Just what I need, another irresistible project to add to my growing list! Sarah has created these charming place mats, perfect for picnics, and has written up a lovely tutorial. She writes at Feeding the Soil and also has an online course called Purposeful Conception beginning August 1st. I believe there's still time to register.
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I had so much fun making picnic placemats for my friend's birthday. I
couldn't find a pattern in any of my sewing books, so I decided to wing
it. The process was very simple (even though I was going to initially
make eight of them and decided to make only two...).
- 2 pieces of 16" x 22" for for the placemats (canvas material from IKEA)
- 2 pieces of 6" x 6" for the napkin/knife pocket
- 2 pieces of 4.5" x 6" for the fork/spoon pocket
- 2 pieces for the napkin
- Put right-side of fabric to right-side and sew almost around the entire area.
- Clip the corners in a diagonal to make the corners more crisp when you flip it.
- Flip everything right-side out.
- Iron.
- Fold the remaining hole in place and iron.
- Sew around the top of the fabric to close up the hole and produce a nice finish.
First I did the placemat pieces (and I put two pieces of ribbon inside the two pieces of fabric before I sewed it shut to create the ties).
Next I cut a piece of quilt batting to size and fit it inside each placemat.
I sewed everything shut.
Then I sewed on each of the pockets, which helped to quilt the fabric and batting into place. I sewed a line down the center of each pocket to make a divider for the cutlery and napkin.
Finally, I made the napkin following the same steps above.
The process was fairly painless. I do wish I would have picked a better ribbon. The little flowers on mine make it hard to tie it smoothly.
I've also seen something similar done with sushi
mats, which is a cute option, too!
