Placemats Sewing Tutorial
I love making practical things for my home, and this week i’m sharing my favorite way to make placemats. Placemats are simple to sew, and make great gifts. So grab your favorite fabrics, and let’s make some placemats.
For my placemats I used organic cotton fabric from the All that Wander collection by Juliana Tipton for Cloud 9 Fabrics. I used 2 coordinating fabrics for the front, and 2 for the back making them reversible. I used the orange tones for my fall table decor, and i’m currently using the blues for my winter table. I love all these colors though, so they will get used year round.
Placemats can be made with or without a lining. Some linings i’ve used in the past are Pellon SF101, Pellon 987F fusible fleece, and quilt batting. I chose not to use a lining this time out of curiosity, and found that I don’t miss it, it all depends on the look and feel you want. A great benefit to not having a lining is that they fold up neatly in a basket right next to their matching napkins.
Placemat Material
Fabric yardage listed below will make 6 reversible placemats, with finished size of 19″ wide x 12″ long.
Pre-wash and dry your fabric to maintain the size. I did not pre-wash this time, and found that my placemats shrunk 1″ in width, but not in length after washing and drying them on cotton normal setting. I don’t typically pre-wash fabric for quilts and pillow covers, but it’s a good idea to for things like placemats and clothing.
- 1/2 yard side panel fabric for front, Wild
- 3/4 yards center panel fabric for front, Belles
- 1/2 yard side panel fabric for back, Flourish
- 3/4 yards center panel fabric for back, Meander
- Pellon 987F Fusible Fleece for interior lining (optional)
Placemat Cutting Instructions
From the fabric for the centers
- Cut 6 center panels: 14″ wide x 13″ long
- Cut 6 center back panels: 14″ wide x 13″ long
From the fabric for the sides
- Cut 12 front side panels: 4″ wide x 13″ long
- Cut 12 back side panels: 4″ wide x 13″ long
From fusible fleece (optional)
- Cut 6 panels: 19″ wide x 12″ long
Step 1: Make the front of the placemat
With right sides together, place one of the side panels onto center panel and pin in place. Sew using 1/2″ seam allowance. Then, press the seam allowance open. Repeat with the other side panel.
Step 2: Make the back of the placemat
With right sides together, place one of the side panels onto center panel and pin in place. Sew using 1/2″ seam allowance. Then, press the seam allowance open. Repeat with the other side panel.
If using lining, iron the fusible fleece to either side of the placemat.
Step 3: Attach the front and back panels together
With right sides together, pin the front and the back panels together. Sew using a 1/2″ seam around the placemat, leaving a 4″ opening for turning. Trim off the corners, making sure not to clip into your stitching.
Step 4: Finishing the placemat
Turn the placemat right side out, using a turning tool to push out the corners, and press. Then fold under the raw edges 1/2″ at the 4″ opening, press and pin in place. Then sew around your placemat with 1/4″ seam to close up the opening, and give the placemat a finished look.
You are done! Now repeat these steps to make more.
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