Today is my birthday!! ^^
So i want to share a fun and easy Placemat tutorial before going out for dinner with Skylar!
Here we go :
Materials for making one tablemat :
* cut (24) 2" x 2" print squares
* cut (24) 2" x 2" white squares
* cut (1) 11.5" x 12.5" white fabric
* cut 70" x 2.5" strip for binding
* cut 16" x 12.5" fabric for backing fabric
* cut 16" x 12.5" of cotton batting
* using 1/4" seam allowance throughout
* This tutorial will be great to use up all the scraps!
we will begin by making Half square triangles (oh i love them!)
1) Draw a line from one corner to the opposite corner on all 24 white squares.
2) Placed your print squares and your white squares right side together.
Using 1/4" seam allowance, sew along each side of the drawn line.
I like to sew continuously without stopping, refer to the above photo.
I find it saves time. But i will backstitch a little on the beginning and end of each squares.
This is just my personal preference. = )
Quick wasn't it?! ^^
3) Cut on the line, so you have two Half Square Triangle.
There should be a total of 48 Half Square Triangle.
4) Press all your Half Square Triangles seams open and trim them to 1.5" square.
5) Lay out all 48 Half Square triangles as shown above and piece them together. Let's go into step by step on how to piece them together!
6) Arrange your Half Square Triangles as shown above, piece them together and press seams open.
Make 12 sets each.
7) After you have finished sewing the 24 sets, arrange the two different set as shown above.
Piece them together and press seams open.
Now there should be 12 sets of these.
8) Arrange them as above, 6 sets in a row.
Piece together and press seams open.
9) Arrange the 11.5" x 12.5" white fabric together with the finished two rows of Half square triangles as shown above.
Piece them together, press seams open.
(note to self : remember to press all fabrics before taking photos. >_<")
10) Lay your finished top layer right side facing down, then the layer of batting, then the backing fabric right side up. (or vice versa)
(please press the backing fabric, i took the photo before pressing again.. >_<")
11) Pin your top, make sure your pins go through all three layers and just a few inches apart.
12) Quilt the tablemat as you desired.
I have quilted straight lines. = )
Next, we move on to the bindings.
13) To make a continuous 70" x 2.5" binding, lay the end of one strip perpendicular to the end of another strip, right side together as shown above and pin them.
14) Sew from one corner to another, trim off the excess using 1/4" allowance, as shown above.
15) Press the seams open. Now you have one long strip.
16) Fold the strip in half, wrong sides together. Press them.
So now you have a 1.25" (width) binding instead of 2.5"! = )
17) Leave at least 10" of extra binding before you start to sew.
Place the raw edge of the binding to the raw edge of the front of the tablemat and pin them in place.
18) Start sewing your binding using a 1/4" seam allowance
19) When you reach a corner, stop sewing and backstitch.
Lift up your binding strip as shown above and placed it back down, so that the raw edge of the binding is in line with the raw edge of the tablemat.
20) Pin them in place.
Start sewing again using 1/4" seam allowance from the top edge of this folded down corner. Repeat the same method for all four corners.
21) After you have completed your last corner, continue to sew and stop (and backstitch) about 10" from your starting point.
Smooth out the binding, fold the start and end piece of the binding, making sure they meet in the centre. Press them to form a crease line.
Unfold both ends of the binding piece, right side together and pin them in placed
22) Matching the crease line, sew along it.
Trim off the excess binding leaving 1/4" and press open.
Refold the binding down, press and finish sewing from the stop point to the start point.
Remember to backstitch in the beginning and end.
23) Flip the binding to the back of the tablemat, such that it covers the stitch lines.
Pin them in placed.
p/s note : Pinning is not neccessary, but personally i feel it helps to keep the binding down while i'm stitching, which makes it easier for me. = )
24) When you reached a corner, fold the edges in, until you get a neat mitered corner. Pin them in placed.
p/s add to the above note : personally, i feel one of the cons of using pins to pin for hand binding, is you get prick more easily during binding, especially with large quilt. It will be more comfortable to use clips or anything less pricky, so you can hand bind and watch television series (eg. The Big Bang Theory!) at the same time in comfort.. hee!
This is just from my personal experience. = )
25) With a needle and thread, make a knot at the end of the thread.
Start the first stitch underneath the binding to hide the knot.
Blind stitch along the edges.
When you reach the end of your thread, end the knot underneath the binding again to hide it. Start a new thread and continue to sew away.
now there, your 16" x 12.5" Placemat is complete!
Make a set for all occasions for all your friends! ^^
xoxo Jean
