Scrappy Double-Sided Placemats

I'm still looking for projects to use up all my fabric scraps! These placemats were a great way to use up some of them. I've been wanting more fabric placemats anyway, so this worked out great! Placemats are a good starter project for any beginner sewer, though these are a little different from your basic placemat. I made these placemats with a layer of batting through the middle so they'd be thicker. This way, if I set hot food down at the table, I don't need to worry about the heat seeping through to the table.

When making these placemats, I decided I wanted oval placemats, which can be a bit tricky to trace the exact shape of. I started off by making a stencil for this out of cardboard. I cut a 12 by 15 inch square, then found a rounded object (in this case, my knitting machine) and traced the curved ends, trimming the excess cardboard off. I found that making and using my own stencil to trace the placemat pieces was the easiest way, but if you want to try a different method for measuring your pieces, go ahead.

Materials:

• Scrap material (any size works, I had a grocery bag full and barely made a dent)

• Batting (thinner batting works best)

• Bias tape (or make your own type of edging)

• Larger piece of material for the back (optional)

• Basic sewing supplies (scissors, thread, etc.)

Instructions:

Start by sewing together your scraps. You'll want to keep adding scraps on until your piece is at least 12 x 15 inches or bigger. Iron down all the seams on the backside of your piece.

Once you have a big enough piece, set it aside and continue making scrap pieces. I made 6, for a set of 6 placemats, but you can make more or less depending on what you want. You can also choose to make the back of your placemat scrappy as well as the front, but if you want it to look like mine, you can just use regular material. Using your stencil, cut the scrappy pieces into an oval shape. Stack and set aside.

If you are using regular fabric for the other side of your placemat, cut out your oval shapes from that fabric and place by the scrappy pieces. Take out your batting, measure, and cut batting into ovals as well.

Take a scrappy oval and a piece of oval batting and pin together, lining up the edges. Start quilting the two pieces together. You can sew the lines however you want, I just went with the pattern I sewed the scraps on.

Take the oval piece for the other side of the placemat and place it on the other side of the batting (remember, wrong sides of the fabric should be facing inward, towards the batting). Pin (or clip) all the layers together. It should look like a batting sandwich at this point. Sew around the edge of the placemat (1/4 inch seam allowance).

Start sewing your bias tape around the edge of your placemat, first one side, then finishing on the other. Sew as close the edge of the bias tape as you can (it looks more professional that way.

Just like that, you've completed one placemat! Repeat these steps and you will have a whole set before you know it!