 20 ½ x 13” (52 x 33cm)
Materials needed
For one placemat
- Backing fabric: 21 ½ x 13 ½ ” (53.5 x 34cm)
- Fabric for centre: one 9 x 9” (23 x 23cm) square
- Fabric strips: 2 ½” wide x 44” long (width of fabric) (6.5 x 112cm) – jelly roll strips are ideal: you will need four strips in four different prints
- Binding: two strips of 2 ½ by 44” (width of fabric) (6.5 x 112cm)
- Batting: 21 x 13” (53.5 x 33cm)
- Thread to match with the backing fabric
Equipment needed
- Rotary cutter, quilter’s ruler and cutting mat
- Marking pen
- Pins
- Magic clips
- Hand sewing needle
- Spray basting
- Sewing machine with quarter inch foot (without guide) F001N (the guide gets stuck in the batting)
Tip: A walking foot is great for this project – it will help you sew through the layers without puckering or layers sliding.
Depending on your machine your options are:
- The Dynamic Walking Foot Set – add the Interchangeable Toe Set for easy quarter inch and in the ditch sewing
- Compact Dual Feed foot with Dual Feed ¼ inch guide foot
Check the Brother Support Center for compatibility with your machine.
How to
Step 1
Press fabrics and lay backing with wrong side up. Mark the centres of the long sides - fold the fabric in half lengthways and make a mark on the fold on each side. Repeat widthways.
Lay batting on the fabric, in centre, so you can see the centre marks on each side. Use spray basting to adhere the batting to the backing.
Step 2
Place the centre square so the points are in line with the centre marks you drew earlier. Lightly adhere with a bit of basting spray. Pin in place through all the layers.
Step 3
Cut the strips to the following lengths:
- Strip one: two pieces of 9 ½” (24.5cm) and two pieces of 11 ½” (29.5cm).
- Strip two: two pieces of 9 ½” (24cm) and two of 11” (28cm).
- Strip three: four pieces of 7 ½” (19cm).
- Strip four: four pieces of 4” (10cm) each.
Important: take care to cut the ends exactly at 90 degrees with the long edges. Use a rotary cutter and ruler for best results.
Step 4
Place the shorter pieces of strip one on opposite sides of the centre square. Lay them with right sides facing the square so the raw edges match on both the long and one short side of the centre square fabric (see image). Pin well.
Step 5
All strips will be sewn using a ¼" seam. Start in the centre of the mat, using a straight stitch with no reinforcement or lockstitch. Pull a 15cm length of your top and bobbin thread to the back of the presser foot and start sewing through all the layers.From the front of the placemat, pull on the long the thread you left when sewing. A loop will appear where it is fixed to the fabric. Pull the loop up until the full length of thread is on the batting side.
Tie the ends and sew them into the batting with two or three large stitches using a hand sewing needle. This will ensure a neat finish at the back of the placemat. Do this with every strip you sew.
Step 6
Sew the first two strips, following the technique as described in Step 5.
Step 7
Fold the sewn strips open to reveal the right side of the fabric. Press the seams (be careful to not melt the batting if you are using polyester batting!). Place the two longer strips along the remaining sides of the square. Pin in place so all edges align.
Sew as explained in Step 5 and press seams open.
You will now have a centre square with strips going all around it.
Step 8
Following the same method as above, sew the pieces of strip two on both sides the square: first the shorter ones and then the longer ones. Fold open and press after sewing each strip (see images below for placement).
Step 9
Place the four pieces of strip 3 as in the image (below). Pin and sew, then fold over and press.
Step 10
Place the four pieces of strip 4 as in the image (below), in the corners. Pin and sew, then fold over and press.
Step 11
Trim the placemat to 20 x 13” (51 x 33cm). Use your rotary cutter and a ruler to cut the edges straight.
Step 12
Sew the binding strips together and bind the placemat in your preferred way.I used a machine sewn binding, attached from the wrong side with a ¼” seam, then folded to the front – it will be about ¾” wide – and sewn by machine from the front. This is a quick and neat way to attach a binding.
